What was the primary reason for building canals during the Industrial Revolution?

During the Industrial Revolution, Britain experienced a massive surge in manufacturing and trade. Factories sprung up, often located near sources of power like rivers or coalfields. However, transporting the goods produced in these factories presented a huge challenge. Roads were often poor and unreliable, and moving goods by horse and cart was slow and expensive. That's where canals came in. Think of them as the motorways of the 18th and 19th centuries. They provided a navigable network that could efficiently transport raw materials like cotton and coal to factories, and then move finished products to towns, cities, and crucially, to ports for export. This efficient transport was vital for the growth of industry and trade. While increasing water supply or accommodating ships might seem plausible, the primary driver was always about connecting production to markets. Canals were the arteries of the Industrial Revolution, keeping the flow of goods moving.
Canals were like the highways of their time, connecting factories to markets and the sea.