5.4 to 5.7 vocab

Trans-Siberian Railroad

A major railway spanning Russia from Moscow to the Pacific Ocean, connecting Europe to Asia and facilitating trade and industrial growth.

Human Capital

The skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by individuals or a workforce, considered valuable for economic production.

Company Rule

British East India Company's control over parts of India from 1757 to 1858, during which the company exercised significant political and military power.

Coaling Station

Refueling sites for steam-powered ships, strategically located along major maritime routes, essential for long-distance naval travel in the 19th century.

Alexander Graham Bell

Inventor of the telephone in 1876, revolutionizing communication and contributing to advancements in the telecommunications industry.

Guglielmo Marconi

Italian inventor and electrical engineer credited with pioneering wireless telegraphy and inventing the radio in the early 1900s.

Transcontinental Railroad

Railroads connecting the eastern and western United States, completed in 1869, facilitating commerce, travel, and westward expansion.

Steam Engine

A machine using steam power to perform mechanical work, invented by Thomas Newcomen and improved by James Watt, critical in powering factories, ships, and trains during the Industrial Revolution.

James Watt

Scottish engineer whose improvements to the steam engine in the late 18th century made it more efficient and adaptable to various industrial uses.

Capital

Wealth in the form of money or assets used to invest in business ventures, driving economic growth and industrial development.

Second Industrial Revolution

Period of rapid industrial and technological advancements in the late 19th century, marked by innovations in steel, chemicals, electricity, and machinery.

Ottoman Mamluks

Originally a slave military caste in Egypt, the Mamluks were eventually absorbed into the Ottoman military but continued to hold influence in Egypt until the 19th century.

Muhammad Ali

Ottoman Albanian governor and military leader who modernized Egypt's economy and military in the early 19th century, laying foundations for Egyptian autonomy.

Japan

Underwent rapid modernization and industrialization during the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century, transitioning from a feudal society to an industrial power.

Commodore Matthew Perry

U.S. naval officer who forced Japan to open its ports to Western trade with the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854, ending Japan's period of isolation.

Automatic Loom

A textile manufacturing device that allowed fabric production to be automated, improving efficiency and reducing labor costs in the textile industry.

Meiji Restoration

Period (1868-1912) during which Japan modernized, industrialized, and reformed to resist Western influence, establishing a centralized government and expanding industry.

Charter Oath

A five-article document issued in 1868 marking Japan's intent to embrace modernization and reform during the Meiji Restoration.

Zaibatsu

Powerful family-controlled corporate conglomerates in Japan, instrumental in Japan's industrial and economic growth during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Corporations

Business entities that act as a single unit, legally separate from owners, allowing them to raise capital by selling stock to investors.

Stockholders

Individuals or entities that own shares in a corporation, giving them partial ownership and a claim to its profits.

Stock Market

Marketplace where shares of publicly-held companies are issued, bought, and sold, providing businesses with access to capital from investors.

Monopoly

Exclusive control over the supply or trade of a product or service, reducing competition in a particular market.

Cecil Rhodes

British imperialist and businessman instrumental in expanding British influence in Southern Africa; associated with diamond mining and colonial expansion.

Transnational

Refers to businesses, corporations, or activities that operate across national boundaries, influencing multiple economies and societies.

Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC)

British multinational bank established in 1865, significant in Asian trade finance during British colonial rule.

Consumerism

The cultural emphasis on acquiring goods and services in increasingly greater amounts, often seen as a driver of economic activity in industrial societies.

Urbanisation

The process of population migration from rural to urban areas, often accompanying industrialization and resulting in the growth of cities.

Bessemer Process

Method for producing steel by blowing air through molten iron to remove impurities, greatly reducing production costs and enabling mass production.

Unilever Corporation

British-Dutch multinational company founded in the 19th century, known for consumer goods like soap and food products, and significant in global trade.