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Revocation of Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Fontainebleau was an edict issued by Louis XIV which would Revoke the edict of Nantes, which had granted Huguenots the right to practice their religion without persecution. Louis ordered the destruction of Huguenot churches and the closing of protestant schools. He tried to intimidate Hughuenots into converting, and persecuted them all throughout France. -
Industrial Revolution Years
This time period (1760-1841), was known as the Industrial Revolution. It would forever change society because of its drastic effects on virtually every aspect of a person’s daily life. The inventions and changes to the manufacturing process would set up and eventually lead to the modern era we live in today. -
Watt Patents Steam Engine
Also known as the Boulton and Watt steam engine, this was one of the driving forces of the industrial revolution. One could argue that this early steam engine alone sparked the entire industrial revolution into existence. It’s most important use was pumping water out of mines. -
Congress of Vienna
The purpose of this congress, which was a meeting between the major European powers, was to redraw European borders following Napoleon’s conquests. The aim was to create borders that would encourage peace in Europe and discourage any more conquests such as the ones seen by Napoleon. Another goal was to reestablish the monarchist rule in European countries. -
Reign of Louis XVIII
The reign of Louis XVIII came after the fall and failure of Napoleon’s rule over the French Empire. Following the Congress of Vienna, the French Bourbon Dynasty was restored, and with it, the French monarchy. King Louis XXIII led the French Kingdom in its time immediately following the end of Napoleon’s rule. Although he adopted conservative policies and values, he did so in a manner that did not spark massive riots or protests against him, therefore keeping peace in France. -
Battle of Waterloo
After Napoleon’s initial loss and exile, Napoleon was able to take advantage of the chaos and turmoil seen in France and make a comeback. That comeback was short-lived, however. Napoleon faced a series of defeats following his return to the French throne which eventually led to the Battle of Waterloo. Here, he lost his final battle and was exiled again. This time, he never made a comeback. -
Karlsbad Decrees
These Decrees were imposed onto the people of the German Confederation. In 1819, in response to the liberal ideals that were on the rise, reactionary decrees were introduced. They banned nationalist fraternities, removed liberal university professors, and expanded the censorship of the press. The goal was to ultimately stop the idea for German unification from spreading. -
Reign of Charles X
King Charles X ruled following the Bourbon Restoration, and his reign dramatized the failure of the Bourbons, after the restoration, to reconcile the tradition of the monarchy. His rule was very unpopular with the people, and he even initiated a conquest in Algeria to distract the people from his domestic problems. -
Stephenson’s Rocket
This was an early locomotive powered by a newly invented steam engine. It competed in a competition called the rain hill trials in which different locomotive designs competed. Stephenson’s Rocket won and is now a part of history. -
Reign of Louis Phillippe
He ruled following Charles X, and based his support on the upper bourgeois, which turned out to be a mistake, because he later could not get support from the new emerging industrial classes. He supported friendship with Great Britain, and ruled conservatively. He eventually fell out of favor when France started experiencing economic problems. -
France invades Algeria
An argument between the ruler of the Ottoman Regency of Algiers and a French Consul escalated to a naval blockade. France then invaded and seized Algiers, and then took control of other coastal lands. France continued to maintain control of the territories despite internal economic and political issues -
British Reform Bill
The Reform Act reapportioned Parliament to be more fair to industrial northern cities, which were growing extremely fast. It also gave power of voting to lower classes, which was the biggest impact, because of how much it extended the right to vote. While there were still many people who weren’t at all eligible to vote, it increased the electorate significantly. -
Great Famine Ireland
This was a period of mass starvation in Ireland, which caused around one million deaths and one million people emigrating from Ireland. The entire island’s population fell by 25%. The cause of the famine was a potato blight, which infected potato crops throughout Europe, causing widespread disease and death. The famine resulted in a century long population decline, and had lasting cultural and political impacts. -
Great Exhibition in London
Also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, this was an exhibition in which a series of World Fair exhibitions were held. Products and exhibitions regarding culture, and most importantly, industry, were shown. Two inventions that appeared here were the Telegraph and Vulcanised Rubber. -
Cholera Outbreak London
The Broad Street cholera outbreak was an outbreak that occurred in the Soho district of Westminster, during a worldwide cholera pandemic. 616 people were killed, and it lead to physician John Snow’s revolutionary idea that germ-contaminated water was the source of the cholera. Germ theory changed the way people looked at disease, as they had previously thought it was transmitted by through the air. This improved public health consciousness and improved sanitation facilities in Britain. -
Darwin’s Origin of Species
Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. He introduced the theory that species evolve over the many generations through natural selection. He presented evidence on his observations on his expeditions in the 1830s, and his experimentation and research. His ideas caused controversy with the church, and his ideas were fiercely challenged.
