Industrial Revolution and the Global Economy

Vocabulary flashcards covering key inventions, historical figures, economic concepts, and social impacts of the Industrial Revolution.

Enclosures

Huge fenced-in fields created when wealthy landowners bought and combined small family farms in Great Britain.

Jethro Tull

An inventor who created the seed drill, which helped plant seeds quickly and efficiently.

Big 3 Factors of Production

The three essential resources required for industrialization: land, labor, and capital.

Flying Shuttle

A textile invention that allowed weavers to weave thread much faster.

Spinning Jenny

An invention that allowed a worker to spin 8 threads at once, speeding up production and shifting work settings from homes to factories.

Spinning Mule

A textile machine that produced stronger and finer thread.

Richard Arkwright

The inventor who added waterpower to textile machinery, enabling machines to run automatically.

Cotton Gin

An invention by Eli Whitney that cleaned seeds out of raw cotton and boosted cotton production from 1.5 million to 85 million pounds.

The Rocket

A superfast train engine built by George Stephenson that won a competition by pulling 13 tons over 24 mph.

Manchester

A major British industrial center that experienced an explosion in population during the Industrial Revolution due to the factory system.

Urban Life Expectancy Gap

A discrepancy caused by disease and cholera epidemics in urban areas, shortening average lifespans to 17 years in cities compared to 38 years in rural areas.

Factory Act of 1819

British legislation passed to regulate child labor, prior to which there were essentially no laws protecting child workers.

Macadam roads

Cheaper, faster, and more durable roads that provided a more efficient way of travel and lowered shipping costs for consumers.

Watt's steam engine

An engine that created power without relying on water energy, helping spread the use of coal for industrial power.

Water Frame

A water-powered machine that enabled the mass production of higher quality yarn at a lower production cost.