Final answer:
Prior to interchangeable parts, each item for machines was custom-made, making the production process slow and expensive. Eli Whitney's concept of interchangeable parts allowed for quicker and more uniform production, significantly contributing to the Industrial Revolution and the market revolution, particularly in the United States and Great Britain.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prior to the development of interchangeable parts, b. parts used to manufacture goods were custom-made. This system was cumbersome and costly, as everything had to be made by hand, making each product unique. The introduction of interchangeable parts by Eli Whitney revolutionized production by allowing for identical replacements and facilitating mass production. This innovation was a significant factor in the market revolution and played a crucial role in the economic growth of nations like the United States during the Industrial Revolution, which had already been embraced by Great Britain as a means to mass-produce goods such as textiles and machinery.
In contrast, the industrial expansion in France was hindered due to a variety of factors, including the autonomy of French peasants and the concentration on luxury goods production rather than lower-quality, mass-produced items. The slower pace of industrialization in France, reinforced by protectionist tariffs and less abundant natural resources, contrasted with the large-scale mechanization and industrial growth in other Western nations such as Great Britain and the United States.