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
