-
Steam Engine
James Watt was the man that made the steam engine usable. So he is the one that is thanked for the steam engine even though Thomas Newcomen had the idea. The steam engine had a huge impact on life as we can still see today because we still use it in automobiles. -
Period: to
French Revolution
The French Revolution ocurred because the people of France were very poor and starving. These problems led to the Estates General and finally to the Tennis Court Oath. But those meetings would not stop the people as shown when they raided the Bastille for weapons. Things were not looking good for the King and Queen and they ended up being killed, so Napoleon came into the story. This event was so important because it changed France from a Monarchy to a more modern day form of government. -
Period: to
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolt that ocurred between 1791 and 1804 happened in Saint-Domingue. This rebellion is very important because of all the other rebellions that ocurred up to this point were not successful. Also this created perminant independence under a new nation and it ended slavery in that area. -
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna began in 1814 and the representatives of the congress did not want France to be very strong. They do not unite Germany, but it does create a German Confederation. The main representatives of the congress included Robert stewart, Viscount Castlereigh and more. This congress was important because it provided a conclusion to the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Also the congress left Europe in peace for about 40 years. -
Independence of Mexico
Before Mexico's independence in 1821 they fought a long war from 1815 until 1821 against Spain. The fighting that was ocurring in this time was guerrilla warfare. Guerrilla Warfare is when small groups hit and run and do not get involved in a big battle. Finally in 1821 Mexico wins. This event is important because like I said earlier Mexico gained its independence and this changed the coarse of history. -
Period: to
Opium War
The Opium War began when China tried to stop British trade of Opium, China lost so the importation of Opium continued and China lost ports.This became a problem in the Qing Dynasty. When China decided to prohibit opium Britain had to smuggle it and British merchants were not happy. Lin Zexu was sent to Guangzhou to stop trade with Britain and he seized/destroyed a lot of opium.The Opium War was important because China had to open their ports to British trade again, so China took steps backwards. -
Communist Manifesto
The Communist Manifesto was a short book written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Engels mostly edited Marx's ideas and writing. Both of these people were socialists. So, because they were socialists they believed that industrial capitalism wasn't fair to the lower classes in society. This book was important because it spread the thought of socialism successfully. Quickly socialism spread to the U.S. and throughout Europe. -
Matthew Perry Arrives In Japan
Matthew Perry left Norfolk Virginia on November 24, 1852 and arrived at Edo (which is modern day Tokyo) on July 2, 1853. When he arrived he wanted to give a letter to the emperor which said that the president of America wanted to open ports in Japan for trade and supplies. This was important because now America had the right to trade in Japanese ports. -
Period: to
Sepoy Mutiny
The Sepoy Mutiny is what we call the uprising of the Bengal Army against the British. The rebellion began in Meerut. The reason why Sepoy is in the name is because the majority of the Indian/Bengal army are South Asians or Sepoys (soldiers). The British in the end and showed how much power they have. The Sepoy Mutiny was important because it led to the British ruling India for the first time in history. -
Unification of Germany
The person most responsible for the unification of Germany was Otto Von Bismarck, he united Germany under Prussian rule. One of the wars leading up to the Unification was the war with Denmark, which Germany won and gained control of Schleswig and Holstein. Next Germany drove out Austria, and finally defeated France which resulted in the Treaty of Frankfurt. This gave Germany independence. This was important because Germany becomes a great industrial power and they compete for colonies. -
Zulu Uprising
The issue with Britain started when treaties were made giving control of the Zulu's to Britain. Because of this the Zulu's fought the British but lost because they were not strong enough. Shortly after their loss they revolted and started the 1879 war only to lose. The conflicts between Britain and the Zulu's led to more uprisings. The Zulu uprisings are important because the divisions of Africa as we see with the Zulu's have effected Africa as we see even today. -
Period: to
Berlin Conference
The Berlin Conferences purpose was to make a free-trade area in and around the Congo Basin. The Conference included a lot of representatives except none from Africa and Africa was going to be greatly impacted by the Berlin Conference. At the Berlin Conference Africa was divided up to give land to many different countries. This event is extremely important because this created problems in Africa that are still seen today. -
Period: to
Russo-Japanese War
This was a war between two powerful nations, the Russians and the Japanese. The war was fought for the land of Manchuria and Korea. This war was going to affect both countries economy strongly. This event was important because it was the first time a western and powerful country lost to an Asian power. -
DR. Sun Yat-sen Takes Over China
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen took over China in 1911 and remained leader until 1912. was a Chinese doctor and political leader. He wanted a Republic based on 3 principals which were Nationalism, Democracy, and Economic Livelihood. There were two major problems when he became leader, there were foreign powers and warlords in China. Dr. Sun was important because he further hurt China because of his military problems and he stepped down right after he was leader and gave power to Chiang Kai-Shek.
