Key events 1750-1910 By 178534 Feb 10, 1776 American Declaration of Independence Feb 10, 1785 Edward Cartwright patents a power loom Feb 10, 1789 French Declaration of the rights of Man and Ciizen ( which says nothing about women or slaves) Feb 10, 1791 Tom Paine's The rights of man is published Feb 10, 1804 First steam locomotive is operating at Pennydarren, Wales Feb 10, 1833 The abolition of slavery in the British empire Feb 10, 1868 Meiji ('Enlightened rule') Restoration in Japan; feudaliam is abandoned and Capitalism embraced Feb 10, 1871 German Unification after the Fanco-Prussian war leading to Germany's rise as an imperial power Feb 10, 1899 Guiglielmo Marconi invents the (wireless) radio Feb 10, 1905 Russo- Japanese war. Japan defeats Russia