Industrial Revolution: Causes, Pre-Industrial Life, and Key Inventions

Vocabulary flashcards covering the causes, pre-industrial conditions, key figures, and critical technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution.

Pre-Industrial Life

The era before the Industrial Revolution, during which most people resided in country areas and worked primarily as farmers.

Agricultural Revolution

A period that improved farming and led to increased growth, helping pave the way for the Industrial Revolution.

Land Enclosure

The process that created larger farms and forced many small tenant farmers off their land.

Great Britain

The birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, favored by a large labor pool, rich natural resources (coal and iron), river networks, abundant capital, and a relatively stable government.

Eli Whitney

The inventor of the cotton gin, which lowered the cost of producing cotton and fueled the British textile industry.

Cotton Gin

An invention by Eli Whitney that made cotton cheaper to produce, fueled the British textile industry, and revolutionized textile manufacturing.

James Watt

The innovator who helped set the Industrial Revolution in motion by improving the steam engine.

Steam Engine

A key technological development improved by James Watt that revolutionized the textile industry and accelerated industrial manufacturing.

Bessemer Process

A manufacturing method invented for mass-producing goods during the Industrial Revolution.