To what extent do the sources support the conclusion that, during the period 1780-1914, the British economy and society were transformed, and with little conflict? During the period 1780-1914 Britain witnessed an industrial revolution that placed it above other developing countries in Europe and the Americas. However, was this transformation the one predicted by Karl Marx, one of a series of steps towards the creation of the communist state? If this were true, then the period 1780-1914 would show a transformation with a series of revolutions and extensive conflicts between social classes, as well as the growth of the proletariat. However, the liberal view suggests that, despite all the new innovations and advances in industry and social structure, there will be little conflict, mostly just of opinion. So how revolutionary was the Industrial Revolution? This brings us to the subtext of the question, whether this transformation was more liberal or Marxist. Through analysis of sources, this essay will discuss the issue and ultimately reach a judgment. Eric J. Svedenstierna, the author of Source 1 describes Manchester as a city at the forefront of the industrial revolution, mainly due to its cotton mills and spinning mills. His positive description of the city shows that he is not only impressed by the evident progress, but is sympathetic to the nature of that progress and therefore it can be inferred that his view of the situation was relatively sophisticated and calm. This therefore supports the belief that the transformation occurred with significantly reduced conflict, a contradiction of the Marxist view. However, it can be argued that the revolution was not like the French political revolution of 1789, which occurred suddenly, but was a process that lasted more than 50 years. The source is dated 1802, a period that saw relatively slow growth compared to the years 1815-1821, when the Corn Laws were introduced and a trade recession created unemployment, poverty and unrest. Marxist historians such as EJ Hobsbawm and Friedrich Engels will argue that it is at this point that revolutionary ideas grow among workers. However, Source 1 suggests that there was no conflict of any kind and therefore agrees with the conclusion. Source 2 also takes a more liberal approach in terms of industrial progress, describing factory conditions as "extremely favorable" and "the toil is neither very great nor incessant"..