vocabulary words to help you study the industrial revolution in European history
utopian socialism
the presentation of views and outlines for imaginary or futuristic ideal societies.
socialism
a political philosophy and movement which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned/regulated by the community as a whole.
liberalism
a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.
agricultural revolution
the application of new agricultural techniques that allowed for a large increase in productivity in the 18th century. It contributed to the development of the Industrial Revolution.
capital
material wealth used or available for use in the production of more wealth. Britain already had built up capital from the cotton industry, and so they were able to invest in things like machines and other costs in factories.
tariffs
duties (taxes) imposed on imported goods, usually to raise revenue and to discourage imports and protect domestic industries. Tariffs encouraged industrialization.
cholera
a serious and often deadly disease commonly spread by contaminated water. It was one of the reasons why sewerage systems were installed in Europe.
balance of power
a distribution of power among several states such that no single nation can dominate or interfere with the interests of another.
ideology
a political philosophy such as conservatism or liberalism
individualism
the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant.
concert of europe
a general agreement among the great powers of 19th-century Europe to maintain the European balance of power, political boundaries, and spheres of influence.
congress of vienna
a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political system and constitutional order after the downfall of France's Emperor (Napoleon I).
corn law
tariffs and other trade restrictions on imported food and corn. This included wheat, oats and barley. It encouraged domestic production of products during the Industrial Revolution.
Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-1872)
an Italian politician, journalist, and activist for the unification of Italy and spearhead of the Italian revolutionary movement. He helped with the unification of Italy.
Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)
a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school. His use of vibrant colors liberated art from the constraints of the early 19th century rules and practices.
James Watt (1736-1819)
a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's steam engine. Invented the steam machine, which greatly increased the amount of cotton produced during the Industrial Revolution.
the rocket
(stephenson's rocket) the first modern steam locomotive. It improved on the railroad system, which had revolutionized transportation during the time.
crystal palace (1851)
the world's first industrial fair that showed off many of the inventions Britain had made. It showed off Britain's dominance over other countries during this time
luddites
a group of people who were violently opposed to technological change. They destroyed machines that affected their jobs in raids in 1812.
spinning jenny
an invention that sped up yarn production and used the yarn more efficiently.
Decembrist Revolt (December 26th, 1825)
a revolt in which the Decembrists wanted to implement either classical liberalism or a constitutional monarchy (Russia). The new emperor of Russia now shifts his focus on stopping a revolution from occurring in Russia.
Simon Bolivar
a Venezuelan military and political leader who led the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia to independence from the Spanish empire.
trade unions
associations of workers in the same trade formed to help members secure better wages, benefits, and working conditions during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
an english novelist and social critict who was known to be the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.
Poor Law Act of 1834
Established workhouses for jobless for people to live, assumed the unemployed poor were jobless because it was their fault so they forced the poor to live in prison like homes where they were forced to work and given horrible living conditions.
Factory Act of 1802
an act which was passed in order to improve conditions for apprentices working in trade mills.
Factory Act of 1819
an act which stated that no children under 9 were to be employed, and that children aged 9-16 years were limited to 12 hours of work per day.
Ten Hour Act of 1847
an act which restricted the working hours of women and young persons (13-18) in textile mills to 10 hours per day.
Coal Mines Act of 1842
an act which prohibited all underground work for women and girls, and for boys under 10
The Great Irish Famine
a period of starvation and disease in Ireland; about 1 million deaths occur.
Principle of Intervention
an idea based on conservatism; its main goal was to stop revolutionary uprisings and reinforce the power of "legitimate" monarchs.
conservatism
an ideology based on tradition and social stability. It favored the maintenance of established institutions, organized religion, and obedience to authority and resisted change, especially abrupt change.
Metternich (1773-1859)
a conservative Austrian statesman and diplomatic. He was known for his role in the Congress of Vienna and his resulting influence on subsequent European history.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
a German polymath and writer. He was widely regarded as the greatest and most influential writer in the German language.
Percy Shelly (1792-1822)
a British writer who was considered one of the major English Romantic poets.
Lord Byron (1788-1824)
an English poet and peer who was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, regarded as among the greatest of English poets.
Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)
a German Romantic landscape painter who was considered one of the most important German artists of his generation.
Friedrich List's National System
a theory of which imports should be free for agricultural products and raw materials and protection over native manufacturing industries against foreign competition.
chartism
a working class movement that aimed to gain political rights and influence for the working class. (1838-1857).