The First Phase of Industrialization (circa 1850–1896)

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the economic, technological, and social foundations of the first phase of industrialization (circa 1850–1896).

The First Phase of Industrialization

The historical era (circa 1850–1896) characterized by the transition from craftwork to factory production, powered by new technology and industrial capitalism.

Industrialization

The social and economic changes related to technological progress that enable the transition from craftwork to the factory production of goods, where workers operating machinery replace craftspeople and factories replace workshops.

James Watt

The Scottish inventor who developed the steam engine in 1776, providing powerful and constant energy that made industrialization possible.

Steam Engine

An innovation providing powerful and constant energy, developed by James Watt in 1776, that was applied to factory machinery (weaving cotton, forging metal, milling lumber) and revolutionized transportation via locomotives and steamboats.

Division of Labour

A production method in factories where manufacturing is broken into steps on an assembly line, allowing workers to complete simple, repetitive tasks to produce greater quantities of goods at a faster rate.

Key Investment Sectors (1850–1896)

The primary industries in which businessmen invested capital to provide goods for the growing population: food, leather, textiles, tobacco, lumber, and iron and steel.

Industrial Capitalism

An economic system in which members of a social class possess the capital ($) and the means of production, controlling a group of workers with the goal of increasing their own wealth.

The State (in Industrial Capitalism)

The government body that supports private entrepreneurs in driving economic development by building infrastructure and passing laws favourable to business.

Banks (19th Century)

Financial institutions (such as the Bank of Montreal, established 1858) through which businessmen grew capital, reinvested in new industries, and financed large infrastructure like canals and railways.

Mount Royal Flour Mills

A large flour mill constructed in Montréal in 1868 along the Canal de Lachine, prompted by the rapid growth of the food production sector.

Maritime Transportation Network

A system of inland waterways and canals used during the first half of the 19th century that was subsequently improved and expanded to accommodate increased commercial traffic during industrialization.

Lachine Canal (Canal de Lachine)

A major industrial waterway in Montréal that was widened and expanded during industrialization due to the growth of commercial traffic and port activity.