Kaarten: Chapter 3: industrial revolution | Quizlet

What is an industrial revolution?

An industrial revolution is a period of increased productivity driven by the widespread use of new technologies, known as General Purpose Technologies (GPT), which fuel economic growth.

What is the difference between "industrial revolution" and "industrialization"?

Industrial Revolution: A breakthrough of new productive technologies (GPTs).

Industrialization: The process of adopting industrial technologies in an economy, which can vary across countries and timelines.

What were the key features of the First Industrial Revolution (1750-1850)?

1. Energy: Transition to coal and steam power.

2. Key GPT: Steam power.

3. Sectors: Textiles, transportation, and steel.

4. Shift: From agrarian to industrial machine-based economies.

What sectors were transformed during the Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914)?

1. Chemicals and medicine.

2. Electrical engineering.

3. Automobiles (internal combustion engine).

4. Energy shift to petroleum.

What key technologies emerged during the Third Industrial Revolution (1945-1980)?

1. Nuclear energy.

2. Computers and microchips.

3. Plastics.

4. The internet (1969).

How does Schumpeter's theory explain economic growth during industrial revolutions?

Schumpeter's theory of "creative destruction" argues that innovation replaces outdated methods, leading to higher productivity but also economic disruption.

Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in England?

1. Supply factors: Growing population, coal resources, capital accumulation.

2. Demand factors: Rising domestic and global trade, import substitution (e.g., textiles).

3. Institutional factors: Strong property rights, parliamentary democracy, and state intervention.

What role did the British state play in fostering the Industrial Revolution?

1. Regulated labor markets with Poor Laws.

2. Protected industries via tariffs (e.g., on Indian textiles).

3. Prohibited export of key technologies to maintain industrial dominance.

What were some societal impacts of the First Industrial Revolution?

1. Economic growth and population increase.

2. Transition to fossil fuels (coal).

3. Shift to factory work and mass consumption.

4. Improved life expectancy despite initial inequality and poor working conditions.

What is the "Demographic Transition" associated with industrialization?

A shift from high birth and death rates (stable population) to low birth and death rates (sustained population growth), driven by improved medicine, hygiene, and nutrition.

What is a General Purpose Technology (GPT)?

A technology with broad applications that drives productivity and economic growth, such as steam power, electricity, or computers.

How did mechanization transform textile manufacturing during the First Industrial Revolution?

Innovations like the spinning jenny (1764), mule jenny (1779), and power loom (1787) mechanized production, shifting work from homes to factories.

What were some major consequences of the First Industrial Revolution?

1. Economic growth overcoming the Malthusian trap.

2. Transition to fossil fuels like coal.

3. Shift to factory work and urbanization.

4. Mass production enabling mass consumption.

What was the "Luddite" movement during the First Industrial Revolution?

A protest by traditional weavers and workers who destroyed machines, opposing the mechanization that threatened their livelihoods (notably in 1812).

What is the "Induced Innovation Hypothesis" by Robert Allen?

The Industrial Revolution was a response to high labor costs in England, which incentivized capital-intensive, labor-saving technologies like machines.

How did the Second Industrial Revolution differ from the First?

The Second IR (1870-1914) relied heavily on science-based innovations, such as electricity, internal combustion engines, and chemical industries, unlike the mechanization of known processes in the First IR.

What role did R&D play in the Second Industrial Revolution?

Permanent research laboratories, like those of General Electric and Siemens, drove innovation, establishing R&D as a core part of industrial strategy.

How did the Third Industrial Revolution (1945-1980) influence global economies?

Key developments like plastics, computers, microchips, nuclear energy, and the internet transformed industries and introduced Big Science projects like the Manhattan Project.

How did the Industrial Revolution contribute to energy transitions?

1. The 1st IR relied on coal.

2. The 2nd IR introduced petroleum and electricity.

3. The 3rd IR brought nuclear energy.Despite these, energy transitions were slow, and older energy forms like coal remain significant.

How did the institutional environment in England support the Industrial Revolution?

1. Constitutional monarchy enabled economic elites to influence politics.

2. Strong property rights and patent systems encouraged innovation.

3. Infrastructure investments, like canals and railways, integrated markets.