13-Industrial Revolution Flashcards
Define/describe/periodize the Industrial Revolution (IR)
a. Change from a society in which products were handcrafted to a society in which products were made by machines
b. First generation: 1780-1870. characterized by textile manufacturing, by iron production, by water, steam, and coal as primary sources of energy to run the machines
c. Second generation: 1870-Ongoing. Characterized by steel and chemicals, oil and electricity, and automobiles and airplanes.
Explain why industrialization happened first in England
a. A wealthy country, abundant energy sources, abundant labor, stable and well suited political order
Identify/state significance: “Manchester Men”; James Watt; the Rocket
a. Manchester Men: a new class of industrial businessmen or industrial capitalists,
b. James Watt: critical technological breakthrough was the development of a steam engine
c. Rocket: industry’s conduit to the world, both to receive raw cotton and export finished cloth. The first locomotive
Identify which countries on the European continent industrialized earliest (and latest)
a. Russia (1890;s), end of 19th century: US and Germany
Identify the leading indicators (products, measures) of early industrialization
a. Products: yarn, cloth, cotton, iron, coal, weapons and tools, machine parts
b. Measures: use of energy sources, the creation of efficient/mass producing machines
Differentiate between the First and Second generation Industrial Revolution
First generation: 1780-1870. characterized by textile manufacturing, by iron production, by water, steam, and coal as primary sources of energy to run the machines
Describe the important results of the Industrial Revolution
a. The efficiency of production, initiated more regimented work, smaller nuclear mobile families, mass public education that included good factory worker training, global access to raw materials, established markets for finished products, global industrial economic market, increased industrial/urban societies and population, proletarianization
Explain how the ideas of Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo were used to justify the inequalities of industrial society
a. Seemed to suggest that poverty and working-class hardship were the predictable results of natural law. Low wages and poverty were simply the workings out of natural law. Therefore, nothing could or should be done to interfere in the fate of the lower classes
Define/describe socialism as a response to industrialization
a. Critique and response to industrial capitalism. Called for the reorganization of industrial society, the redistribution of industrial wealth, and the reconstruction of a more just, equitable society
Distinguish between “Utopian Socialism,”; “Democratic Socialism,” and “Scientific
Socialism”
a. Utopian: sought to recreate a more just, equitable society through the establishment of model communities. It paid workers well, offered a clean, safe, and well-lighted workplace, provided good housing for workers and education for their children. (Lanark, Scotland)
Explain in general terms Marx’s views on history, contemporary society, and the future
a. Since the government was simply a tool of the ruling class, it would never voluntarily act on behalf of the working class, share power with the working class, or relinquish power to the working class.
b. Dialectical Materialism: he meant that history was driven forward by the conflict between opposing forces (this is the dialectic part) and that these opposing forces were social classes based on control of the “means of production” (this is the materialism part). the power of the proletariat would grow, and they would eventually become class conscious
Explain why it’s appropriate to call Marx “a child of the Enlightenment.”
a. He thought he had discovered the natural law of history
Explain the following Marxist terms/concepts: dialectical materialism; class conflict; class consciousness; proletariat; the bourgeoisie
a. Dialectal Materialism: he meant that history was driven forward by the conflict between opposing forces (this is the dialectic part) and that these opposing forces were social classes based on control of the “means of production” (this is the materialism part)
b. Class conflict: Everyone would share the work and the rewards of work equitably.
c. Class consciousness: they would realize they were being exploited by the ruling class
d. Proletariat: working class
e. Bourgeoisie: the industrial ruling class
State the evaluation of Marxism presented in the essay
a. Suspect and pretentious
Describe/state significance: Communist Manifesto; Chartists; Charles Dickens as
social critic
a. Only a proletarian revolution that would destroy the ruling class could bring about a workers’ socialist state
b. Chartists: called for universal male suffrage (voting rights), the secret ballot, equally populated electoral districts, elimination of property qualifications to hold a seat in Parliament, and annual elections-Parliament denied
c. Charles Dickens: deftly captured some of the injustices of 19th century industrial England in his novels
