AP World History: The Industrial Revolution

Socialism

A political and economic theory advocating for collective or governmental ownership of production and distribution means. It aims to reduce inequality and promote welfare through redistribution of resources.

Wealth of Nations

A seminal work by Adam Smith, published in 1776, that critiques mercantilism and advocates for free-market capitalism, emphasizing the benefits of individual self-interest and competition in promoting economic prosperity.

Capitalism

An economic system characterized by private ownership of production and a free market for goods and services, where profit is driven by individual entrepreneurship and competition.

Industrial Capitalism

An economic system that emerged during the Industrial Revolution, characterized by the investment of capital in factories and industries, leading to significant growth in production and trade.

Adam Smith

A Scottish economist and philosopher best known for his foundational work on classical economics and the concept of the invisible hand, advocating for free-market policies.

Laissez-faire

An economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in the economy, allowing free market forces to dictate production and trade.

Karl Marx

A German philosopher and economist, known for his theories on socialism and communism, particularly his critique of capitalism and advocacy for class struggle as a means to achieve social change.

Fredrick Engels

A German philosopher and social scientist, known for co-authoring "The Communist Manifesto" with Karl Marx and his support of Marxist theory.

Communism

A political ideology that seeks to establish a classless society where all property is publicly owned, and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Communist Manifesto

A foundational pamphlet written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848, outlining the theory of communism, critiquing capitalism, and calling for a workers' revolution to establish a classless society. It became a highly influential text for socialist and communist movements worldwide, shaping political thought and revolutionary actions.

Industrial Revolution

A period of major industrialization and technological innovation that began in Great Britain in the late 18th century, characterized by the shift from agrarian and handicraft economies to industrial and machine-based manufacturing, leading to profound social, economic, and cultural changes.

Spinning Jenny

A multi-spindle spinning frame, invented by James Hargreaves in 1764, which was one of the key developments in the industrialization of textile manufacturing during the early Industrial Revolution.

Water frame

Water-powered spinning machine patented by Richard Arkwright in 1769 that revolutionized the textile industry by enabling the mass production of strong cotton yarn.

James Hargreaves

Inventor of the spinning Jenny.

Richard Arkwright

Known for his invention of the water frame and the establishment of the modern factory system, which revolutionized cotton production during the Industrial Revolution.

Eli Whitney

Significant for his dual impact: the cotton gin, which dramatically increased the profitability of cotton and thus entrenched the institution of slavery in the American South, and his work on interchangeable parts, which laid the foundation for modern mass production and industrialization.

Interchangeable parts

Refers to standardized components that can be easily substituted for one another in a mass-production setting.

Steam engine

Significantly improved by James Watt in the 18th century, was a pivotal invention of the Industrial Revolution, driving the factory system and transforming transportation.

James Watt

18th-century Scottish engineer whose improvements to the steam engine made it a driving force of the Industrial Revolution.

Steamship

Key invention of the Industrial Revolution that revolutionized global transportation by replacing sails with steam power, allowing for faster and more reliable movement of goods and people across oceans and rivers.

Crop rotation

An agricultural practice of alternating crops to improve soil fertility and yields.

Seed drill

An agricultural invention that sows seeds in well-spaced rows at a consistent depth, which significantly increased crop yields and farm efficiency.

Fossil fuel

A non-renewable energy source formed from the decomposed remains of ancient plants and animals over millions of years, primarily including coal, oil, and natural gas.

Coal

A combustible sedimentary rock primarily composed of carbon that became the dominant fuel source during the Industrial Revolution.

Cholera

An acute bacterial intestinal disease transmitted via contaminated water.

Locomotive

A self-propelled rail vehicle that pulls a train, most famously a steam-powered one during the Industrial Revolution.

George Stephenson

British civil and mechanical engineer who is considered the "Father of Railways" for his pioneering work in steam locomotives and railway construction.

Transcontinental Railroad

The first contiguous line built across the United States, completed in 1869 by the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads.

Second Industrial Revolution

A period of rapid technological advancement and industrial expansion marked by the mass production of steel, electricity, and new chemicals.

Trans-Siberian Railroad

The railway network that connected European Russia to the Pacific port of Vladivostok, completed in the early 20th century.

Bessemer Process

A revolutionary method for the mass production of steel developed by Henry Bessemer in the 1850s.

Edward Jenner

An English physician who developed the first successful smallpox vaccine in 1796, a monumental achievement for public health and the foundation of modern immunology.

Urbanization

The process of an increasing percentage of a population moving from rural to urban areas, leading to the growth of cities.

Industrialization

The process of a society transforming from an agrarian, handcraft-based economy to one focused on industry and machine manufacturing, which began in the 18th century.

Cottage industry

A pre-industrial, home-based system of production where merchants provided raw materials to families who crafted goods in their own homes, often as a supplemental income.

Putting-out system

A pre-industrial production method where a merchant or manufacturer would distribute raw materials to rural households, who would then process them into finished goods at home for a set wage.

Factory system

A method of manufacturing that began during the Industrial Revolution, characterized by the centralization of workers and machines in one location to produce goods on a mass scale.

Factors of production

The resources used to produce goods and services, traditionally defined as land, labor, and capital

Division of labor

The process of breaking down a job into smaller, specialized tasks that are performed by different workers.

Assembly line

A manufacturing process where a product is assembled step-by-step as it moves along a conveyor belt, with each worker performing a specific task.

Second Agriculture Revolution

A period of significant agricultural development from the 17th to the 19th centuries that increased food production and efficiency through new technologies and techniques, such as the seed drill and crop rotation.

Enclosure movement

A process, primarily in England during the 18th and 19th centuries, where small landholdings were consolidated into larger farms that were enclosed with fences or hedges, privatizing common lands.

Capital

Financial assets, property, and resources used for investment, particularly in economic activities like the Industrial Revolution.

Corporations

A legal entity, chartered by a government, that is separate from its owners and owned by stockholders who are not personally liable for its debts.

Stock market

A system for buying and selling shares of companies.

Monopoly

A market structure where a single company or a state-chartered company controls a particular market, such as a trade route or an industry.

John Stuart Mill

19th-century British philosopher and economist significant in AP World History for his work on utilitarianism, individual liberty, and social reforms in response to industrialization.

Tenement

An overcrowded, low-cost apartment building with poor living conditions, commonly associated with industrialization and rapid urbanization.

Working class

A social group that primarily engages in manual or industrial labor, often for low wages and with limited job security.

Middle class

A social group that emerged prominently during the Industrial Revolution, occupying a position between the working and upper classes.

White-collar

Salaried professional, managerial, or administrative workers who perform office-based jobs and do not rely on manual labor.

Internal combustion engine

A late 19th-century invention that uses fuel-air combustion within a confined chamber to produce power, revolutionizing transportation and industry by enabling the mass production of automobiles and aircraft.

Specialization of Labor

The division of tasks in a society or economy so that individuals can focus on one or a few specific jobs, which leads to increased productivity, efficiency, and skill.

Textile production

The historical creation of fabrics and clothing from raw materials like cotton, wool, or silk.

Migrant worker

An individual who moves from one place to another, often temporarily, to find work, particularly in sectors like agriculture, mining, or construction.

Gold standard

Monetary system where a country's currency's value was fixed to a specific amount of gold.

Insurance

The practice of providing financial protection against future losses by pooling risks.

Limited-liability corporations

A business structure where the owners' personal assets are legally protected from the company's debts.

Telegraph

A communication system that used electrical signals to transmit messages over long distances via wires, primarily using morse code.

Evangelical Christianity

A global, interdenominational Protestant movement emphasizing personal conversion ("born again"), the Bible's ultimate authority, and the importance of evangelism or spreading the gospel.

Extended family

A family unit that includes multiple generations and other relatives, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, who live together or in close proximity.

Nuclear family

Consists of a mother, father, and their biological children, living as a single unit.

Proletariat

The working class that emerged during the Industrial Revolution, particularly those who own no means of production and must sell their labor to survive.

Class consciousness

The awareness of one's social class, its shared interests with others in that class, and its opposition to other classes.

Cult of Domesticity

19th-century ideology, prominent in America and Britain, that defined women's roles as the moral center of the home and family.

Consumerism

A cultural and economic phenomenon centered on the acquisition of goods and services, especially with industrialization and mass production.

Labor unions

An organized group of workers who band together to collectively bargain with employers for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Factory Act of 1833

British law that limited child labor in textile factories during the Industrial Revolution by setting a minimum working age of nine, restricting hours for children, and mandating two hours of daily schooling.

Strike

A collective work stoppage by employees to protest grievances or to pressure employers into meeting demands regarding wages, working conditions, or other labor-related issues.

Collective bargaining

A process where a group of workers, organized as a labor union, negotiates with their employer to establish wages, working conditions, and other benefits.

Luddites

English textile workers in the early 19th century who protested industrialization by destroying machinery they believed threatened their jobs and livelihoods.

Pullman Company

19th-century American railroad car manufacturer.

Pullman Strike

A nationwide railroad strike in 1894 that began in response to wage cuts by the Pullman Palace Car Company, despite the company town's rents remaining the same.

Upton Sinclair

Significant as a socialist author and muckraking journalist whose 1906 novel, The Jungle, exposed the horrific conditions of the meatpacking industry in the United States.

Jacob Riis

Danish-American social reformer, journalist, and photographer, known for using photojournalism to expose the terrible living conditions of the poor in New York City during the late 19th century.

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory prominent in the 19th century that argues the best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness and well-being for the greatest number of people.

Utopia

An idealized, perfect society, often used in literature and philosophy to critique existing social and political structures.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Abolitionist Movement

A social and political movement, particularly prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries, that aimed to end slavery and the slave trade globally.

Olaudah Equiano

An enslaved African whose 1789 autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, became the first internationally popular slave narrative.

Jose Antonio de Alzate y Ramirez

A prominent Mexican Enlightenment thinker, scientist, and journalist who championed local knowledge and critiqued European ideas about the Americas.

Feminism

A social and political movement that advocates for women's rights and the equality of the sexes, challenging gender-based discrimination and systemic inequalities.

Olympe de Gouges

French playwright and political activist during the French Revolution, known for writing the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen in 1791.

Lucretia Mott

19th-century Quaker, abolitionist, and women's rights activist who was a key figure in the early U.S. women's rights movement and a vocal opponent of slavery.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Leader of the 19th-century women's rights movement, known for organizing the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and co-authoring the Declaration of Sentiments.

Victorian

Refers to the period of Queen Victoria's reign in Britain, defined by rapid industrialization, the expansion of the British Empire, and significant social and cultural changes.

Forton Family

Family of Philadelphia was a prominent, multi-generational family of free African American abolitionists, activists, and entrepreneurs who played a significant role in American social reform from the late 18th through the 19th centuries.

“New woman”

A feminist ideal that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, representing a shift in women's roles beyond the domestic sphere.

Seneca Falls Conference

The first women's rights convention in the United States and a pivotal event in the early women's suffrage movement.

Triangle Shirtwaist Company

A horrific 1911 industrial disaster in New York City that killed 146 garment workers, most of them young immigrant women.

Universal Suffrage

The right of all adult citizens to vote, regardless of their gender, race, or social status, and is considered a key goal of democratic movements.

Temperance

Refers to a movement in the 19th and early 20th centuries that advocated for the reduction or complete abolition of alcohol consumption.