Industrial Revolution Lesson's 1-3 Vocab

Industrial Revolution

Beginning in England during the 1700’s and lasting to about the 1900’s, this event was an increase of machine-made goods. It spread from England to Continental Europe and North America. Many of the technological advancements we have today originated from this.

Enclosures

Larger fields wealthy landowners were able to have after having bought land from village farmers. This was even created into a movement, as it had two important outcomes—landowners were able to try new agricultural methods, and large landowners could force small farmers to become tenant farmers or to give up farming and move to the cities.

Crop Rotation

Due to the change in Britain’s physical environment, farmers had to do this to best use their land because of landholding. By the end of the agricultural revolution, “As farmers lost their land to large enclosed farms, many became factory workers”(819). Farmers did this to utilize as much land as they could because they were quickly loosing it.

Industrialization

The process of developing machine production of goods. It required natural resources like water power and coal to fuel the new machines”(819), along with iron ore to create buildings and tools, and many other resources. To support this, Britain had an expanding economy.

Factors of Production

Land, labor, and capital (or wealth). These were, “the resources needed to produce goods and services that the Industrial Revolution requires”(820).The stability that Britain had gave them an advantage over neighboring countries.

Factories

Large buildings that held machines. These, “needed water power, so the first ones were built near rivers and streams”(821). Machines stored in these consisted of the Water Frame(R. Arkwright), the Spinning Jenny(S. Crompton), and the Power Loom(E. Cartwright).

Entrepreneur

A person who organized, manages, and takes on the risks of a business. Matthew Boulton, the man James Watt joined with, was one. Boulton, “paid Watt a salary and encouraged him to build better engines”(822), as making steam engines were expensive, and Watt wanted to find a easier way.

Henry Bessemer

“A British engineer who invented a cheap way to mass-produce steel”(823). His process, which was named after him, included heating iron at a high temp. and blowing air through it, (this made it easy to pour, but still strong). This man’s process resulted in a very big changes in the economy, and steel started being used for construction.

Urbanization

The period of time where Europeans started to populate cities was one of this. This is city building and the migration of people to cities. London became Europe’s largest city because of this.

Middle Class

Most of Britain’s new money came from them. People in this group consisted of skilled workers, professionals, business people, and wealthy farmers. The group transformed the social structure, as well.

Mass Procution

The system of manufacturing large numbers of identical items. This was one of the changes in industry development in the U.S. Elements of this that became as the American System consisted of interchangeable parts and the assembly line.

Interchangeable Parts

Identical machine-made parts. The production and repairing of factory-made goods were more efficient with these. Replacement parts didn’t have to be custom made to fit, so making repairs was easier.

Assembly Line

A change in the way people worked in factories in which the item passes down from person to person, each person adding a new part to it.

Division of Labor

Having different workers do different tasks. This, “allows workers to make many items quickly”(838). It is also a form of specialization.

Specialization

An economic concept. It, “refers to separating tasks”(838). People do this to one element when they work in a factory, and they do it well.

Economic Interdependence

A society in which people rely on each other for items like goods that they need. This revealed how things that people invented or needed didn’t need to be made by themselves. Advances in transportation, technology, and communication inspired this.

Stock

Certain rights ownership. People who bought this become part owners of a business.

Corporation

A business owned by stockholders who share in its profits but are not personally responsible for its debt. They can generate, distribute, and purchase goods and services. These were able to raise the large amounts of capital needed to invest in industrial equipment during the Industrial Revolution.