Unit 4: Age of Industry Flashcards
Agricultural Revolution Definition
the unprecedented increase in farming and livestock breeding that took place in England from the mid-eighteenth century to the late nineteenth century due to increases in labor and land productivity
Enclosures Definition
fenced land acquired by wealthy English landowners during the Agricultural Revolution where experimentation with new farming methods led to larger crop yields
Industrial Revolution Definition
the shift from an economy centered on agriculture to an economy centered on mechanized, industrial production
Fallow Definition
describes land left unseeded for a season to regain its nutrients
Subsistence Farming Definition
providing just enough food for the farmer’s family, typically leaving few to no extra crops
James Watt Definition
Scottish inventor who improved upon the steam engine, leading to the development of steamboats and railways
Cottage Industry Definition
the making of products in homes
Factory System Definition
a new mode of production that served as the foundation for the industrial revolution where large numbers of workers were paid an hourly wage, and gathered in one location to use machines for manufacturing
Interchangeable Parts Definition
the nearly identical parts of a machine that could work on multiple machines of a similar type
Spinning Jenny Definition
a machine invented in the mid-1700s by James Hargreaves that used multiple spindles to spin yarn, making production much faster than what was originally done by hand
Aristocracy Definition
the highest class in a society possessing hereditary power through land, titles, or political offices
Bourgeoise Definition
the upper-middle-class members of society who benefited from the growth of industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; according to Karl Marx, this class grew in power due to its exploitation of the proletariat
Proletariat Definition
a term used by Karl Marx to describe the industrial working class, whom he argued were being exploited by industrial capitalism
Serf Definition
a peasant who farms land for a landlord in exchange for protection
Combustion Engine Definition
an engine that creates power by burning fuel
Urban Migration Definition
the process of people moving from rural areas to cities
Urbanization Definition
the movement of people to major centers of population
California Gold Rush Definition
the discovery of gold in Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California, that encouraged people to migrate there to search for gold
Chinese Exclusion Act Definition
an act passed by the U.S. federal government in 1882 that restricted Chinese laborers from entering the country
Indentured Servant Definition
a worker who willingly enters into a labor agreement that includes the number of years that the worker must work in return for pay, housing, and food
Steam Engine Definition
an engine that operates by utilizing steam to move pistons back and forth
Opium Wars Definition
the two wars between China during the Qing dynasty and European powers, namely the British, between 1839 and 1842 over the opium trade in China
Capitalism Definition
an economic system in which businesses are privately owned and the business owner seeks to make a profit from the business
Communism Definition
a movement to create a socioeconomic system structured around common ownership of the means of production and the abolition of social class and the state
Kibbutz Definition
a communal settlement in Israel, typically based on agriculture
Marxism Definition
the theory that class conflict would lead to a revolution and ultimately, a classless society in which everyone would own the means of production and have an equal share
Protectionism Definition
the use of economic measures, such as tariffs or quotas, to protect a nation’s domestic industry from foreign competition
Unionism Definition
the policy or practice of promoting the organization of workers into unions
Utopian Socialism Definition
a movement of the industrial era that sought to create an ideal, harmonic way of industrial labor and living, pioneered by figures such as Robert Owen and his experiment at New Lanark Mill in Scotland
Luddites Definition
the English workers who destroyed machinery during the nineteenth century in response to the Industrial Revolution
Putting-out System Definition
a traditional economic system used in the seventeenth century in which small rural workshops were contracted to create products
Tenements Definition
apartment buildings, typically associated with crowded, run-down, or low-quality living conditions
Trade Union Definition
an organization of workers who collectively negotiate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions
Meiji Restoration Definition
a political event that restored imperial rule in Japan to the Emperor Meiji and was characterized by rapid industrialization and the adoption of Western ideas and methods of production
Revolutions of 1848 Definition
in Europe, a series of failed revolts against monarchical power in favor of republican reforms
Zaibatsu Definition
a large industrial combine formed by Japanese entrepreneurs in the late nineteenth century
Ancien Regime Definition
the political and social system of France before the French Revolution
Classical Liberalism Definition
a political and economic philosophy that emphasizes limited government, individual rights, and economic freedom
Conservatism Definition
a social and political movement that seeks to preserve traditional institutions
Historiography Definition
the study of the methods used by historians to interpret and understand historical events
Paris Commune Definition
a short-lived revolutionary government in nineteenth century Paris that supported socialism
Investment Definition
a loan of capital to a business with the expectation of getting it back along with a profit
Anarchy Definition
the absence of authority
Authoritarian Definition
a government that controls virtually everything about a country other than possibly a social organization such as a religion; it is not limited by a constitution, the rule of law, or elections and typically it would be run by one or a few individuals
Bauxite Definition
an ore used to make aluminum
Capitalism Definition
the system of using existing wealth to make more wealth through the investment of capital in trade or production
Collectivism Definition
a social theory that prioritizes the group over each individual within it
Command Economy Definition
an economic system in which activity is controlled by a central authority and the means of production are publicly owned
Communism Definition
a political ideal based on the theories of Karl Marx believing in public ownership of property and that wages be based more on need than skill
Labor Union Definition
a group of workers, often tradespeople, organized to protect their interests
Libertarian Definition
a political theory that seeks maximum autonomy and personal freedom
Mixed Economy Definition
an economy in which some companies are owned by the government and other companies are not
Socialism Definition
an economic theory that advocates for equitable distribution of wealth and the public ownership of key industries
Black Market Economy Definition
an economic activity, such as business, that takes place without government permission
Industrialization Definition
the process of developing machine production of goods
Leninism Definition
the ideology of Marxism interpreted by Vladimir Lenin
Marxism Definition
the theory that class conflict would lead to a revolution and ultimately, a classless society in which everyone would own the means of production and have an equal share
Proxy Conflict Definition
a conflict that took place during the Cold War between the United States and a party other than the Soviet Union, often as a stand-in for the conflict between the United States and Soviet Union. In these conflicts, although the United States and Soviet Union did not go head-to-head, the ideals underlying the U.S-Soviet conflict were usually at stake, such as capitalism/democracy versus communism.
Russian Revolution Definition
the period from about 1917 to 1922 when Russia was in turmoil. During 1917, three separate revolutions occurred: in March, the abdication and murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family; in August, the overthrow of the Duma provisional government; and in October, the Bolshevik’s overthrow of the most recent government. From there, the nation descended into civil war.
Socialist Definition
a person or group whose political ideology advocates the working class should control wealth. Most see government control of the economy as the means to this end.
Social Service Definition
a government service provided to a community, such as healthcare or education
Stalinism Definition
the ideology of Marxism interpreted by Joseph Stalin
Totalitarian Definition
a form of government in which the central government has absolute power and existence in the society requires subservience to the state
Constitution Definition
a set of agreements under which people in an organization or country agree to be governed
Diet Definition
the Japanese parliament
Meiji Restoration Definition
a political event that restored imperial rule in Japan to the Emperor Meiji and was characterized by rapid industrialization and the adoption of Western ideas and methods of production
Political Party Definition
an organization that organizes candidates around certain viewpoints to run in political elections
Captain of Industry Definition
a business leader during the Industrial Revolution who gathered a lot of wealth from industrialization
Division of Labor Definition
a key feature of the factory system of the industrial era in which individual workers perform the same task over and over as part of the larger production process, which increased the efficiency of production but was criticized as monotonous by the workers
Global Superpower Definition
a nation with a large amount of power and influence on a global scale
Factory System Definition
a new mode of production that served as the foundation for the industrial revolution where large numbers of workers were paid an hourly wage, and gathered in one location to use machines for manufacturing
Monopoly Definition
a situation where one entity controls all trade or access to trade in a business sector or region
