Final answer:
The manufacturing of goods prior to the Industrial Revolution was not done primarily by craftsmen or their apprentices. Instead, a new method called factory production emerged, involving the use of machinery and unskilled laborers. This led to the centralization of production and the loss of worker autonomy. The correct option is B.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the early years of the Industrial Revolution, goods were not produced primarily by craftsmen or their apprentices using custom-made parts. Instead, a new method of manufacturing emerged called factory system or factory production. This involved the use of machinery and unskilled laborers to produce goods in large quantities.
For example, water-powered textile mills were built along rivers in New England. These mills introduced mechanized production, replacing the handiwork of skilled artisans. Tasks were deskilled and divided into repetitive tasks assigned to wage laborers.
With the factory system, production became centralized within the mills, and workers lost control over their working conditions. While industrialization made consumer goods cheaper and more accessible, it came at the cost of workers' autonomy.
Hence, Option B is correct.