Industrial Revolution Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts and terms related to the Industrial Revolution, including its origins, important inventions, and social impacts.

Industrial Revolution

A period of major industrialization that began in Britain in the late 1800s, characterized by the growth of factories and significant technological advances.

Coal and Iron

Key resources used to power new machines during the Industrial Revolution.

Factory System

An economic system characterized by the concentration of production in factories, which increased the speed and efficiency of manufacturing goods.

Spinning Jenny

A multi-spindle spinning frame that revolutionized the textile industry by allowing a worker to spin multiple threads at once.

Steam Engine

An invention that utilized steam to produce mechanical work, significantly changing transportation and machinery during the Industrial Revolution.

Samuel Slater

An entrepreneur who brought textile manufacturing knowledge from Britain to the United States.

Francis Cabot Lowell

An entrepreneur who established a model factory system in New England that became a cornerstone of American industrialization.

Transportation Improvements

Advancements such as canals, steamboats, and railroads that facilitated the movement of goods and resources.

Cotton Gin

An invention that quickly separates cotton fibers from seeds, increasing the supply of raw materials for factories.

Economic and Social Changes

Shifts caused by industrialization in which work moved to factories, cities grew rapidly, and new social classes emerged.

Agricultural South vs. Industrial North

The economic divide between the South, which remained focused on agriculture and slavery, and the North, which industrialized rapidly.

Economic Divide

The growing economic and social disparity between the industrial North and the agricultural South during the Industrial Revolution.