APW Sophomore Midterm

Industrial Revolution

The period of transformation from handmade goods to machine manufacturing, starting in the late 1700s.

Industrialization

The process of converting from handicraft and agrarian economies to economies based on machine manufacturing.

Material Argument

The theory that Europe's access to resources like coal, lumber, and iron, unlike China's, fueled its Industrial Revolution.

Cultural Argument

The theory that European culture was more business-friendly than Chinese culture, promoting industrial growth.

Cotton

Became highly demanded leading to the creation of the cotton textile industry and the invention of machines to increase production.

Steam Engine

A vital invention that powered devices effectively and led to cheaper and more productive transportation, such as steamships.

Factory System

The system that replaced older production methods, where large machines in factories standardized production and workers performed specific tasks.

Assembly Line

A manufacturing process in factories where each worker focuses on one small task, facilitating mass production.

Working Conditions

Reflected low wages driven by the Iron Law of Wages and labor based on hour/production rate.

Urbanization

The movement of people to urban centers as industrialization created cheaper goods and increased population.

Iron Law of Wages

The economic theory that wages tend to fall to the lowest level that workers will accept.

Luddites

Group of workers who protested against the factory system and machinery, fearing job loss, though they ultimately failed.

Social Effects of Industrialization

Include increased product availability, urbanization, shifts in wealth from landowners to business aristocrats, and rise in pollution.