Midterm Prep: The Conditions of the Working Class in England, Engels

Question 1

Front: What was “The Jenny”?

Answer 1

Back: James Hargreaves’ ‘Spinning Jenny’ would revolutionize the process of cotton spinning.

Question 2

Front: Who were the “Agrarian proletarians”?

Answer 2

Back: They were landless laborers who had no land to cultivate and were forced to sell their labor.

Question 3

Front: What is the hosiery industry?

Answer 3

Back: The hosiery industry produces knitted or woven goods such as stockings, socks, and tights.

Question 4

Front: Who was Josiah Wedgwood?

Answer 4

Back: Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter and entrepreneur who founded the Wedgwood pottery company.

Question 5

Front: What was “The Reform Act of 1832”?

Answer 5

Back: The Reform Act of 1832 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that introduced significant changes to the electoral system.

Question 6

Front: What is “Puddling”?

Answer 6

Back: Puddling was a method developed to produce wrought iron from pig iron using a reverberatory furnace.

Question 7

Front: What was “The Factory Bill”?

Answer 7

Back: The Factory Bill was a series of laws passed by the British Parliament to regulate the working conditions of textile mill workers.

Question 8

Front: Who is Sir Humphry Davy?

Answer 8

Back: Sir Humphry Davy was a British chemist and inventor who discovered several chemical elements and developed the Davy lamp.

Question 9

Front: What was the ancien regime?

Answer 9

Back: The ancien regime refers to the political and social system in France before the French Revolution.

Question 10

Front: What is the “British Mercantile Marine”?

Answer 10

Back: The British Mercantile Marine refers to the merchant ships and sailors of the British merchant navy.

Question 11

Front: Who were the “Yeomen”?

Answer 11

Back: Yeomen were the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household.

Question 12

Front: What was “The Master and Servant” Bill?

Answer 12

Back: The Master and Servant Act was a law that gave employers considerable power over their employees and was used to suppress the trade union movement in Britain.

Question 13

What are some of the products and technologies that were created during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 13

Textiles (cotton, wool, flax, silk)
Water power (steam engine, coal)
Iron/Steel (mining bridges, railroads, machines)
Transportation (paved roads, canals, railroads, steam ships)

Question 14

What was the impact of the introduction of coal on the environment?

Answer 14

Coal was the origin of climate change, as it replaced human and natural sources of power

Question 15

What is enclosure?

Answer 15

Enclosure refers to the process of fencing off previously common land, and converting it to private property

Question 16

What is proletarianization?

Answer 16

Proletarianization is the process of rural peasants being drawn from the land to the city to become industrial workers

Question 17

What were some of the social and cultural changes that occurred during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 17

Fall of Feudalism
Changes in gender roles
Expansion into new territory through developments in transportation
Transformation of agricultural life to industrial life
Triangular Trade: Trade between England (Manchester, Liverpool) Africa and North America

Question 18

What is the significance of the Spinning Jenny?

Answer 18

The Spinning Jenny revolutionized the process of cotton spinning by allowing operators to spin eight threads at once

Question 19

What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on the labor force?

Answer 19

The Division of Labor became more pronounced as labor freed up, and people were able to start specializing
Many rural peasants shifted to city life to become industrial workers

Question 20

What was the impact of enclosure?

Answer 20

Enclosure excluded people from common land and led to the proletarianization of rural peasants

Question 21

What was the impact of technological change on competition and innovation during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 21

Competition leads to the next innovation, which is motivating and leads to cascading technological change

Question 22

What is the connection between the rise of Protestantism and the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 22

Some argue that the rise of Protestantism, with its emphasis on hard work, played a role in driving the Industrial Revolution

Question 23

Front: How did technological change and competition contribute to creative destruction?

Answer 23

Technological change and competition led to the development of new inventions and innovations, which replaced older industries and ways of life.

Question 24

Front: What role did colonialism play in the industrial revolution?

Answer 24

Colonialism provided England with access to raw materials and new markets for their goods, which contributed to the growth of their economy and the development of new industries.

Question 25

Front: What is the division of labor and how did it contribute to the industrial revolution?

Answer 25

The division of labor refers to the specialization of tasks within a society or organization. In the industrial revolution, it allowed for greater efficiency in manufacturing and the creation of new industries.

Question 26

Front: What were some of the key packages of technology and products that drove the industrial revolution?

Answer 26

Some of the key packages of technology and products that drove the industrial revolution included textiles (cotton, wool, flax, silk), water power (steam engines, coal), iron/steel (mining, bridges, railroads, machines), and transportation (paved roads, canals, railroads, steam ships).

Question 27

What was the enclosure of the commons and how did it contribute to the industrial revolution?

Answer 27

Back: The enclosure of the commons refers to the privatization of previously public land in England. This allowed for greater agricultural efficiency and productivity, but also contributed to the displacement of rural workers and the growth of cities.

Question 28

What social and cultural changes were brought about by the industrial revolution?

Answer 28

Back: The industrial revolution brought about the fall of feudalism, the transformation of gender roles, and the expansion into new territories through developments in transportation. It also led to the commodification of goods, land, labor, and capital, and the normalization of lending money.

Question 29

What were some of the negative effects of the industrial revolution?

Answer 29

Back: The industrial revolution led to the exploitation of workers, the destruction of traditional ways of life, and the creation of environmental problems such as climate change. It also contributed to the growth of slavery and the development of new forms of social inequality.

Question 30

Pros of city life

Answer 30

Cities offer greater job opportunities, particularly in manufacturing
Cities are hubs for innovation and technological change
Cities can offer more diverse cultural experiences

Question 31

Cons of city life

Answer 31

Moral degradation, according to some perspectives
Overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions in some areas
Greater class stratification

Question 32

Pros of country life

Answer 32

A more idyllic, pastoral way of life
A greater sense of community and connection to nature
A way of life more rooted in tradition

Question 33

Cons of country life

Answer 33

Disconnection from the rest of the world
Limited job opportunities and less access to innovation
Destruction of traditional ways of life due to technological change

Question 34

Simlarities with TCM

Answer 34

Both texts analyze the major changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in their respective contexts.

Both texts examine the impact of new technology, the division of labor, and the rise of industrial capitalism.

Both texts explore the social and economic consequences of these changes, including the rise of the working class, changes in gender roles, and the impact on rural communities.

Both texts also touch on the environmental consequences of industrialization, with The Condition of the Working Class in England noting the introduction of coal as the origin of climate change and TCM examining the impact of industrialization on natural resources and the environment.

Question 35

Differences from TCM

Answer 35

The Condition of the Working Class in England focuses specifically on the conditions of industrial workers in England, while TCM takes a more global perspective and examines the rise of capitalism and its impact on the world.

Question 36

What is Triangular Trade?

Answer 36

Back:
Triangular Trade was a trade route between England (Manchester, Liverpool), Africa, and North America, where manufactured goods from England were sent to Africa in exchange for slaves, who were then sold in North America for raw materials that were shipped back to England. This trade was a significant part of the Industrial Revolution and played a significant role in the rise of slavery as it is known today.

Question 37

Front: What is meant by the commodification of goods, land, labor and capital?

Answer 37

Back: The commodification of goods, land, labor, and capital refers to the process of transforming things that were previously considered outside of the market economy, such as land, into commodities that can be bought and sold on the market. This process was a key feature of the industrial revolution and involved the transformation of many aspects of society, including changes in property relations, labor practices, and economic organization.

Question 38

What were tenent farmers?

Answer 38

Tenant farmers were farmers who did not own the land they farmed, but rather rented it from a landlord.

Question 39

Front: How did yeomen become tenant farmers?

Answer 39

Back: Yeomen, who used to own and cultivate their own land, were forced to become tenant farmers due to the Enclosure movement. The process of Enclosure allowed wealthy landowners to fence off and privatize common land that yeomen had previously used for grazing or cultivating crops, leaving them with no choice but to become tenants on the enclosed land.

Question 40

How did Gender roles change during this period?

Answer 40

As more men moved to work in the factories, women and children were put to work in the mills and mines as well. This marked a significant change from traditional gender roles where women were primarily responsible for domestic work and child-rearing.

The Industrial Revolution also created new opportunities for women to work outside the home and become financially independent. However, it also led to long working hours and poor working conditions for women and children in the factories.

Question 41

What was the effect of this time on the scottish?

Answer 41

The quote highlights the impact of infrastructure development in Scotland in the early 19th century, which brought the people of the Highlands into contact with the rest of civilization. This led to a significant shift in the way of life of Highlanders, who moved away from poaching and smuggling to become smallholders and domestic industrial workers. However, it also brought about the loss of traditional Gaelic language and customs, as the influence of English civilization grew stronger.

Question 42

What were the factors that marked the Transition from feudalism to capitalism in agriculture

Answer 42

Enclosure of the commons (used analogously today): “revolution of the rich against the poor”
Agricultural concentration
Tenant farmers + wage laborers
Tech change: crop rotation, fallow, fertilizer, new crops
Productivity - frees labor, cheap food
Commodification of goods, land, labor, capital