CLASS SET – DO NOT REMOVE
World History Study Guide: The Industrial Revolution and Imperialism
1.
What was the Industrial Revolution? Began in England (Great Britain) in the 1700s and lasted until the early 1900s. The
time period when people began using machines to produce things in factories instead of making things by hand in their
homes.
2.
Why did the population of England increase in the decades before the Industrial Revolution began? Advances in agriculture
lead to increased food production which in turn lead to a population increase as people enjoyed better nutrition and lived
longer lives.
3.
How did James Watt contribute to the Industrial Revolution? He developed the first working steam engine. The steam engine
was used to power machines, boats and eventually, trains.
4.
How was transportation changed by the Industrial Revolution? The development of the steamboat and the train improved
transportation greatly. Products and people were able to be moved further and faster. This allowed people to sell their
products to markets they could not otherwise reach.
5.
How was education changed by the Industrial Revolution? In part because of the need for educated, skilled workers, business
owners encouraged free, public education for all children. As a result, education improved.
6.
How were working conditions changed by the Industrial Revolution? At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the
government did not regulate businesses. There were few safety regulations, limits on working hour or child labor laws. As a
result, factory work could be very dangerous or even deadly. Toward the end of the Industrial Revolution, workers united to
form labor unions to fight for their rights and better wages. As a result, laws in England and the U.S. were passed which
better protected workers, improved wages and protected women and children from unfair or dangerous work.
7.
How was the quantity (amount) of goods affected by the Industrial Revolution? Machine mass produced goods so many more
products were available for people to purchase.
8.
What is urbanization? The movement of people to cities. The growth of cities.
9.
Why did urbanization occur during the Industrial Revolution? People moved to cities to find jobs in factories.
10. How did urbanization affect cities? Rapid urbanization led to a housing shortage and overcrowding. Sometimes up to 20
people would be crammed into a poorly-maintained one-bedroom apartment called a tenement. Sanitation was poor and
people often suffered from diseases such as Cholera. Pollution from factories affected people’s health and caused lung
diseases and cancer.
11. Which business industrialized first? The textile industry.
12. Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in England? (give 3 reasons) England was a wealthy country which had a lot of
capital (money), a large labor supply (people looking for work) and natural resources such as coal and iron which were
necessary to build and fuel machines.
13. How did the steam engine change the production of British goods? The steam engine was used to power machines, boats and
eventually, trains. These inventions allowed factories to be built away from rivers, decreased the amount of time and manual
labor needed to produce goods and improved the transportation of goods to markers farther from the factory.
14. How did the Industrial Revolution affect the environment? Factories burned coal which emits dark, deadly smoke that is bad
for the environment and for people’s health. Factories dumped waste into rivers which polluted the water. Poor sanitation in
cities resulted in unhealthy living conditions for people.
15. What is capitalism? An economic system based on free trade. The government does not interfere (much) in business and
private property is owned by individuals, not by the government. The richest countries in the world today are also the most
capitalist. Most countries in the world today are at least somewhat capitalist.
16. What is socialism? An economic system based on the idea that the government should own property and the means of
production (factories, mines, businesses, etc.) on behalf of the people.
17. Who was Adam Smith and what book did he write? An economic philosopher, the father of capitalism. Wrote “The Wealth of
Nations” in support of capitalism and laissez-faire.
18. Describe the policy of laissez-faire. French for “leave them alone” or “let them do what they want.” The idea that
government should not interfere in business because doing so will discourage innovation and productivity.
19. Who was the “father of socialism” and what book did he write? Karl Marx wrote “The Communist Manifesto” in support of
socialism and communism.
20. Who are the proletariat and the bourgeoisie according to Karl Marx? The proletariat are the working class people, whom
Karl Marx believed to be good, hard-working and honest. In contrast, he saw the bourgeoisie as the business owners and
other more wealthy people whom Marx believed were greedy and dishonest. Marx believed that because the bourgeoisie
would not treat the proletariat well that it was the duty of the government to take over businesses and run them for the benefit
of the workers.
21. How did Karl Marx believe socialism would come about? The proletariat would have to unite to overthrow the bourgeoisie
in order to end capitalism and bring about socialism.
22. According to Karl Marx, the means of production should be shared equally by all workers and controlled by the government
for their benefit. Why is this? The bourgeoisie would not take care of the proletariat and so the government would need to
interfere to protect workers.
23. How did the Industrial Revolution help cause the Age of Imperialism? European countries needed raw materials such as
coal, copper, iron and rubber to build machines, railroad tracks and other things needed for the Industrial Revolution. They
colonized Africa and parts of Asia to exploit their natural resources.
24. What are the approximate dates of the Age of Imperialism? 1850 to 1914.
25. Which country controlled the most territory in Africa during the Age of Imperialism? England (Great Britain)
26. What happened at the Berlin Conference? European nations met to discuss dividing territory in Africa amongst themselves.
No African countries were invited to the conference and no attention was given to traditional borders or tribal boundaries.
27. Which continent controlled 90% of the territory in Africa during the late nineteenth century? Europe.
28. Why did European countries engage in Imperialism in the late 19 th and early 20th centuries? To gain territory, to gain new
markets for their goods, to force their culture/religion on other people, to gain power and influence.
29. Explain Social Darwinism and the White Man’s Burden. Social Darwinism was the idea that whichever race is superior will
be able to control other races of people. The White Man’s Burden was the idea that the white race, as superior to other
races, had a duty/responsibility to “civilize” non-white people around the world.
30. What is imperialism? When a powerful country takes over weaker countries in order to exploit the people and their natural
resources and as a way to spread their culture and influence.
31. Why did the British sell Opium to China? The British wanted to buy goods from the Chinese such as tea, silk and porcelain
but they did not have anything the Chinese wanted to trade for. The British introduced opium to the Chinese and the Chinese
were willing to trade for it. Eventually, so many Chinese became addicted to opium that their country became weakened and
the British were able to exert control over parts of China.
32. Describe how colonial powers treated native people in Africa. What types of things were native people forced to do? What
were they not allowed to do? Oftentimes, native people in Africa were discouraged from or forbidden to practice their own
religion, culture or traditions. Europeans forced their own culture on Africans, including their language, religion and style of
dress.
33. What are the long-term causes of WWI and explain each long-term cause? (Hint: MAIN) Militarism (building up of weapons,
tanks, soldiers, etc.); Alliances (Triple Entente/Allies and Triple Alliance/Central Powers); Imperialism (Empire building of
European nations in Africa and Asia); Nationalism (extreme pride for a country)
34. What was the short-term cause (spark) that started WWI? A Serbian nationalist shot the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of
Austria-Hungary; Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, then Russia had to protect Serbia, then Germany had to protect
Austria-Hungary, etc.)