Which of the following best describes the industrial revolution? large amounts of land were cleared in order to provide for the needs of the growing, centralized population. government began to provide federal money in the late 1900s to address production issues of the growing population. people began switching to large-scale centralized production of goods using machines in the late 1700s and early 1800s. robert fulton began the industrial revolution by building the first steam-powered engine which expanded transportation opportunities.