Question

Let us suppose that Jayrne and Larcer were two fictional towns in Britain during the 1820s. Jayrne was a town that had a high unemployment rate and was known to keep to itself. Larcer, on the other hand, was a developed and wealthy town that had a grand bazaar where merchants sold their wares from all over the world. It was a relatively well-connected town that saw a range of interactions for the sake of business and trade. Which of the two towns would most likely have experienced the effects of the Industrial Revolution first and why?

• A. Jayrne, because it was more economically self-sustainable.
• B. Larcer, because it had the social and economic infrastructure already in place to welcome it.
• C. Both Jayrne and Larcer, because technological advancements were enforced uniformly across the country by the government during the Industrial Revolution.
• D. Neither Jayrne nor Larcer would have been affected by the Industrial Revolution.

Answer 1

The correct option is B Larcer, because it had the social and economic infrastructure already in place to welcome it.

Firstly, industrialisation required the concentration of wealth in the hands of people who were willing to invest their wealth to develop a new invention or in the production process, with a motive to earn profits. Secondly, industrialisation required availability of cheap labour. Thirdly, industrialisation required a large market to sell its products. And lastly, industrialisation required cheap raw materials and efficient transport infrastructure.

Thus, here, Larcer appears to fulfil more of the prerequisites needed for industrialisation to leave its mark.