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Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution included many innovations such as the steam engine, the water frame, the spinning jenny, and the locomotive. These helped push England ahead of other countries, aided by their pro-trade and innovation government and abundance of coal. The Industrial Revolution additionally caused long-lasting environmental effects such as smog and polluted waters. -
Watt Patents Steam Engine
Watt improved the initial steam engine after fixing Thomas Newcomen’s invention. He partnered with Michael Bolton to patent it, and the steam engine became very popular. These engines were used to pump water and blow air into furnaces, and are widely-regarded as one of the beginning inventions of the Industrial Revolution. -
Reign of Louis XVIII
After Napoleon was removed from power in France, the next heir of the Bourbon Dynasty, Louis XVIII was put on the French throne. One of the tenements of the Congress of Vienna was that France returned to the conservative rule of a king, so Louis XVIII was then put in power. He was a weak and ineffective ruler, however, and Napoleon soon escaped his prison on the island of Elba, and was put back in power by the French people. -
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a result of Napoleon’s rampage through Europe, stopping once he was conquered in Russia. The Congress of Vienna included diplomats from Great Britain, France, Prussia, Russia, and Austria, the major powers who had been affected by Napoleon. The goals of the Congress was to make sure that no individual ever gained as much power again as Napoleon did, and to create territorial divisions that would keep power in check and protect each nation. -
Battle of Waterloo
After Napoleon was initially captured and imprisoned on the island of Elba, he planned an escape and returned to France, where he was accepted back by the people. He planned on conquering Belgium, but was met by the forces of Great Britain, Prussia, Russia, and Austria, and was defeated. He was exiled on St. Helena and never gained power again, finally restoring peace and balance to Europe. -
Karlsbad Decrees
The Karlsbad Decrees were a series of resolutions passed after a meeting caused by revolutions in the German territories. The meeting was called by the Austrian foreign minister Klemmens von Metternich. He wanted the German territories to unite and censor and supervise the German people. These decrees were repressive and meant to stop rebellion from occurring among the German people, and failed to stop German nationalism. -
Reign of Charles X
The Reign of Charles X was significant because Charles was a strong ruler who very much wanted to change back France to its conservative past. Under his rule the press was censored, the number of people voting decreased, and liberty in France declined. He was a huge supporter of absolute monarchy, and his viewpoints led to protests in France. -
Stephenson's Rocket
The Rocket was built by George Stephenson, and was entered in a race for the best locomotive engine for a railway line. The Rocket was the first locomotive to have a multi-tube boiler, generating more steam and enabling it to go faster than other previous locomotive examples. It was the fastest locomotive built at the time. -
Reign of Louis Phillipe
Louis Philippe came into power after Charles X. Louis had supported the French Revolution of 1789, so he was chosen after Charles X, and he got along well with the liberal bourgeoisie. His policies tended to favor the wealthy, and overall suffrage in the country was pitifully low, however the number of voters did expand. He also abolished censorship. Eventually after economic struggles in the late 1840s he was exiled. -
France Invades Algeria
Faced with unpopularity, Charles X decided to unite the French people in war against Algeria. Algeria at first seemed like an easy conquest, and their capital was captured in 3 weeks. However, Charles could not foresee the violent guerilla warfare that took place in the country for the next 17 years. This started to lead France to become a more global power and was one of their first major imperialist endeavors into Africa. -
British Reforms Bill
This revolutionary bill changed the electoral system in Britain which ultimately gave more voting rights to men in the country. This was following years of thoughts among the citizens that the current system was unfair, and it was also a response to the widely unpopular corn laws that were in place to keep the price of food very high, starving the population of Britain. -
The Great Famine
The great Famine of Ireland left the island in economic and social ruin, from which the effects still exist to this day. Total deaths were over 1 million and population fell by 25% from death and immigration to new places, specifically in Britain and America. The potato had been a staple in the Irish meal since its introduction after the columbian exchange. A disease called blight destroyed the leaves of potato plants which stunted their growth. -
Great Exhibition in London
The Great Exhibition was created with the intention of educating the public and inspiring British artists and manufacturers. It involved the building of the Crystal Palace. Approximately 6 million people visited the Great Exhibition. Some of the profits were used to purchase land for science museums, and many innovators were inspired by what they saw. -
Cholera Outbreak of London
The Cholera Outbreak in London was very severe and occurred during the worldwide pandemic going on at the time. Nearly 11,000 people lost their life during this outbreak, and this highlighted the danger of disease in cities during this period in time, as they were expanding uncontrollably due to the industrial revolution causing an influx in workers looking for factory jobs. -
Darwin’s Origin of Species
A collection of scientific literature published by Charles Darwin. Included observations about selective breeding in order to produce more favorable offspring. He conceived the idea of natural selection and started to lay the groundwork for our modern understanding of evolution.
