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Great Reform Bill Passed - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
Great Reform bill was passed introducing many electoral reforms such as raising the number of voters and redistributing the representation based on population. -
Sadler Report - SOCIAL
Written by Michael Sadler, this document aimed to expose the subpar working conditions of women and children in textile factories. -
Factory Act Passed - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
The Factory Act was passed banning the employment of children nine years old or younger. It also limited the working hours children could be subjected to, mandated at least two hours of schooling a day, and if a child were employed the employer had to have proper certification. -
Slavery Banned in Europe - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
Slavery was banned throughout the British Empire, with the exceptions of any territory run by the East India Company, Ceylon, and St Helena. -
Establishment of Poor Laws - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
The English Poor Law was passed to create workhouses where the poor were sheltered and cared for in return for labor. -
Chartist Movement - INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL
Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in Britain between 1838 and 1848 which took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 -
Coronation of Queen Victoria - POLITICAL
The coronation of Queen Victoria, the longest reigning queen. She was queen until 1901 and her rule was one of peace, prosperity, and sensibility. -
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First Opium War - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
The first of the two Opium Wars. This was a war between China and Great Britain, when China shut down ports and shut out the British for smuggling in opium. The British won and forced China to open ports. -
Publication of "What is Property?" - INTELLECTUAL
Proudhon wrote "What is Property?" which said that people should share everything and owning property was theft. This was an influential contemporary anarchist book -
Britain gains control of Hong Kong - POLITICAL
Britain gained control over Hong Kong as part of the settlement after the first Opium war. Even after being returned to the Chinese government it continues to be more liberal, a mark left by English control. -
Publication of "The Conditions of the Working Class in England" - ECONOMIC, SOCIAL
This book was written by Friedrich Engels, where he stated his beliefs on the conditions of the working class in England. Written during the Industrial Revolution, Engels expresses his belief that the Revolution caused a higher death rate with more moralities and diseases occurring. In this piece Engels also states his famous quote of English workers being in “wage slavery”. This along with other similar pieces led to a real concern about the conditions of factory workers and many acts trying t -
Irish Potato Famine - SOCIAL, ECONOMIC
The Irish Potato Famine (or Great Famine) was a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration between 1845 and 1852. It resulted in approximately one million deaths, and one million emigrants. -
Repealment of the Corn Laws - ECONOMIC, POLITICAL
The Corn Laws were trade laws established in Great Britain in 1815 used against other countries for very expensive foreign imports. These trade laws at the time of 1815 were examples of British mercantilism. In 1846 the Corn Laws were repealed by Robert Peel. This led to both free trade and Great Britain's dependence on imports for food. -
LIberia declares independence - POLITICAL
Liberia was established as one of the few free African states. Former slaves from America returning to Africa settled it. -
February Revolution - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
Revolts began in France to protest the conservative government. These ended in the overthrow of the current government and exile of the king (Louis-Philippe). Afterward they founded the French’s second republic. -
Marxism - ECONOMIC, SOCIAL
Marxism was an economic theory created by both Karl Marx and Friederich Engels that would later be known as the belief of Communism. -
Publication of Communist Manifesto - SOCIAL, ECONOMIC
Written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the Communist Manifesto was written for the purposes of the earlier formed Communist League. This famous piece contained the idea of the workers being robbed by the rich factory owners. The Communist Manifesto also gave a new look at the class struggles and proposed the idea of a violent workers revolution. -
March Revolution - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
Unrest began to grow throughout the German states. Nationalists wanted a unified Germany instead of the loose jumble of states. News of the February Revolution in France spread and insurrection ensued throughout much of Germany. This also prompts a similar result among students in Vienna. These were put down eventually, though Austria had to ask Russia for help in calming Hungary -
Charles Albert declares war on Austria - POLITICAL
With the chaos in Austria, Charles Albert, the ruler of Savoy, declared war on them. This war was crushed, but it succeeded in creating unity among the Italian states. -
Nationalist Revolts in Austria - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
From March 1848 through November 1849, the Habsburg Austrian Empire was threatened by revolutionary movements. The revolts were nationalist but eventually failed because of their diviseveness. -
Meeting of the Frankfurt Assembly - POLITICAL
The Frankfurt Parliament, a large meeting of German states, met to create a unified Germany. The Assembly had little power and got hardly anything done. When it finished it offered the crown to Frederick William the fourth of Prussia, only to be declined. Ultimately the assembly fell apart and political unrest spread further throughout Germany. -
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June Days Uprising - ECONOMIC, SOCIAL
In 1848 before the April Elections, Utopian Socialist Louis Blanc conducted a plan to ease unemployment in Paris. His plan was to enforce National Workshops in Paris; this brought many people to Paris seeking jobs. Blanc’s plan was soon interrupted during the April Elections when no Socialists were elected. This led to a major Socialist and unemployed worker’s rebellion called the June Days where over 10,000 Socialists and unemployed workers were killed by French troops. -
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte elected as French President - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
The newly established Republic of France held its first election to decide the president. The winner was Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, nephew of the old emperor. -
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's coup
Louis Napoleon stages a coup d’état using his control over the military to get rid of the legislative branch and give himself a ten-year term. -
Livingstone explores Africa - INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL
David Livingstone was an explorer who was to explore the interior of Africa. He was born poor but worked his way up the social ladder, and was also an anti-slavery advocate. -
Beginning of the Second Empire - POLITICAL
Soon after the coup d’état, Napoleon declared himself Napoleon III Emperor of the French marking the end of the Second Republic and the beginning of the Second Empire. -
Invention of safety elevator - TECHNOLOGICAL
Elisha Otis invented a freight elevator equipped with a safety device that prevented the elevator from falling in the event that a cable should break. -
Beginning of the Crimean War - POLITICAL
The Crimean War began as a fight over the holy lands between the Ottoman Empire and Russia. England and France joined in alongside the Ottoman Empire to prevent Russia from gaining even more territory. The Ottoman Empire was victorious gaining itself 20 of peace with Russia. In return, Christians gained equality and the churches in dispute. -
Publication of "Hard Times" - INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL
Charles Dickens' tenth novel, written to expose social pressures in Great Britain. -
Sepoy Rebellion - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
Sepoys (Hindus or Muslims soldiers who fought for the British) became angered by rumors that cartridges for their weapons were greased with cow or pig fat. They considered it sacrilege to consume those animals and they felt tricked. They began to fight leading the Indian Rebellion. The British Government withdrew the East India Company’s right to govern the land and ruled it directly. -
Jewish Relief Act - RELIGIOUS
The Jewish Relief Act of 1858 allowed people of Jewish beliefs to sit in Parliament. Jewish Parliament members could omit from their oath "and I make the Declaration upon the true Faith of a Christian". This was an example of growing religious tolerance in Europe. -
Publication of "On Liberty" - ECONOMIC
John Stuart Mill was a borderline Socialist and yet still supported Laissez-faire when he wrote his book “On Liberty”. In this piece Mill states that the government should impose individual freedom and that the government’s purpose is to “self protect” the people. His also explores the ideas of taxing the wealth, abolishing wage system, and the emancipation of workers. This piece led to a new way of thinking in economics as it was a mix of both laissez-faire and socialism. -
French and Savoy war on Austria - POLITICAL
France and Piedmont-Savoy declare war on Austria to try and unite Italy once again. In return for their help France was given Savoy and Nice. -
Publication of "On Liberty" - INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL
"On Liberty" was written by John Stuart Mill. It outlined his ideas of freedom and individuality as well as utilitarianism. -
Publication of "The Origin of Species" - INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL
Charles Darwin wrote the origin of species. I outlined his theory of evolution in language that the common man could understand. His theory was not accepted at first but is now taught in almost every school. -
Publication of "The Life Of Jesus Critically Examined" - RELIGIOUS
"The Life of Jesus Christ Critically Examined" was a very popular and controversial book. It sparked conversations concerning Strauss' characterization of the miraculous elements in the gospels as being mythological in character. -
Shifting of Italian capitol - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
Florence had been the temporary capital of the newly united Italy, however it was shifted to Rome due to its central location and size in 1861. However then it was still controlled by the pope. In 1870 Italy invaded Rome leaving the Pope confined to the Vatican. -
Emancipation of serfs in Russia - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
The Emancipation Reform of 1861 in Russia during the reign of Czar Alexander II abolished serfdom and granted liberty to those who were serfs. They could marry without permission, own property, and even own a business. -
Victor Emmanuel becomes Italian king - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
At the end of the Second Italian War of Independence, the leader of Italian forces and son of Charles Albert, Victor Emmanuel became the first king of Italy. -
Bismarck becomes Prussian chancellor - POLITCAL
Otto von Bismarck becomes the Prussian Chancellor. He dominates European affairs for years with his liberal policies and unifies most of Germany. -
Prussian-Austrian war on Denmark - POLITICAL
Prussia and Austria both go to war with Denmark over the control over the Duchies. It started when the Danish king died without a suitable heir. -
Austro-Prussian War - POLITICAL
A war called the Austro Prussian War began as a fight for control in Germany between Austria and its German allies, and Prussia, Italy, and Prussia’s German allies. Its end showed the decline of Austria and the rise of Prussia as the German Power -
Invention of dynamite - TECHNOLOGICAL
Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1867. At the time, dynamite was the only safely manageable explosive stronger than black powder. Dynamite became the widespread alternative to gunpowder and nitroglycerin. -
Formation of Austro-Hungarian Empire - POLITICAL
The governments of Austria and Hungary decided they would join and split the lands of the Austrian Empire, forming the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The two governments would stay separate entities but with equal status. -
Publication of "Das Kapital" - ECONOMIC
Written by Karl Marx after the Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital stated Marx’s Subsistence Theory of Wages. In this theory Marx explained that the average worker could never obtain enough money to support more than a minimum level of living. This piece led to a new belief of a scientific socialism replacing the old belief of a utopian socialism. -
German invasion of France - POLITICAL
To unify all of Germany, Prussia and the other German states invaded territories owned by France. When France declared war, the Germans’ superior forces quickly defeated them. This led to the collapse of the Second French Empire. -
Doctrine of Papal Infallibility - RELIGIOUS
Dogma of the Catholic church- stated that the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error. The doctrine was defined during the First Vatican Council. -
Publication of "The Descent of Man"
"The Descent of Man" was written by Charles Darwin. It furthered his theory of evolution and spoke about humans descent from animals which was a very controversial topic because it contradicted the bibles creation story. It also talked about human natural selection through procreation. -
Establishment of Third Republic of France - POLITICAL, SOCIAL
As the Second French Empire fell at the hands of Prussia, a Third Republic of France was established. At first, how the government was to be run was an issue.
Some wanted to bring back the monarchy, but no one knew which of the deposed monarchs was to be asked. Though it was meant to be temporary, it became the official government of France.