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what does this passage illustrate about the historical context the author experienced while it was written?
the principle of the factory system then is, to substitute mechanical science for hand skill, and the partition of a process into it's essential constituent, for the division or graduation of labour among artisans. on the handicraft plan, labour more or less skilled was usually the most expensive element of production. but ok the automatic plan, skilled labour gets progressively superseded, and will eventually be replaced by mere overlooks or machines.
it is in fact the constant aim and tendency of every improvement in machinery to supersede human labour altogether, or to diminish its cost, by substituting the industry of women and children for that of men; or that of ordinary laborers for trained artisans. the effect of substituting the self acting mule for the common mules is to retain adolescent and children. the proprietor of a factory near stockport states, in evidence to the commissioners that by such substitutions he would save 501. a week in wages in consequence of dispensing with nearly forty male spinners, at about 25s. of wages each.
a.) artisans were using technology to produce higher-quality goods.
b.) technology was reducing the demand for skilled laborers
c.) wages were increasing at technology improves the economy
d.)women and children had become less valued as employees

the correct answer is b) technology was reducing the demand for skilled workers.

the passage illustrates the historical context that technology was reducing the demand for skilled workers.

we are referring to an excerpt of "the philosophy of manufactures," written by andrew ure in 1835. this portion of the excerpt supports the answer: "on the handicraft plan, labor more or less skilled was usually the most expensive element of production. but ok the automatic plan, skilled labor gets progressively superseded, and will eventually be replaced by mere overlooks or machines."

andrew ure (1778-1857), was a scottish man that supported the industrialization of the means of production. he thought that the factory system represented the solution for manufacturing and labor. he was an advocate of the use of machines in the industry.  

pepin the short[a] (german: pippin der kurze, french: pépin le bref, c. 714 – 24 september 768) was the king of the franks from 751 until his death. he was the first of the carolingians to become king.[b][2]

the younger son of the frankish prince charles martel and his wife rotrude, pepin's upbringing was distinguished by the ecclesiastical education he had received from the monks of st. denis. succeeding his father as the mayor of the palace in 741, pepin reigned over francia jointly with his elder brother carloman. pepin ruled in neustria, burgundy, and provence, while his brother carloman established himself in austrasia, alemannia and thuringia. the brothers were active in suppressing revolts led by the bavarians, aquitanians, saxons, and the alemanni in the early years of their reign. in 743, they ended the frankish interregnum by choosing childeric iii, who was to be the last merovingian monarch, as figurehead king of the franks.

because mexico wanted to choose a centralized location