The nineteenth century witnessed a high rate of growth in industrial and agricultural products. (i) The technological development was accelerated by the industrial growth and increasing world trade. Colonies also provided the resources and markets which sustained the industrial growth. Thus, railways were needed to link agricultural regions to the ports from where the goods were transported to more destinations, thereby increasing food availability. (ii) Shipbuilding also became an important industry and countries competed to control the trade routes on seas. Technology helped in the larger social, political and economic factors. For example, steamships and railways helped in carrying large volumes of trading materials between long and inaccessible distances. (iii) A fine example of the interdependence of technology and economy was the trade in meat.The invention of refrigerated ships and use of chemicals which preserved perishable items for longer period lowerd shipping costs and meat prices in Europe.