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The Social Contract Jean Jacques Rousseau
Jean Jacques Rousseau authored The Social Contract in 1762. Rousseau explains how protection and justice as well as enlightened sovereignty can be achieved through the collective search for freedom. By joining together, citizens generate a "General Will" which would ensure citizens equal political rights. The Enlightenment influenced the trajectory of all spheres of society. Rousseau embodies the intellectual movement and critque of contemporary society inherent to the Age of Enlightemment. -
Coalbrookdale By Night
This painting by Philip James de Loutherbourg typifies a newly industrializing city during the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The artist toured cities in England and Wales between 1786 and 1800. This painting depicts Bedlam Furnaces, a company that extracted coal and iron ore. These resources fueled technological advances such as transportation, and machinery. -
Napoleonic Code
The Napoleonic Civil Code was arguably the most notable of Napoleon Bonaparte's legacies. Napoleon was the first to offer the French people a set of laws that were uniform. The Code reflected Napoleon's modernity and his value of tradition. The Civil Code has influenced the codifying of laws in many other countries and continues to exist in modern criminal codes in Europe and North America -
The Communist Manifesto
The Communist Manifesto was written in 1848 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The Manifesto critiques contemporary society with a focus on the history of class inequalities. The Manifesto calls for an international proletarian revolution in favour of Communism. Marx and Engel's ideas were highly influential in shaping labour law reform, state reform and social movements the Russian Revolution of 1917. -
Conference of Berlin 1884-1885
Die Kongokonferenz in Berlin by Adalbert von Rößler illustrates delegations from European countries meeting in Berlin in 1884-1885 to divide Africa for themselves. This new wave of imperialism transitioned to colonial conquest as more European countries engaged. Ostensibly, the conference outlined regulation for colonialization. However, the conference set in order the "Scramble for Africa"-- a colonization process that would exploit Africa and leave many detrimental legacies for centuries. -
Are YOU In This? World War I Propaganda
Robert Baden-Powell's World War I propaganda poster is representative the concept of Total War during World War I European country's entire economic effort was dedicated to the front. As seen in World War I set new precedents in terms of warfare and casualties. Furthermore, it acted as an indirect force for social change in regards to roles and a shift in power dynamics worldwide.
