front 1 Manchester, England | back 1 A major industrial city in England that grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution. It became known for its large textile factories, pollution, crowded living conditions, and major role in manufacturing. |
front 2 Factory System | back 2 A method of production where goods were made in large buildings using machines and workers. Instead of working at home, people worked long hours in factories with strict rules. |
front 3 Luddites | back 3 A group of skilled workers in England who protested factory machines in the early 1800s. They believed machines were taking their jobs, so they destroyed equipment as a form of resistance. |
front 4 Coal (in relation to the Industrial Revolution) | back 4 The main energy source that powered factories, steam engines, and machines during the Industrial Revolution. Britain’s large coal supply helped it industrialize quickly. |
front 5 Steam Pump | back 5 An early machine invented to pump water out of mines. It helped miners access deeper coal and played an important role in increasing coal production. |
front 6 Tenements | back 6 Overcrowded, poorly built apartment buildings where factory workers lived. They often lacked clean water, ventilation, and sanitation, leading to disease and unsafe living conditions. |
front 7 Dysentery | back 7 A deadly disease common in crowded industrial cities. It spreads through dirty water and causes severe diarrhea and dehydration, often affecting families living in tenements. |
front 8 Germ Theory | back 8 The scientific idea that diseases are caused by microorganisms (“germs”), not by bad air or smells. This discovery helped improve hygiene, sanitation, and public health during the Industrial Revolution. |
front 9 Child Labor | back 9 The practice of using children to work long hours in dangerous factories or mines. Children were paid very little and often worked in unsafe conditions. |
front 10 Mule Scavengers | back 10 Children who worked in textile factories crawling under running machines (“mules”) to collect dropped cotton. It was extremely dangerous, and many children were injured. |
front 11 Sadler Reports | back 11 A collection of testimonies gathered by Michael Sadler in 1832 that exposed the harsh conditions in factories, especially for children. These reports helped convince the government to pass factory reforms. |
front 12 Labor Unions | back 12 Organizations formed by workers to fight for better wages, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. Unions used strikes and negotiations to demand reform. |
front 13 Factory Acts | back 13 A series of British laws passed during the 1800s that limited working hours, improved safety, and protected children and women in factories. |
front 14 Public Health Acts (1875) | back 14 British laws that required cities to clean up water supplies, improve sewage systems, reduce pollution, and improve sanitation. These laws helped reduce disease in industrial cities. |
front 15 Standard of Living | back 15 A measure of how comfortable and prosperous people are. During the Industrial Revolution, some people gained wealth, but many factory workers had low wages, unsafe housing, and poor living conditions. |