The correct answer is A) access to raw materials.
Access to raw materials decreased during the second Industrial Revolution.
The years from 1870 to 1914 are considered as the Second Industrial Revolution. During those years, industries increased the production of steel, oil, and electricity. The difference with the First Industrial Revolution is that during the first, fabrics produced more raw material such as iron, coal, cotton, and other kinds of textiles. During the Second Industrial Revolution, industries benefited from new technologies and the use of steam power. Not only the United States benefited from this second period, but Great Britain, France, and other Western European countries.