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✊🏽AP World History: Modern Unit 5 Vocabulary

116 essential vocabulary terms and definitions for Unit 5 – Revolutions (1750-1900)

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✊🏽Unit 5 – Revolutions (1750-1900)
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✊🏽Unit 5 – Revolutions (1750-1900)

5.10 Continuity and Change in the Industrial Age

TermDefinition
consumer goodsProducts manufactured for purchase and use by individual consumers rather than for further production or business use.
EnlightenmentAn 18th-century intellectual movement emphasizing reason, empiricism, and new ways of understanding the natural world and human relationships.
industrial capitalismAn economic system combining industrial production with capitalist principles, where private individuals and companies own and control the means of production for profit.
Industrial RevolutionThe period of rapid industrial growth and social change, roughly from 1750 to 1900, characterized by the shift from agrarian economies to industrial production.
nation-statesSovereign political units with defined territories, centralized governments, and populations sharing a common identity or nationality.
nationalismA political ideology emphasizing loyalty to one's nation and the desire for national independence and self-determination.
natural rightsFundamental rights believed to belong to all individuals by virtue of their humanity, a key concept developed by Enlightenment philosophers.
railroadsTransportation networks powered by steam engines that enabled exploration, resource development, and increased trade globally.
rebellionAn organized resistance or uprising against existing governmental authority, common during the 18th century.
revolutionA fundamental and often violent overthrow of an existing government or social system, occurring frequently in the 18th century.
social contractA political theory developed by Enlightenment philosophers describing an agreement between individuals and government to establish legitimate authority.
steamshipsVessels powered by steam engines that facilitated global exploration, trade, and migration across oceans.
telegraphA communication technology that transmitted messages over long distances, enabling rapid communication for trade and coordination.

5.1 The Enlightenment

TermDefinition
abolition of slaveryThe movement to end the institution of slavery and free enslaved people.
empiricist approachesMethods of understanding based on observation and experience rather than theory or tradition alone.
Enlightenment ideasPhilosophical concepts from the Enlightenment period emphasizing reason, individual rights, and scientific thinking that influenced social and political reform movements.
Enlightenment philosophiesIntellectual movements of the 17th and 18th centuries that applied reason and empirical observation to understand the natural world and human relationships, questioning established traditions.
expansion of rightsThe process of extending legal protections and freedoms to broader segments of society, including voting rights and personal liberties.
feminismA movement advocating for women's rights and equality between genders in political, social, and economic spheres.
gender hierarchiesSystems of ranked social and political authority based on gender, typically placing men in positions of greater power and privilege.
nationalismA political ideology emphasizing loyalty to one's nation and the desire for national independence and self-determination.
natural rightsFundamental rights believed to belong to all individuals by virtue of their humanity, a key concept developed by Enlightenment philosophers.
political hierarchiesSystems of ranked authority and power distribution in government and political institutions.
reform movementsOrganized efforts to change and improve social, political, or economic systems based on new ideas and principles.
serfdomA feudal system in which peasants were bound to the land and owed labor and obligations to a lord.
social contractA political theory developed by Enlightenment philosophers describing an agreement between individuals and government to establish legitimate authority.
suffrageThe right to vote in political elections and decisions.
women's suffrageThe right of women to vote in political elections.

5.2 Nationalism and Revolutions from 1750-1900

TermDefinition
American RevolutionThe 1775-1783 conflict in which thirteen British colonies in North America rebelled against British rule and established the independent United States of America.
Balkan nationalisms19th-century nationalist movements in the Balkan region seeking independence from Ottoman rule and national self-determination.
Declaration of IndependenceThe 1776 American document declaring the thirteen colonies' separation from British rule and asserting principles of individual rights and popular sovereignty.
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the CitizenThe 1789 French revolutionary document establishing principles of individual rights, equality, and popular sovereignty during the French Revolution.
democracyA system of government in which power is held by the people, either directly or through elected representatives.
Enlightenment philosophers18th-century European thinkers who promoted ideas of reason, individual rights, and limits on governmental authority, influencing revolutionary movements.
French RevolutionThe 1789-1799 period of radical social and political upheaval in France that overthrew the monarchy and established democratic ideals.
German unificationThe 19th-century process of consolidating German-speaking territories into a single nation-state under Prussian leadership.
Haitian RevolutionThe 1791-1804 rebellion in Haiti that resulted in the abolition of slavery and the establishment of an independent nation, the first successful slave revolution.
imperialismThe policy and practice of extending a country's power and influence over other territories and peoples, typically through colonization and military force.
independenceThe state of being free from colonial or imperial rule and having sovereign control over one's own government and territory.
Italian unificationThe 19th-century process of consolidating Italian territories into a single nation-state, completed in 1871.
Latin American independence movementsEarly 19th-century rebellions across Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Central and South America that led to the establishment of independent nations.
liberalismA 19th-century ideology emphasizing individual rights, representative government, and limits on governmental power.
monarchyA system of government in which power is held by a single ruler, typically a king or queen, often inherited through family lines.
nation-statesSovereign political units with defined territories, centralized governments, and populations sharing a common identity or nationality.
national identityA sense of commonality and belonging shared by people based on language, religion, social customs, territory, or shared history.
nationalismA political ideology emphasizing loyalty to one's nation and the desire for national independence and self-determination.
OttomanismAn ideology promoting loyalty to the Ottoman Empire and its multi-ethnic state, emphasizing unity across diverse populations.
political authorityThe legitimate power to govern and make decisions within a state or political entity.
republicA system of government in which power rests with citizens and their elected representatives, rather than with a monarch.
revolutionsSudden, violent, or complete overthrow of an existing government or political system, often resulting in fundamental social and political change.

5.3 Industrialization Begins

TermDefinition
agricultural productivityThe efficiency and output of farming, including improved crop yields and production methods that freed labor for industrial work.
capital accumulationThe gathering of wealth and resources available for investment in new industries, machines, and production.
coalA fossil fuel formed from ancient plant material, widely used as an energy source during the Industrial Revolution.
fossil fuelsEnergy resources formed from ancient organic matter, including coal and oil, that powered industrial development.
Industrial RevolutionThe period of rapid industrial growth and social change, roughly from 1750 to 1900, characterized by the shift from agrarian economies to industrial production.
internal combustion engineAn engine that generates power by burning fuel inside a cylinder, used to power vehicles and machinery.
ironA metal element essential for manufacturing machinery, tools, and infrastructure during industrial production.
oilA fossil fuel extracted from underground deposits, used as an energy source and raw material for industrial production.
private propertyLegal ownership of land and resources by individuals or corporations, which incentivized investment in industrial development.
steam engineA machine that converts heat energy from burning fuel into mechanical power, enabling factories and transportation to operate independently of water power.
timberWood harvested from forests, used as a raw material for construction and fuel during industrial development.
urbanizationThe process of population concentration in cities and the growth of urban areas as a result of migration and industrialization.
waterwaysNatural or artificial channels of water, such as rivers and canals, used for transportation of goods and power for mills.

5.4 Industrialization Spreads in the Period from 1750 to 1900

TermDefinition
first Industrial RevolutionThe period of rapid industrial development characterized by the spread of steam-powered manufacturing, primarily in European countries and the United States.
global manufacturingThe worldwide production of manufactured goods, with different regions' shares changing as industrial production methods spread unevenly across the world.
iron worksFacilities for producing iron and iron goods, an important manufacturing sector in India that experienced decline during the spread of industrialization.
modes of productionDifferent methods and systems of manufacturing and creating goods, such as steam-powered industrial production versus traditional craft production.
shipbuildingThe construction of ships, an important manufacturing industry in India and Southeast Asia that declined in global share during industrialization.
steam-powered industrial productionManufacturing processes that use steam engines to power machinery, which became widespread in European countries and the U.S. during the first Industrial Revolution.
textile productionThe manufacturing of cloth and fabric goods, a major industry in India and Egypt that saw its global share decline as industrial production spread.

5.5 Technology in the Industrial Age

TermDefinition
coalA fossil fuel formed from ancient plant material, widely used as an energy source during the Industrial Revolution.
electricityA form of energy harnessed and distributed during the second industrial revolution to power factories and transportation.
fossil fuelsEnergy resources formed from ancient organic matter, including coal and oil, that powered industrial development.
internal combustion engineAn engine that generates power by burning fuel inside a cylinder, used to power vehicles and machinery.
oilA fossil fuel extracted from underground deposits, used as an energy source and raw material for industrial production.
precision machineryFinely engineered machines developed during the second industrial revolution for accurate and efficient production.
railroadsTransportation networks powered by steam engines that enabled exploration, resource development, and increased trade globally.
second industrial revolutionThe period in the second half of the 19th century characterized by new production methods in steel, chemicals, electricity, and precision machinery.
steam engineA machine that converts heat energy from burning fuel into mechanical power, enabling factories and transportation to operate independently of water power.
steamshipsVessels powered by steam engines that facilitated global exploration, trade, and migration across oceans.
steel productionThe manufacturing process of steel, which was revolutionized during the second industrial revolution to increase efficiency and output.
telegraphA communication technology that transmitted messages over long distances, enabling rapid communication for trade and coordination.

5.6 State-Led Industrialization

TermDefinition
cotton textile industryThe manufacturing sector focused on producing cotton fabrics and textiles, a key industry during industrialization.
economic strategiesDeliberate policies and approaches used by states and empires to manage production, trade, and resource allocation.
Industrial RevolutionThe period of rapid industrial growth and social change, roughly from 1750 to 1900, characterized by the shift from agrarian economies to industrial production.
Meiji EraThe period of Japanese history (1868-1912) marked by rapid modernization, industrialization, and the emergence of Japan as a regional power.
state-sponsored industrializationGovernment-directed efforts to develop manufacturing and industrial capacity within a nation's economy.

5.7 Economic Effects of Industrialization

TermDefinition
banking and financeFinancial institutions and practices that manage money, credit, and investment to support economic activity and trade.
free marketsEconomic systems where prices and production are determined by supply and demand with minimal government regulation.
free tradeAn economic policy that reduces or eliminates tariffs and trade barriers to allow goods and services to move freely between nations.
industrial capitalismAn economic system combining industrial production with capitalist principles, where private individuals and companies own and control the means of production for profit.
laissez-faire capitalismAn economic system based on minimal government intervention in the economy, allowing market forces and individual self-interest to drive production and distribution.
limited-liability corporationsBusiness organizations where owners' financial responsibility is limited to their investment, protecting personal assets from business debts.
mercantilismAn economic system where nations accumulate wealth through trade surpluses and the acquisition of precious metals, with government regulation of commerce to benefit the state.
stock marketsInstitutions where shares of companies are bought and sold, allowing businesses to raise capital and investors to own portions of enterprises.
transnational businessesLarge-scale commercial enterprises that operate across multiple countries and engage in international trade and production.

5.8 Responses to Industrialization

TermDefinition
communismA political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society where resources and means of production are collectively owned.
industrial capitalismAn economic system combining industrial production with capitalist principles, where private individuals and companies own and control the means of production for profit.
industrializing statesNations undergoing the transition from agrarian to industrial economies through mechanized production and factory systems.
labor unionsOrganizations formed by workers to collectively advocate for improved working conditions, limited working hours, and higher wages.
reformsChanges made to political, social, educational, or urban systems in response to perceived problems or demands for improvement.
socialismA political and economic ideology advocating for collective or state ownership of resources and means of production, with the goal of reducing economic inequality.
workers' movementsOrganized efforts by workers to challenge existing economic and social conditions and promote alternative visions of society.

5.9 Society and the Industrial Age

TermDefinition
global capitalismAn economic system based on private ownership, market competition, and profit-seeking that operates on a worldwide scale.
housing shortagesInsufficient availability of adequate housing to meet the needs of growing urban populations during rapid industrialization.
Industrial RevolutionThe period of rapid industrial growth and social change, roughly from 1750 to 1900, characterized by the shift from agrarian economies to industrial production.
industrial working classA social class of laborers who worked in factories and industries for wages, emerging as a distinct group during industrialization.
infrastructureThe basic physical systems and facilities, such as roads, water systems, and sanitation, needed to support urban populations.
middle classA social class that emerged during industrialization, typically composed of merchants, professionals, and business owners with moderate wealth and education.
pollutionThe contamination of air, water, and land by industrial waste and byproducts, a major consequence of rapid industrialization.
povertyThe state of lacking sufficient income and resources to meet basic needs for food, shelter, and other necessities.
public health crisesWidespread health emergencies affecting populations, such as disease outbreaks and epidemics resulting from poor urban conditions.
social hierarchiesThe ranking and organization of social groups based on factors such as wealth, occupation, and status within a society.
standards of livingThe level of material comfort and access to goods, services, and resources available to individuals or groups in society.
urbanizationThe process of population concentration in cities and the growth of urban areas as a result of migration and industrialization.
wage-earning jobsEmployment positions where workers receive payment in the form of wages or salaries for their labor.