Chapter 20 – The Industrial Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the notes on The Industrial Revolution.

Industrial Revolution (Britain)

A period starting around 1750 when Britain shifted from agrarian to mechanized, factory-based production, becoming the world’s wealthiest nation.

Agricultural Revolution

Changes in farming and livestock breeding that increased food production and freed labor for factories.

Surplus labor

Excess rural population available for factory work due to higher food production and population growth.

Capital

Wealth used to invest in factories, machinery, and ventures; sourced from profits, trade, and financial systems.

Paper instruments

Paper money, stocks, bonds, and loans that facilitated broader and cheaper transactions.

Flying shuttle

Weaving device that sped up cloth weaving and increased yarn demand.

Spinning jenny

Early multi-spindle spinning device (Hargreaves, 1768) that boosted yarn production.

Water frame

Richard Arkwright’s water-powered spinning machine increasing yarn output.

Spinning mule

Samuel Crompton’s machine combining jenny and water frame to further boost yarn production.

Power loom

Edmund Cartwright’s weaving machine (1787) that automated weaving.

Factory system

Shift from cottage industry to centralized factories near power sources with paid workers.

James Watt

Inventor who refined the steam engine in the 1760s, making it practical.

Rotary engine

Watt’s 1782 improvement that could drive multiple machines via a shaft.

Steam engine

Power source that transformed production by providing abundant, controllable energy.

Coke

Coal-derived fuel used in iron smelting, replacing charcoal.

Iron industry

Shift to coke-based iron production; led to stronger iron for machinery.

Puddling

Henry Cort’s 1780s process to produce higher-quality wrought iron.

Turnpike trusts

Privately financed toll roads (1760–1830) to improve overland transport.

Canals

Waterways built 1760–1830 to move goods efficiently, linking regions.

Trevorithick

1804: First steam-powered locomotive demonstrating transport potential.

Rocket (Stephenson)

George Stephenson’s locomotive on the first public railway line (1830).

Railroads

Expanded rapidly: by 1840 about 2,000 miles of track; by 1850 faster, cheaper transport.

Industrial factory

Work moved from artisanal shops and cottages to centralized factories with fixed schedules.

Methodism

Religious movement that reinforced factory discipline and thrift.

Crystal Palace (Great Exhibition)

1851 world’s first industrial exposition showcasing Britain’s tech prowess.

Cotton industry

Major early industry that demonstrated Britain’s mechanization and export strength.

Continental spread limitations

Europe’s slower industrial rise due to roads, tariffs, guilds, risk aversion, and warfare.

Interchangeable parts

Standardized components enabling mass production and easy repair (U.S. context).

Industrialization in the United States

From 1800 agrarian society to 1860 population boom; borrowed British tech and pioneered mass production.

Potato famine (Great Hunger)

1845–1861: Potato blight in Ireland causing ~1M deaths and mass emigration.

Emigration

Mass movement of people (e.g., to the U.S.) during industrialization.

Urbanization

Rapid city growth as people move from rural areas to work in factories.

Edwin Chadwick

Reformer who linked sanitation and poverty; promoted public health reforms.

New industrial middle class (bourgeoisie)

Rise of merchants, bankers, professionals who owned/managed factories.

Industrial workers

Mass labor force in factories; endured long hours, low wages, dangerous conditions.

Luddites

Skilled artisans who attacked machinery in 1812–13 to protest job loss.

Chartism

Political reform movement (People’s Charter, 1838) demanding universal male suffrage and parliamentary reforms.

Factory Act 1833

Restricted child labor: 9–13-year-olds max 8 hours; 13–18-year-olds max 12 hours; applied to mills/mines.

Ten Hours Act (1847)

Limited working hours for certain workers to 10 hours per day.

Coal Mines Act (1842)

Prohibited women and boys under 10 from working in coal mines.

Combination Acts

Early 19th-century laws suppressing unions; repealed in 1824, allowing tolerance.

Edwin Chadwick’s reforms

Advocated public health measures to reduce disease and poverty.