Beginning of Essay
The manufacture of linen was an established industry before the Union but flourished into, in Hamilton's words, "Scotland's premier industry" within the next 100 years. To say that the Union was the cause for this would be untrue. Though it did played a part in ....

Middle of Essay
.... needed as many workers to survive, people had to find other means of work. This allowed for the availability of cheap labour. Another source of labour was women. Many would spin or weave part-time in addition to their farm or housework. Even with the development of new technology most of the jobs in the linen industry did not need much knowledge and skill. The jobs were highly labour-intensive. The rapid growth of the industry after 1740 was fuelled by the rising supplies of cheap labour in the central manufacturing districts in lowland Scotland and also in the north and south. The industry was employing more and more which increased total ....