AP European History: Unit 6 Vocab

Industrial Revolution

A period in which manufacturing shifted from rural to urban, from the cotton industry to a manufacturing economy. Beginning in 18th century England, the development of the steam engine led to the creation of factories, which mass

The Great Exhibition of 1851

Held in London's Hyde Park, this was a
celebration of the many technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution. The centerpiece of this exhibition was the Crystal Palace, a masterpiece of modern architecture, which was almost the size of two football fields combined. The exhibition displayed more than 100,000 objects and was visited by over 6 million people from all across Europe.

Bessemer process

The Bessemer process was a revolutionary method for producing steel on a
large scale, invented by Sir Henry Bessemer in the 1850s. It involved forcing air through molten
iron to remove impurities and create a more uniform steel product. The introduction of the
Bessemer process revolutionized steelmaking, making it possible to produce large quantities of
high

Repeal of the Corn Laws

were regulations applied to the import and export of
grain, such as wheat. Basically, the laws limited the import of foreign grain in order to protect the interests of British landowners. The laws seemed to benefit the landowners, but made corn and other grain expensive for everyone else.. The Anti

The Hungry 40s

Period in early 1840s when Britain experienced an economic depression due to
a slump in trade, steep increase in unemployment, and bad harvests. Corn Laws seemed to keep
the price of bread is artificially high. All of this culminated with the 1845 potato blight that spread
from England and Scotland to Ireland, leading to the Irish Potato Famine.

Irish Potato Famine (1845 - 1851)

A period of famine and unrest in Ireland due to the blight, which made the potato crop fail, leading to starvation. In addition, farmers could not pay their rents and were often evicted and their cottages destroyed. Then, typhus hit. 350,000 people died in a single year (1846-1847). Approximately one million people died over the course of the famine, and another million emigrated to the US and elsewhere.

Zollverein

The Customs Union of all German states except Austria, formed by Prussia in 1834. It served to unify the various German states and to promote free trade between them. This union helped to facilitate trade across the region, leading to greater prosperity and economic growth.

Factory Act of 1833

established a minimum age of 9 for child laborers and limited the hours they could work. It also required employers to provide education for child workers.

Mines Act of 1842

Prohibited women and children from working underground in coal mines. It was the first time the British Government intervened on behalf of industrial workers. The increase in women's pay was almost immediate as a result of the act.

Ten Hours Act of 1847

Limited the workday for women and children to ten hours a day in the textile and apparel industries.

The Concert of Europe

A loose agreement between Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain to maintain the balance of power in Europe. It began with the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and lasted until the Revolutions of 1848. During this time, leaders worked together to maintain the balance of power and suppress revolutionary movements. This prevented major European wars for roughly 30 years.

Conservatism

An ideology based on tradition and social stability that favored the maintenance of established institutions, organized religion, and obedience to authority and resisted change, especially abrupt change

Joseph de Maistre

French philosopher and writer who portrayed himself as a champion of order and hierarchy. He is known for his work "Considerations on France," which argued that Society must be organized as a hierarchy to be stable.

War of Greek Independence

The Greeks fought for their independence from Ottoman rule from 1821

Decembrist revolt in Russia

A failed coup attempt by Russian army officers in 1825, which was inspired by the liberal and democratic ideals of the French Revolution. They were opposed to the coronation of Nicholas I and his absolutist ideals. A few guards regiments refused to take an oath of allegiance to Nicholas I and marched to the Senate House and fired upon. In addition, they were betrayed by police spies and 5 of the people were executed and 120 exiled to Siberia. This revolt led to the spread of revolutionary societies among Russian intellectuals as well as increased police terrorism to protect against further uprisings.

Polish rebellion

was an unsuccessful attempt by the Polish people to regain independence from Russia. The rebellion continued for over a year before the insurgents were finally defeated.

July Revolution in France

was a violent street insurrection that lasted for five days and led to the overthrow of King Charles X of France in 1830. It began when King Charles X suspended freedom of the press, reduced the number of elected officials, and allowed himself to rule by decree. Charles X was replaced by Louis Philippe, or “the citizen king,” marking a victory of constitutional liberty over absolutist rule.

Liberalism

An ideology based on the belief that people should be as free from restraint as possible. Economics is the idea that the government should not interfere in the workings of the economy. Political liberalism is the idea that there should be restraints on the exercise of power so that people can enjoy basic civil rights in a constitutional state with a representative assembly.

Marxism

The political, economic, and social theories of Karl Marx, which included the idea that history is the story of class struggle and that ultimately the proletariat will overthrow the bourgeoisie and establish a dictatorship in route to a classless society.

Utopian socialists

Intellectuals and theorists in the early 19th century who favored equality in social and economic conditions and wished to replace private property and competition with collective ownership and cooperation.

Socialism

An ideology that calls for government ownership of the means of production and the distribution of goods. This is more moderate than communism. This calls for government reform, including implementation of policies like minimum wage, set work hours, etc., while communism calls for a worldwide revolution.

Feminism

Earlier in Europe dates back to the 18th century, when women began to demand more rights and opportunities. These early activists focused on issues such as access to education, equal pay, and the right to own property, paving the way for later movements.