Answer:
They benefited from canals and railroads.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Industrial Revolution was a process of economic, technological, and social transformation that started in England in the 18th century and later expanded to the rest of Europe, North America, and eventually the rest of the world. This process was characterized by the pass from an agricultural economy, that set a mostly rural society, to an industrial economy that set an urban and mechanized society with a big market.
The first industrial revolution was characterized by the good performance of the textile industry and the use of steam power. Railroads and canals were fundamental for commerce and the economic progress of industrial powers of this first phase.
The second industrial revolution took place between the second part of the 19th century until the outbreak of the WWI. It was characterized by the beginning of the use of electricity, the use of telegraph lines, and new sources of energy like gas and oil. During this phase canals and railroads were built around the world in most European colonies, which resulted very beneficial for businessmen in the industrialized countries, like the UK and the US.