Key Events 1750-1910 By 176115 Feb 12, 1776 American Declaration of Independence Feb 12, 1785 Edmund Cartwright patents apower loom Feb 12, 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (which says nothing about slaves or women) French Revolution Feb 12, 1791 Tom Paine’sThe Rights of Manis published Feb 12, 1804 First steam locomotive is operating at Pennydarren, Wales Feb 12, 1833 Abolition of slavery in the British Empire Feb 18, 1868 Meiji (‘enlightened rule’) Restoration in Japan; feudalism is abandoned and capitalism embraced Feb 18, 1871 German unification after the Franco-Prussian War leading to Germany’s rise as an imperial power Feb 18, 1899 Guglielmo Marconi invents the wireless (radio) Feb 18, 1905 Russo-Japanese War; Japan defeats Russia Feb 18, 1905 Russo-Japanese War; Japan defeats Russia