While it is true that Britain had large academic societies surrounding their many universities, they did not have substantially larger academic groups than any other Western European nation. For example, the nation of Prussia overall was the most educated nation on the planet at this point in history due to their compulsory school system.

The Luddites were the group of English workers known for their violent opposition to new machines that were removing jobs in their industry, so they would be the best choice. The Patricians were the ruling class of the Roman Republic, so that would not be a good choice here. The Plebeians were the citizen-commoners of the Roman Republic, so they too would not be the right answer to this question. The Amish -while opposed to technology in many ways- did not protest in England nor were they part of the textile industry there, so they would not be the best answer to this question.

All of the individuals mentioned in the answer choices to this question were writers and political thinkers during either the Enlightenment era or the Industrial Revolution. Karl Marx and Frederich Engels wrote The Commnuist Manifesto in 1848. The book is the principle work of communist theory. One form of communism is even called Marxism, and the term also refers to a study of history based on class struggles.

The Industrial Revolution began in England in the early nineteenth century. Due to England's relative wealth, agricultural prosperity, surplus of workers, colonial holdings, and history of capitalist democracy, the prerequisites for the Industrial Revolution were heavily concentrated there. The Industrial Revolution quickly spread from England around Europe and to North America.

James Watt was a Scottish inventor who helped perfect the Newcomen Steam Engine in the 1770s. Although he did not actually invent the steam engine, he is generally remembered as having done so. His adaptations to the steam engine created the necessary machinery that led to the Industrial Revolution.