APWH Vocab Test - Unit 3

This time period is the Revolutions and Enlightenment

Anarchism

A political belief that all government should be abolished because it is oppressive. Important in the 1800s as a radical response to harsh industrial working conditions and inequality, especially among workers.

Capital

Money, machines, or resources used to produce goods. During industrialization, people with capital could build factories and gain economic power.

Capitalism

An economic system where businesses are privately owned and driven by profit. It became dominant during the Industrial Revolution as factory owners invested capital to produce goods for markets.

Chemicals

Manufactured substances used in industry, such as dyes or fertilizers. Chemical production expanded in the 1800s, increasing industrial efficiency and pollution.

Classical Liberalism

An Enlightenment ideology supporting individual rights, free markets, and limited government. Influenced democratic revolutions like the American and French Revolutions.

Coal

Used to power steam engines and factories. Was the main energy source of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Britain.

Consumer Markets

Places or systems where goods are sold to buyers. Industrialization expanded consumer markets because mass production lowered prices.

Limited Liability Corporations

Businesses where owners are only responsible for the money they invested. This encouraged industrial growth by reducing financial risk for investors.

Marxism

A theory by Karl Marx arguing that history is shaped by class struggle between workers and owners. It criticized capitalism during industrialization.

Meiji Japan

Period (1868–1912) when Japan modernized and industrialized rapidly. Japan adopted Western technology to avoid colonization.

Middle Class

Social group between elites and workers, including professionals and merchants. Grew during industrialization due to new jobs in business and management.

Export Economies

Economies focused on producing goods to sell abroad. Many colonies supplied raw materials to industrial nations.

Fossil Fuels

Energy sources like coal, oil, and gas. Powered factories, railroads, and industrial machines.

Gold Standard

A monetary system where currency is backed by gold. Used in the 1800s to stabilize international trade.

Industrial Working Class

Factory laborers who worked long hours for low wages. Central to social conflicts during industrialization.

Industrialization

The shift from hand production to machine-based factory production. Transformed economies, cities, and social classes.

Mining Centers

Locations where coal, iron, or minerals were extracted. Essential for supplying raw materials to factories.

Precision Machinery

Machines that produced standardized, interchangeable parts. Increased efficiency and mass production.

Public Education

Government-funded schooling. Expanded in industrial societies to create literate, skilled workers.

Public Health

Efforts to improve sanitation and disease control. Became important as crowded industrial cities faced epidemics.

Railroads

Transportation networks using steam-powered trains. Connected markets, moved goods quickly, and fueled industrial growth.

Rubber

A raw material used for industrial goods like tires and hoses. Increased demand led to exploitation in colonies like the Congo.

Self-Strengthening Movement

Chinese effort to adopt Western technology while preserving Confucian values. Attempted to resist Western dominance in the 1800s.

Specialization

The division of labor where workers perform specific tasks. Increased productivity in factories.

State Pensions

Government-provided retirement payments. Introduced in industrial societies to support aging workers and reduce poverty.

Thomas Hobbes

Believed humans are naturally selfish and need a strong government. Influenced ideas about authority and the social contract.

John Locke

Argued people have natural rights (life, liberty, property). Strong influence on democratic revolutions and constitutions.

Baron de Montesquieu

Promoted separation of powers. His ideas shaped modern democratic governments.

Voltaire

Criticized the Church and absolutism, supported free speech. Spread Enlightenment ideas across Europe.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Believed government should reflect the “general will” of the people. Influenced radical ideas during the French Revolution.

Adam Smith

Father of capitalism; argued free markets regulate themselves through supply and demand. His ideas justified industrial capitalism.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Advocated women’s rights and education. One of the first feminist thinkers of the Enlightenment.

Immanuel Kant

Promoted reason, moral duty, and enlightenment thinking. Influenced modern philosophy and ethics.

Olympe de Gouges

Wrote Declaration of the Rights of Woman. Demanded equal rights during the French Revolution.

Denis Diderot

Editor of the Encyclopedia, which spread Enlightenment ideas. Challenged traditional authority.

Thomas Paine

Author of Common Sense. Encouraged American independence using Enlightenment ideals.

René Descartes

Emphasized reason and logic (“I think, therefore I am”). Helped lay the foundation for Enlightenment rationalism.

Catherine II (the Great)

Russian ruler who embraced Enlightenment ideas while keeping absolute power. Example of enlightened absolutism.

George Washington

Leader of the American Revolution and first U.S. president. Represented Enlightenment ideals in practice.

James Watt

Improved the steam engine. His invention powered factories and transportation during industrialization.

Tupac Amaru II

Led an indigenous revolt against Spanish rule in Peru. Showed resistance to colonial oppression.

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of Independence. Spread Enlightenment ideas about natural rights.

Toussaint Louverture

Leader of the Haitian Revolution. Led enslaved people to defeat European powers and end slavery in Haiti.