Answer one question from one section only. Section A: European option The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750-1850 Read the sources and then answer both parts of the question. Source A The importance to a commercial nation of a safe and cheap mode of transit for merchandise from one part of the country to another will be readily acknowledged. From the start, this was the justification for canals. It was for the public advantage. Although canals interfered with existing modes of transport and were opposed to the feelings and prejudices of the landowners, the principle of public good prevailed and experience has justified the decision. The public may not understand how the owners of a railroad, which requires substantial investment, can afford to carry goods so much cheaper than by canal. The canal companies could have carried goods on more reasonable terms but given their monopoly, have not thought it necessary to do so. The public have had no protection against the most arbitrary pricing – it is competition that is wanted. But it is not altogether on account of the excessive charges of the canal companies that a railroad is desirable. The present canals are inadequate to the great aim, namely the regular and punctual transport of goods in all seasons. In summer there is frequently a deficiency of water, obliging boats to go only half loaded, causing great inconvenience and delay. In winter canals are sometimes frozen for weeks to the hindrance of business. From the prospectus for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company, 1824. This was written to attract potential investors. Source B We have had sad work with Lord Derby, Lord Sefton and Bradshaw the canal owner, whose land we go through with the projected railway. Their land is blockaded on every side to prevent us getting on with the survey. Bradshaw fires guns in the night to prevent the surveyors coming through the dark. Matters will come to a head next week. The Liverpool Railway Company is determined to force a survey through if possible. Lord Sefton says he will have 100 men to stop us. The Company thinks those great men have no right to stop us. It is only the farmers who have a right to complain and charging damages for trespass is all they do. From a letter written by George Stephenson, surveyor for the proposed Liverpool to Manchester railway, 1824. Source C [Figure C.1] The opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, 1825. Source D It is proposed to convert the Ellesmere and Chester canal into a railway. If it is drained and converted into a railway under the management of the railway company, a monopoly of railway traffic will be created and competition destroyed. Traders will not be allowed the uninterrupted use of the railroad and many difficulties may arise. At present, the traders own the boats navigating the canals and face no restrictions. The railway companies, being carriers themselves, have a direct interest in keeping other carriers off the line. Workshops have been established on the banks of the canal and no railway can be built which will be as beneficial to the coal and iron trade as the canal. The coal and iron masters have made significant investments to ensure they can carry on their trade in the most convenient way by means of water communication. This will be entirely wasted if the canals are drained and replaced by railways. From a public statement by the Staffordshire coal and iron masters, published in 1846.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Feb/Mar 2024). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. Similarities
2. Both sources see some positive elements in the development of transport by canal. This is most obvious in Source D where the coal and iron masters do not want the canal replaced as it is best for their trade. However, Source A also admits that the canals were a positive development – they were built for the public good and 'experience has justified the decision'. This implies that industry has benefited from the development of canals.
3. Both see that it is possible that canals will become outdated and replaced by a faster means of transport. In Source A the railway company wants investors for the new line to reduce transport costs. In Source D there is a plan to replace the canal and drain it, presumably to lay a railway over the old route of the canal.
4. Differences
5. In Source D canals are seen as the best option of transport for the coal and iron industry. However, In Source A the implication is that railways will undercut the cost of canals and be more convenient, benefiting trade.
6. Source A makes an argument that the canal companies have a monopoly which has meant transportation prices have been much higher than they need to be. Source D doesn't accept this argument as it claims the traders have their own barges and can use the canals without facing restrictions.
7. Explanation
8. The similarities between the sources can be explained by reference to contextual knowledge about the development of the transport revolution. The cost of any new transport venture was considerable and investors were needed to finance new schemes. The price of transporting goods was significant for manufacturers and impacted to final price of products. Canals were first developed in the 1750s and were important in supplying coal from the Duke of Bridgewater's coal mines to Manchester. A network of canals developed rapidly and was particularly useful for transporting bulky materials such as clay and fragile goods such as pottery.
9. The difference between the sources could be developed from the provenance of the source. Source A is from a railway company which is looking for investors to finance a railway from Liverpool to Manchester. They have a clear interest in arguing that canals are no longer the most effective form of transport. Both towns were very important to the cotton industry and cheap, reliable transport was vital for business. However, the coal and iron masters favour canal transport. They have invested in development along the canals and it was still likely that in 1846 it was cheaper to transport bulky goods such as coal and iron by water.
10. Accept any other valid responses.
11. Indicative content
12. Support
13. Source B: those who own land where railways are proposed, and the proprietor of the nearby canal, are opposed to the scheme. The source shows that they are obstructive, barring the surveyors from the land and firing guns in the night to stop them approaching under cover of darkness.
14. Source D: the coal and iron merchants have invested heavily in the canal and consider this will have been a waste of money if the canal is replaced by a railway. They also accuse the railway companies of being obstructive and trying to control trade for their own benefit.
15. Challenge
16. Source A: railways will be cheaper than using canals and will have none of the disadvantages caused by the weather. They claim the canal companies have a monopoly and that the public is suffering higher prices as a result. They argue the competition from the railway would be healthier for business.
17. Source C: the opening of the Darlington and Stockton railway has attracted a crowd to watch the train and many passengers. This suggests that it was a popular event and that people were interested in the new locomotive.
18. Source D: although not the main drift of the argument, the source recognises that there is an intention to replace the canal with a railway and therefore they must be popular with some.
19. Evaluation
20. Source A has a vested interest in presenting the canal companies as monopolisers and railways as the solution. Having this purpose may be considered to weaken the weight source as evidence in response to the question. However, candidates could use their knowledge of the progress of industrialisation and the development of the railways to explain why the company is so keen for support. The existing means of water transport dated from the 1700s and many thought the owners of the canals were making excessive profits from the cotton trade and preventing the growth of Manchester and other towns.
21. Source B is written by George Stephenson who was responsible for building the first steam locomotive and the railway seen in Source C. He was the surveyor of the line in question and had first-hand experience of the problems faced by the survey. The existing canals connecting the port of Liverpool to Manchester and other textiles producing towns were partly owned by the landowners mentioned in the source and it is not surprising they resisted the innovation of railways.
22. Source C was probably produced to celebrate the opening of the railway and so it shows the event in a positive light. The line was the first to use steam locomotives and, although carrying passengers in the picture, it was used to transport coal to Darlington and Stockton. There was huge public interest in the opening of the railway and large crowds gathered along the route.
23. Source D shows strong opposition to the railways. This is not surprising as the coal masters have invested heavily in the canal and see the possibility of a railway as a hindrance to their business. This source was written at the beginning of a phase known as 'railway mania' when canals were closed in favour of railways, accompanied by speculation on land prices which encouraged non-viable railway building schemes.
24. Accept any other valid responses.