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Difficulty: EasyGlobal Spread of Industrialization

The following table shows the approximate growth of railway track mileage (in kilometers) in selected countries during the nineteenth century:

CountryRailway Track in 1840 (km)Railway Track in 1880 (km)
United Kingdom2,40025,000
German States50033,000
Russia2722,000
Japan0120

Based on the table, the growth of railway infrastructure best illustrates which of the following global processes?

  1. A
    The revival of mercantilist policies to restrict international trade and accumulate bullion.
  2. B
    The dominance of electricity and synthetic chemicals as the primary power sources of the First Industrial Revolution.
  3. The global spread of industrial technologies and transportation infrastructure beyond Great Britain.Answer
  4. D
    The replacement of local administrative structures in Japan and Russia by direct British colonial rule.

Answer

The correct answer is the option stating that the growth of railway infrastructure represents the global spread of industrial technologies and transportation infrastructure beyond Great Britain.
The growth of railway track mileage in the German states, Russia, and Japan between 1840 and 1880 illustrates the global diffusion of industrial technologies and steam-powered transportation networks from their origins in Great Britain to other parts of Europe and Asia.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided dataset showing the expansion of railway track mileage from 1840 to 1880 across different states.
Identify that all listed nations experienced significant growth in railway infrastructure over these four decades.
This establishes the basic trend of rapid technological expansion over time.
2
Contextualize railways within the history of the nineteenth century.
Connect railways as a key technology of the Industrial Revolution, representing steam power and heavy industrial capacity.
This links the specific infrastructure to the broader historical theme of industrialization.
3
Observe the geographic distribution of this railway growth from the United Kingdom to Germany, Russia, and Japan.
Recognize that the technology spread from its British origins to continental Europe, Eastern Europe, and East Asia.
This directly demonstrates the global spread of industrialization.

Key Concept

Global Spread of Industrialization
Estimated Time:45s
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Global Spread of Industrialization

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