The explosive growth of the textile industry created a political debate on:

It created a political debate on "the advantages and tyranny of new industries".

In the vicinity of 1450 and 1800, textile production was second just to agribusiness in monetary significance. It utilized a larger number of individuals and delivered more benefit than some other item. Production and trade existed at two levels. Workers and villagers transformed privately developed fleece and flax into cloth for themselves and their neighbors.