Study Guide for Unit on Industrial Revolution

Directions for Completion: The questions below are directly related to the 5th Grade Social Studies standards
and will help you prepare for your tests and quizzes in this unit. As we study each topic, you can fill in the
answers to the question. The pages numbers next to the question tell you what pages in your Social Studies
book you can find the answers on, BUT we will use more than just your Social Studies book in class, so you
should contain more than what the book says within your answer.

Inventions and Changes in Work

1. What is mass production and how did it help the Industrial Revolution? (p. 323, 326-327)
Mass production means using machines to make many products at once.
It allowed industries and businesses to grow and produce more inexpensively.

2. What were new methods of transportation, and how did they affect the Industrial Revolution? (p. 225,
323)
The train, cable car, and car are examples of new methods of transportation.
They allowed people to travel farther away and more quickly.

3. How did the invention of the light bulb affect the Industrial Revolution? (p. 259, 264-265)
The light bulb allowed people to work at night, and were cleaner, safer, and brighter than oil lamps.

4. How did the invention of the telegraph affect the Industrial Revolution? (p. 222)
The telegraph allowed people to communicate with others who were far away more quickly.

5. How did the invention of the telephone affect the Industrial Revolution? (p. 259)
The telephone allowed people to communicate with others who were far away more quickly.
It also allowed people in large buildings to communicate to people on other floors.

6. Who was Thomas Edison and what did he invent? (p. 259)
Thomas Edison was an inventor who invented over 1000 inventions, including the phonograph and light
bulb.

7. Who was Alexander Graham Bell and what did he invent? (p. 259)
Alexander Graham Bell was an inventor who invented the telephone.

8. Who were the Wright Brothers and what did they invent? (p. 332)
The Wright Brothers were aviators named Orville and Wilbur Wright, and they invented the first successful
airplane in 1903.

9. Who was Henry Ford and what did he invent? (p. 323, 326-327)
Henry Ford was an entrepreneur who started Ford Motor Company and used mass production with the
assembly line. He invented the first car called the Model T.

10. What is urbanization? (p. 272-275)

Urbanization is the change from rural (farm) life to urban (city) life.

11. Why did people leave their farms and move to cities? (p. 272)
People left their farms and moved to cities because fewer farm workers were needed after new inventions
increased productivity on farms, and people moved to find jobs in the cities.
 12. Why were big businesses important during this time period? (p. 260-270)
During the Industrial Revolution, new inventions allowed businesses to grow. As companies grew, they
developed corporations (businesses in which many people own shares/parts of the business) and reduced
competition, leading to monopolies (when there is no competition). The government tried to step in to
regulate businesses. This was the first time the government began trying to intervene in businesses.

Immigration
13. Where did most immigrants come from in the early 1900s? (p. 266)
In the early 1900s, most immigrants came from southern or eastern Europe: Italy, Russia, Hungary, Greece,
Poland, and some from Mexico.

14. What were some opportunities the immigrants had when they arrived? (p. 266)
Immigrants found work, could escape persecution, and found greater political freedom.

15. What problems did the immigrants face when they arrived? (p. 267-269)
Immigrants faced prejudice, hardships on Angel Island, dangerous jobs for little pay, and crowded and
unsanitary living conditions.

16. What was the role of immigrants in the work force? (p. 266-269)
Immigrants worked in steel mills, factories, railroad companies, and coal mines.

17. What was the role of immigrants in the growth of cities? (p. 272-273)
Immigrants moving to the United States and looking for jobs caused the population of cities to grow.

18. How did immigrants contribute to the culture and economy of the United States?
Immigrants brought with them different languages, foods, religions, and customs. They made America a
diverse country with many different people, like a “salad bowl” (formerly called “the melting pot”).

Progressive Reforms
19. What labor reforms were made during this time period? (p. 262, 279)
Labor unions helped workers get better pay, shorter work days, and safer working conditions. Child labor
was restricted.

20. What business reforms were made during this time period? (p. 278-279, and additional “Controlling Big
Business” reading)
The Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act made medicine and foods cleaner and safer.

The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was to make sure railroad rates were fair.

The Sherman Antitrust Act broke up monopolies into smaller business. Even though these laws were not
passed, this was the first time the government tried to regulate big businesses.

Progressives: wanted to make cities and factories cleaner and safer.

Muckrakers: someone who “raked up” or points out unpleasant truths eg. Child labor pictures, pictures of dirty
work conditions, long hours, poor pay etc.