Definitions Flashcards
Assembly line
A technique of mass production which involved workers specialising in the making of individual parts.
Agriculture
An industry centred on the practice of farming. This includes both the rearing of animals and the growing of crops.
Enclosure Movement
A policy of the British government in the 18th century which saw communally owned plots of land enclosed into larger farms and sold to wealthy landowners.
Industrialisation
The process of transforming the economy of a nation or region from a focus on agriculture to a reliance on manufacturing.
Raw materials
The basic substances used in the manufacturing of goods. This includes things like timber, cotton, and iron ore, which can be transformed into furniture, clothing, and domestic appliances!
Selective breeding
The practice of breeding animals selectively to produce certain traits, like extra wool.
Steam engine
An engine invented during the Industrial Revolution which uses steam to generate power. It was initially used to pump water out of coal mines.
Textile industry
An industry based around the weaving and manufacturing of fabrics out of raw materials such as cotton.
Trade union
An organised group of workers in a similar industry or profession, who work together to pursue better working rights and conditions.
Turnpike Trusts
Groups of businessmen who worked together to maintain Britain’s roads, and could, in turn, charge people for road usage. These trusts were established in the 18th century.
Colonisation
The process in which an empire establishes a settlement in a foreign territory. This involves the taking of land from and imposition of control over the Indigenous population of the territory.
Imperialism
The practice of a nation extending its influence by taking territory and imposing control beyond its own borders.
Penal colony
A colony established by an empire to house prisoners. Australia is a key example here, with the British establishing several penal colonies on the continent to relieve the growing pressure on Britain’s goals.
Slums
Overcrowded and poorly developed parts of cities, populated by the lower classes.
Urbanisation
The movement of populations from rural areas to urban areas like towns or cities.
