easy · LSAT Reading Comprehension
The Industrial Revolution is frequently characterized as a period of rapid technological innovation that began in Great Britain in the late eighteenth century. While the steam engine and the power loom are often cited as the primary drivers of this era, some historians emphasize the role of institutional changes, such as the strengthening of property rights and the expansion of the banking system. These factors created an environment where entrepreneurs felt secure in investing large amounts of capital into risky new ventures. Furthermore, the enclosure movement, which consolidated small landholdings into larger farms, provided a surplus of displaced workers who were forced to seek employment in the growing urban factories. This perspective suggests that the Industrial Revolution was not merely a sequence of inventions, but the result of a complex interplay between technology, law, and social structure. Understanding these multifaceted origins is crucial for modern developing nations seeking to replicate industrial success.
The passage mentions 'the enclosure movement' primarily in order to:
- give an example of a social development that helped supply the labor force the new factories required
- contrast the standard of living of rural farmers with that of workers in urban factories
- argue that mechanical inventions such as the steam engine were in fact of little importance
- illustrate a banking practice that gave entrepreneurs the confidence to invest their capital
- support the claim that the era's origins were a complex interplay of technology, law, and social structure
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