The thing was latent throughout North-Western Europe. There were democratic ideals (these came in part from the States - this was at one time a very important fact - cf. also import of socialist revolutionary ideals from Russia). There was also a bourgeoisie and all that follows from that - e.g. banks.
But it was in England that they got the point.
Because England was a little less refined but also a little less complex.
It's a little like the situation of the Vikings in the early Middle Ages - they could "use it" without feeling the effects of "it" - until later.
All the little English traders and
pirates (this is also like the Vikings - those guys ate Spaniards). At
home they started competing and quarrelling. The result was a price-and-quality-war,
out of which grew the need for better, quicker and more efficient production.
Machines.