The Industrial Revolution (^) ‹ 141
- Which of the following can one conclude about Great Britain in the 1830s?
A. It was being widely argued that industrial production was physically detrimental to
industrial workers.
B. Efforts to reform working conditions in factories were under way.
C. It was being widely argued that women and children should not be working in
factories.
D. It was being widely argued that industrial production was economically beneficial
to industrial workers.
Short Answer- Briefly explain the reciprocal nature of industrial production in this period and give
TWO examples that illustrate the point.
Answers and Explanations- C is correct because the two passages could be used as evidence for the existence
of a wide difference of opinion about the benefits of industrialization for British
laborers. A and D are incorrect because the differing opinions expressed in the two
passages argue against there being any consensus of opinion on the benefits of indus-
trialization for British laborers. B is incorrect because neither passage offers scientific
evidence. - B is correct because Ure states that industrial work leaves the worker “nearly nothing
at all to do” and causes “no muscular fatigue,” while Gaskell details the numerous
detrimental physical effects of industrialized work. A is incorrect because the two pas-
sages offer no evidence of disagreement over the degree to which British labor had
become industrialized. C is incorrect because only Ure addresses the effects of indus-
trialization on wages. D is incorrect because neither passage addresses the effects of
industrialization on the economy of Great Britain. - A is correct because the fact that Gaskell explicitly makes the argument, while Ure
(a defender of industrial production) feels it necessary to refute the charge, allows
one to infer that it was an argument that was fairly widely made. B is incorrect
because neither passage refers to the existence of a reform movement. C is incorrect
because Ure makes no mention of women and children, and Gaskell’s implication
is not sufficient to infer that such a view was widely held. D is incorrect because
Gaskell makes no mention of it and Ure’s assertion is insufficient to infer that it was
widely held. - Suggested answer:
Thesis: The four major components of the Industrial Revolution—the iron and steel indus-
try, the coal industry, steam power, and the railways—had a reciprocal effect on one another
because each developed in response to a demand created by the others, and each stimulated
further demand for the others.
Paragraph Outline:
I. The iron and steel industry required improvements in the steam engine to run its blast
furnaces, greater amounts of coal to fuel the engines, and railways to transport both the
coal and the smelted iron and steel.
II. The coal industry required more and improved steam engines to pump water out of the
mines and to power digging machinery; it also required railways to transport the coal.PRACTICE17_Bartolini_Ch17_133-142.indd 141 27/04/18 1:55 PM