Industrial Revolution & Imperialism

Industrial Revolution

A period of rapid industrial growth beginning in Britain during the late 1700s.

Industrialization

The shift from hand production to machine manufacturing.

Urbanization

The growth of cities due to industrialization.

Factory System

A method of manufacturing using machines and workers in centralized buildings.

James Watt

Innovator who improved the steam engine.

Steam Engine

A machine using steam power to operate machinery and transportation.

Eli Whitney

Inventor of the cotton gin and promoter of interchangeable parts.

Cotton Gin

A machine that quickly separated cotton fibers from seeds.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership and profit.

Socialism

An economic system where the government or community controls resources.

Communism

A system where property is collectively owned and class differences are eliminated.

Karl Marx

Philosopher who criticized capitalism and co-wrote The Communist Manifesto.

Means of Production

The factories, land, and resources used to make goods.

Labor Union

An organization of workers formed to improve wages and working conditions.

Child Labor

The employment of children in factories and mines.

Imperialism

A policy of extending power over weaker territories for resources and markets.

Scramble for Africa

The rapid division and colonization of Africa by European powers during the late 1800s.

British Raj

British colonial rule in India.

Queen Victoria

British monarch during the height of the British Empire.

Cecil Rhodes

British imperialist involved in African colonization.

King Leopold II

Belgian king responsible for brutal exploitation in the Congo.

Social Darwinism

The belief that stronger nations were naturally superior and justified in dominating weaker ones.

White Man’s Burden

The idea that Europeans had a duty to civilize other peoples.

Sphere of Influence

An area where a foreign nation has economic or political control.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between Britain and China over the opium trade that weakened China.

Unequal Treaties

Treaties forcing weaker nations to grant special rights to stronger powers.

Sepoy Rebellion

An 1857 uprising by Indian soldiers against British rule.

Taiping Rebellion

A massive rebellion in China against the Qing Dynasty.

Boxer Rebellion

A Chinese uprising against foreign influence and Christianity.

Open Door Policy

A U.S. policy promoting equal trade access in China.