WHAP Unit 5 Vocab Words

Abolition of slavery

The legal end of chattel slavery; occurred in the British Empire in 1834 and the US in 1865.

Adam Smith

Author of The Wealth of Nations; father of modern Capitalism and Laissez-faire economics.

American Declaration of Independence

1776 document using Enlightenment ideas to justify the US break from Britain.

American Revolution

War for independence (1775–1783) inspired by "no taxation without representation."

Berlin Conference

1884 meeting where European powers divided Africa among themselves.

Bourgeoisie

The middle class; in Marxism, the owners of the means of production.

Ben Franklin

American Enlightenment thinker, inventor, and diplomat.

Capital

Money or assets used for investment in business.

Chemicals

A key industry of the Second Industrial Revolution (dyes, fertilizers, explosives).

Communism

Karl Marx’s theory where the working class owns the means of production and class struggle ends.

Congress of Vienna

1814 meeting to restore order and monarchy in Europe after Napoleon’s defeat.

Democracy

Government by the people, typically through elected representatives.

Division of Labor

Breaking down a job into small, repetitive tasks to increase efficiency.

Electricity

Power source of the Second Industrial Revolution; replaced steam.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Leader of the American women’s suffrage movement; organizer of Seneca Falls.

Enclosure Movement

Process of fencing off common lands in England, forcing peasants to move to cities.

Estates General

The French representative assembly divided into three "estates" (Clergy, Nobility, Commoners).

Factory System

Method of production using machinery and centralized labor.

Factory Acts

British laws passed to limit child labor and improve working conditions.

Feminism

Movement for social, political, and economic equality for women.

Fossil fuels

Coal and oil; the primary energy sources of the Industrial Revolution.

François Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture

Leader of the Haitian Revolution.

Free markets

Economic system where prices are determined by unrestricted competition.

French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen

1789 document outlining natural rights for French citizens.

Global Migration

Massive movement of people due to industrial jobs, famine, or transportation (rail/steam).

Haitian Revolution

Successful slave revolt (1791–1804) against French colonial rule.

Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC)

Transnational bank established to finance British trade in Asia.

Industrial Revolution

Transition from hand production to machine manufacturing.

Internal combustion engine

Engine powered by burning fuel (gasoline); key to the Second Industrial Revolution.

Iron Works in India

A traditional industry that declined due to British colonial competition.

Jacobins

Radical political group during the French Revolution led by Robespierre.

James Watt

Inventor who improved the steam engine, making it efficient for factories.

Karl Marx

Co-author of The Communist Manifesto; critic of capitalism.

Labor movement

Organized effort by workers to improve their rights and conditions.

Labor Union

Association of workers formed to bargain for better pay and safety.

Laissez-faire

"Hands-off" economic policy; the government does not interfere in the market.

Latin American Independence movement

Revolts against Spanish/Portuguese rule led by Bolivar and others.

Liberalism

Political philosophy favoring individual liberty, reform, and limited government.

Limited Liability Corp (LLC)

Business structure where owners aren't personally responsible for company debts.

Louis XIV

The "Sun King" of France; symbol of absolute monarchy (reigned before the revolution).

Lucretia Mott

Abolitionist and women’s rights activist; co-organized Seneca Falls.

Manifest Destiny

19th-century belief that the US was destined to expand across North America.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman; early feminist philosopher.

Mass Production

Manufacture of large quantities of standardized goods using assembly lines.

Miguel de Hidalgo

Priest who began the Mexican War of Independence.

Muhammad Ali’s Egypt

Modernization program involving state-sponsored industrialization (textiles).

Napoleon Bonaparte

French general who became Emperor; spread Napoleonic Code across Europe.

Nationalism

Loyalty to one’s nation; often used to unify (Germany) or break apart (Ottomans) empires.

New Social Classes

Rise of the Middle Class (Bourgeoisie) and the Working Class (Proletariat).

Olympe de Gouges

Author of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between Britain and China over British opium trade; led to "unequal treaties."

Ottoman and Qing Reform

Attempts (Tanzimat and Self-Strengthening) to modernize to resist the West.

Precision machinery

High-quality tools needed to build advanced machines in the late 1800s.

Proletariat

The industrial working class.

Railroads

Invention that revolutionized land travel and trade in the 19th century.

Revolution of 1848

Series of liberal and nationalistic uprisings across Europe.

Second Agricultural Revolution

Increased food production in the 1700s, fueling population growth.

Second Industrial Revolution

Late 19th-century wave focused on steel, chemicals, and electricity.

Seneca Falls Conference 1848

First major women’s rights convention in the US.

Shipbuilding in India and SE Asia

Traditional industries that declined due to British steamship dominance.

Simon Bolivar

 "The Liberator"; leader of independence movements in South America.

Socialism

Economic system where the community/government owns or regulates the means of production.

Society in the Industrial Age

Characterized by urbanization, family structure changes, and class tension.

Steam engine

Heat engine using steam as working fluid; powered the First Industrial Revolution.

Steam power

Using boiled water to drive machinery.

Steamships

Ships powered by steam engines; made ocean travel faster and more reliable.

Steel

Stronger alloy of iron; key material of the Second Industrial Revolution.

Stock markets

Places where shares of companies are bought and sold to raise capital.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Telegraph

Device used for long-distance communication using electrical signals.

Textile production in India and Egypt

Industries that suffered under European imperial competition.

The Enlightenment

Movement applying reason and science to society and government.

The Social Contract

Agreement between people and government to maintain order.

Urban problems

Overcrowding, pollution, and disease in industrial cities.

Urbanization

The growth of cities as people moved from farms to factory jobs.