Key Events 1750-1910 By 167955 Jan 1, 1776 American Declaration of Independence Jan 1, 1785 Edmund Cartwright patents a power loom Jan 1, 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and the French Revolution (which says nothing about slaves or women) Jan 1, 1791 Tom Paine's "The Rights of Man" is published Jan 1, 1804 First steam locomotive is oprating at Pennydarren, Wales Jan 1, 1833 Abolition of slavery in the British Empire Feb 1, 1868 Meiji, Restoration in Japan; feudalism is abandoned and cspitalism embraced. ('enlightened rule') Jan 1, 1871 German Unifciation after the Franco-Prussian War leading to Germany's rise as an imperial power. Jan 1, 1899 Guglielmo Marconi invents the wireless (radio) Jan 1, 1905 Russo-Japnese War; Japan defeats Russia