Midterm Prep: The Industrial Revolution, Chris Harmen

Question 1

What is the timeframe of the first Industrial Revolution?

Answer 1

The first Industrial Revolution lasted from the mid-18th century to about 1830 and was mostly confined to Britain.

Question 2

What is labor discipline?

Answer 2

Labor discipline refers to the mechanisms and practices used to control and regulate the behavior of workers in industrial settings.

Question 3

What is time-space compression?

Answer 3

Time-space compression refers to the ways in which faster transportation and communication technologies make the world feel smaller and more connected.

Question 4

What is social reproduction?

Answer 4

Social reproduction refers to the ways in which societies reproduce themselves through the maintenance of social institutions, cultural practices, and gender roles.

Question 5

Who were the Chartists?

Answer 5

The Chartists were a working-class movement in 19th-century Britain that sought political rights and influence for working-class people.

The Chartists Movement was a working-class movement that emerged in 1836 in London and aimed to gain political rights and influence for the working classes.

Question 6

What is fictitious capital?

Answer 6

Fictitious capital refers to forms of capital that exist only on paper or in financial systems, such as stocks, bonds, and derivatives.

Question 7

What was the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834?

Answer 7

The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was a law that overhauled the system of providing support to the poor in Britain, grouping local parishes into Poor Law unions and under elected Boards of Guardians.

Question 8

What was the role of women in the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 8

The Industrial Revolution created new opportunities for women to work outside the home and earn their own money, but it also reinforced traditional gender roles and confined women to certain types of work.

Question 9

What were the effects of the Industrial Revolution on transportation and communication?

Answer 9

The Industrial Revolution led to the development of new transportation technologies, such as canals, railroads, and steamships, as well as faster communication technologies, such as the telegraph.

Question 10

What were some of the ways in which workers resisted the discipline of industrial labor?

Answer 10

Workers organized into unions and participated in strikes, protests, and other forms of collective action to resist the discipline of industrial labor and improve their working conditions.

Question 11

Q: What was the significance of the Spinning Jenny?

Answer 11

A: The Spinning Jenny was a key innovation in the textile industry that allowed one worker to spin multiple threads at once, increasing efficiency and productivity.

Question 12

Q: Who were the Luddites?

Answer 12

A: The Luddites were a group of English textile workers who protested against the introduction of labor-saving machinery, which they feared would replace their jobs.

Question 13

Q: What was pauperdom?

Answer 13

A: Pauperdom refers to the state of being extremely poor and to the collective of paupers or poor people.

Question 14

Q: Who was Jean-Baptiste Say?

Answer 14

A: Jean-Baptiste Say was a French economist and businessman who argued in favor of competition, free trade, and lifting restraints on business.

Question 15

Q: What was the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

Answer 15

A: The Tolpuddle Martyrs were six agricultural laborers from the village of Tolpuddle in Dorset, England, who were convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Laborers.

Question 16

Q: What was the role of transportation in the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 16

A: Transportation was a critical aspect of the Industrial Revolution, as it allowed for the movement of goods and people across long distances, which contributed to increased productivity and efficiency.

Question 17

Q: Who were the Sans-culottes in the French Revolution?

Answer 17

A: The Sans-culottes were the common people of the lower classes in late 18th-century France who became militant partisans of the French Revolution.

Question 18

Q: What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on the growth of cities?

Answer 18

A: The Industrial Revolution created urbanization, taking advantage of economies of scale, which led to the growth of cities relative to rural areas.

Question 19

Q: What was the role of labor discipline in the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 19

A: Labor discipline was a key aspect of the Industrial Revolution, as it involved the imposition of strict rules and regulations on workers to ensure they were productive and efficient.

Question 20

Q: What was the significance of the steam engine?

Answer 20

A: The steam engine was a crucial innovation of the Industrial Revolution, as it allowed for the development of new transportation and manufacturing technologies that greatly increased productivity.

Question 21

Q: What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on labor organizing resistance?

Answer 21

A: The Industrial Revolution led to the formation of various labor movements, including the Chartist movement and the 1842 general strike, which aimed to gain political and economic rights for workers.

Question 22

What were some of the key innovations of the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 22

Answer: Some key innovations of the Industrial Revolution included the steam engine, the cotton gin, the spinning jenny, the power loom, and advances in iron and steel production.

Question 23

Q: How did the industrial revolution bring about creative destruction?

Answer 23

A: The industrial revolution brought about new innovations such as the steam engine, new machinery, and mass production, which disrupted traditional industries and ways of life, creating a period of creative destruction.

Question 24

Q: What were some of the consequences of the creative destruction brought about by the industrial revolution?

Answer 24

A: The creative destruction of the industrial revolution resulted in the destruction of traditional industries and ways of life, as well as the creation of new technologies and systems that brought about new forms of labor, transportation, and communication.

Question 25

What is the “Rhythm of the Seasons”?

Answer 25

The rhythm of the seasons described in the text refers to the natural cycle of agricultural production and harvest, which was the dominant mode of economic activity in pre-industrial societies.

In this cycle, work and activity were largely dictated by the changing seasons, with planting, harvesting, and other tasks occurring at specific times throughout the year.

Question 26

What is the significance of Gaslight?

Answer 26

Gaslight created a nightlife, starting with factories. The increased hours of work and the use of artificial light made people more productive and provided an alternative to the boredom of life in rural areas. It also laid the groundwork for the development of the entertainment industry.

Question 27

Significance of the quote “The propertied classes believed any attempt to alleviate poverty would undermine the new discipline.”

Answer 27

Yhe wealthy and powerful individuals in society believed that any efforts to help the poor or alleviate poverty would lead to a loss of the new discipline that had been instilled in the working class through the harsh working conditions of the Industrial Revolution.

This new discipline was seen as necessary for the functioning of capitalism and for maintaining the power and wealth of the propertied classes. Therefore, they opposed any attempts to help the poor or improve their conditions, and instead relied on the threat of the workhouse and other forms of discipline to maintain order and control.

Question 28

What was the workhouse? It’s significance?

Answer 28

the workhouse was an institution that provided food and shelter to those who were unable to support themselves. However, the conditions in workhouses were often harsh and designed to be punitive, with inmates being forced to work long hours for little or no pay. The workhouse was used as a threat to the working class, as it was seen as a place to be avoided at all costs.

The significance of the workhouse was that it served as a means of controlling the working class and enforcing labor discipline, as well as keeping wages low by providing an alternative source of labor.

Question 29

What was Agglomeration? What was its significance to the industrial revolution?

Answer 29

Agglomeration refers to the clustering of firms and industries in a particular geographic area, often a city or region. It is important because it can lead to increased productivity and innovation through the sharing of resources and knowledge between firms.

In the context of the Industrial Revolution, agglomeration was a key factor in the growth of cities and the development of new industries, as well as in the emergence of labor organizing and resistance movements.

Question 30

What was the Chartist Movement?

Answer 30

Back: The Chartist movement was a working class movement which emerged in 1836 in London. The aim of the Chartists was to gain political rights and influence for the working classes. Their demands were widely publicized through their meetings and pamphlets.

Despite their efforts, the Chartists failed to achieve their goals through peaceful means, and their attempts to mount a series of uprisings were met with a government crackdown. The Chartists remained an important symbol of working-class struggle and played a significant role in the development of British democracy.

Question 31

What was the 1842 general strike?

Answer 31

The 1842 general strike was a massive work stoppage by British workers that began on August 4, 1842 and lasted for almost two weeks. It involved workers in a range of industries and was sparked by economic hardship and a lack of political representation.

The strike was ultimately unsuccessful in achieving its goals, but it raised awareness of the issues facing working-class people and helped to build the labor movement in Britain.

Question 32

What were the 1848 Revolutions?

Answer 32

The 1848 Revolutions were a series of democratic and nationalist uprisings that swept across Europe in 1848. The revolutions were sparked by a combination of factors, including widespread poverty and economic hardship, rising nationalism and demands for democratic reform.

The revolutions resulted in the overthrow of monarchies and the establishment of democratic governments in several European countries. However, many of these reforms were short-lived, and conservative forces were eventually able to reassert their control.

Question 33

Comparisons between this text, TCM and globalization.

Answer 33

One comparison between this text, TCM, and globalization is the idea of creative destruction.

All three texts discuss the concept of change and innovation leading to the destruction of old ways of life and industries.

They also all highlight the impact of new modes of production on workers and social structures.

Another comparison is the emphasis on the role of technology and innovation in driving economic growth and societal change.

Finally, they all touch on the idea of resistance and labor organizing, as workers throughout history have sought to improve their working conditions and gain more rights and power.