AP World History – Unit 5 Vocabulary (1750–1900) Revolutions & Industrialization

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights.

John Locke

Philosopher who argued for natural rights and government’s duty to protect them.

Baron Montesquieu

Philosopher who supported separation of powers.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosopher who believed government should reflect the will of the people.

Voltaire

Writer who supported freedom of speech and religion.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Advocate for women’s rights and education equality.

Thomas Paine

Writer who supported independence and reason over tradition.

Social Contract

Agreement where people give up some freedoms for protection.

Declaration of Independence

Document declaring American independence using Enlightenment ideas.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

French document stating natural rights of citizens.

Bastille

Prison whose storming began the French Revolution.

Reign of Terror

Period of mass executions during the French Revolution.

Abolitionism

Movement to end slavery.

Toussaint L’Ouverture

Leader of the Haitian Revolution.

Simon Bolivar

Leader of South American independence movements.

Nationalism

Strong loyalty to a shared nation or culture.

Otto von Bismarck

Leader who unified Germany using Realpolitik.

Realpolitik

Practical politics focused on results over ideals.

Classical Liberalism

Belief in limited government and individual freedoms.

Conservatism

Belief in tradition and gradual change.

Utilitarianism

Philosophy of greatest good for greatest number.

Adam Smith

Economist who supported free-market capitalism.

Industrial Revolution

Shift to machine-based production.

Industrialization

Growth of factories and mechanized production.

James Watt

Improved the steam engine.

Division of Labor

Breaking production into specialized tasks.

Mass Production

Producing large amounts of goods quickly.

Interchangeable Parts

Standardized parts for easy production and repair.

Capitalism

System where private individuals own businesses.

Capital

Money used to invest in production.

Laissez-faire

Idea that government should not interfere in economy.

Means of Production

Tools and resources used to make goods.

Raw Materials

Natural resources used in production.

Monopoly

Control of an entire industry by one company.

Bessemer Process

Method to produce steel cheaply and efficiently.

Second Industrial Revolution

Expansion of industry using steel and electricity.

Limited-Liability Corporations

Businesses where owners aren’t personally responsible for debts.

Stockholders

People who own shares in a company.

Consumerism

Culture focused on buying goods.

Transcontinental Railroad

Railroad connecting east and west United States.

Trans-Siberian Railroad

Railroad connecting Russia across Asia.

Richard Arkwright

Inventor who improved textile machinery.

Cottage Industry

Home-based production system.

Bourgeoisie

Middle class business owners.

Proletariat

Working class laborers.

Working Class

Factory and industrial workers.

Labor Unions

Groups advocating for workers’ rights.

Slums

Overcrowded poor urban housing.

Tenement

Low-quality apartment buildings.

Socialism

System where production is owned by workers or state.

Communism

System where all property is publicly owned.

Karl Marx

Philosopher who criticized capitalism.

Friedrich Engels

Marx’s collaborator.

Utopian Socialists

Reformers aiming to create ideal societies.

Robert Owen

Socialist who built model communities.

Human Capital

Workers’ skills and labor.

White-Collar

Office-based workers.

Immigration

Movement to a new country.

Meiji Restoration

Japanese modernization reforms.

Charter Oath

Japanese statement promoting reform.

Commodore Matthew Perry

U.S. officer who opened Japan to trade.

Zaibatsu

Large Japanese business groups.

Self-Strengthening Movement

Chinese effort to modernize.

Hundred Days of Reform

Short-lived Chinese reform movement.

Empress Dowager Cixi

Chinese leader who resisted reforms.

Tanzimat

Ottoman modernization reforms.

Mahmud II

Ottoman ruler who began reforms.

Ottomanism

Effort to unify Ottoman identity.

Company Rule

British East India Company control of India.

Coaling Stations

Ports for refueling steamships.

Cecil Rhodes

British imperialist in Africa.

Bourgeois Nationalism

Middle-class support for nation-states.

Fabian Society

Group promoting gradual socialism.

Crop Rotation

Farming method to improve soil fertility.

Seed Drill

Tool that improved planting efficiency.