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Industrial Revolution
Period in which a great deal of innovations were made that changed pretty much everything about how people lived their lives. -
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Toussaint L’Ouverture
A slave who helped lead a revolt in Haiti against white settlers. He fought for Saint Domingue's independence from France, but died in a French prison before he could see it happen. -
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French-Indian War
Refers to the part of the Seven Years' War that was fought in the United States and Canada. Costs of the war drove Britain to raise taxes in its colonies. -
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Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Louis XVI- 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793 Marie Antoinette- 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793 King and Queen of France during the French Revolution. Their steadily declining favor with the middle class led to their eventual beheading. -
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Seven Years' War
A series of conflicts fought on a global stage that reflects the rivalry that developed in Europe due to everybody wanting to set up trade posts in America and Asia. Called "French and Indian War" in America. -
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British Rule of India
India was used to supply Britain (specifically, the East India Trading Company) with resources. -
Watt's Steam Engine
Watt's steam engine was, by far, the most efficient one of his time. Considering the fact that pretty much ran on steam power, this was a pretty important development. -
Invention of the Spinning Jenny
The spinning jenny was a device that reduced the amount of work required to make yarn. -
Patenting of the Water Frame
Thie first machine that could spin cotton threads. -
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Napoleon
A general in the French army who gained control of France in a coup d'etat. His reforms brought stability to a chaotic country caught in revolution. Conquered much of Europe, until his enemies, led by the British, forced him into exile. -
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American Revolution
War between Britain and its American colonies, resulting in the United States becoming its own nation. Greatly influenced subsequent revolutions around the world, most notably the French and Haitian Revolutions. -
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French Revolution
War that essentially raised hell in France for a good 10 years. The middle class was angry about lack of representation in the government and revolted. They were especially fond of the guillotine as a method of resolving conflicts. -
Storming of the Bastille
One of the events that triggered the French Revolution as we know it. The Bastille was an armory and a jailhouse, and the French people's attack of it symbolized their resistance to the old regime. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Document written by the National Assembly which identified the natural rights of citizens, and stated the equality of all men and the belief that sovereignty belonged to the people. Greatly influenced by the American Declaration of Independence. -
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Haitian Revolution
Period of conflict in the French colony, Saint-Domingue. The first successful slave rebellion, it resulted in the elimination of slavery in the region and Haiti becoming its own republic. -
Invention of the Telegraph
The first (non-electric) telegraph was invented by Claude Chappe, and it laid the groundwork for later advances in telecommunications. The telegraph allowed people to send messages long distances quickly. -
Patenting of Whitney's Cotton Gin
A machine which separates cotton fiber from the seeds more quickly than can be done by hand. Whitney's was the first of them, though he was not financially successful and his design was later improved upon. -
Britain Outlaws the Slave Trade
Britain no longer supports the slave trade, despite being among the first to propogate it. -
Beginning of Mexican Independence
(starting when independence was declared) Mexico fights to be independent from Spanish rule. They finally win in 1821. -
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Congress of Vienna
A meeting attended by representatives of the nations that hd defeated Napoleon Bonaparte. Their goal was to restore Europe to the way it had been before the French Revolution, and to reestablish boundaries and a balance of power that would prevent any one country from gaining too much power. -
Waterloo
The final defeat of Napoleon and French forces in the Napoleonic Wars. France was against Britain and Prussia. A few weeks after he lost, Napoleon was captured and sent into exile. -
Brazilian Independence
Declared on the given date. Brazil wanted independence from Portugal, and got it in 1823. -
Dissolution of the Janissaries
After the Janissaries became too powerful, the sultan informed them that he was replacing them with a new army. During the subsequent revolt, the Janissary barracks were set aflame, resulting in high Janissary casualties. -
Greek Independence
(granting of) Greece fought for independence from the Ottoman Empire. With the aid of the United Kingdom, France, and Russia, Greece became the first of the Ottomans' subject peoples to be freed. -
End of the Atlantic Slave Trade
Ended when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was passed. -
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Afrikaners' Great Trek
The migration by Afrikaners away from Cape Colony and British control. -
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Opium Wars
Wars between China and Britain over Britain's ability to trade opium with China. China lost both rather brutally, and had to make many concessions, including the loss of Hong-Kong to British rule, the forced opening of five ports to foreign trade, and the granting of British extra-territoriality. -
European Revolutions
Series of political uprisings in Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Italy. -
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Taiping Rebellion
A civil war in southern China, and one of the bloodiest ones in history. The leader of the rebellion saw himself as the brother of Jesus and led his followers to fight against the Qing Dynasty. -
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Matthew Perry's Expedition to Japan
Perry's trip to Japan prompted the country to open its borders to trade. His arrival showed the Japanese that industrially, they were behind the rest of the world, and this realization was one of the causes of the Meiji Restoration. -
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Crimean War
War over who would obtain formerly-Ottoman territory, fought by Russia and a group of other countries, including Britain and France. -
Sepoy Rebellion
A mutiny of the sepoys in the British East India Company's Army. It was a result of the British neglecting the local customs. -
Emancipation of Russian Serfs
The freedom of Russians from serfdom was the event that sent Russia into the 20th century, following the rest of the world powers of the time. -
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Meiji Restoration
A period of Japanese history during which the country shifted its focus to catching up with the rest of the world in terms of technological advances. -
Suez Canal
Made trading by sea faster and easier by connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Persian Gulf. -
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Imperialization of Africa
Everybody tries to take as much African territory as they can. Also known as the "Scramble for Africa." -
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Boxer Rebellion
A group of nationalists revolting against the ever-growing number of foreigners (mostly Christian missionaries) in China. -
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Construction of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was constructed to shorten the oversea trip from one side of the United States to the other. Whereas before travellers would have to sail around the southern tip of South America, the Canal allowed them to skip a large portion of that route. -
Overthrow of the Qing Dynasty
The Qing were overthrown by Chinese nationalists, and this marked the end of the Chinese dynasties. -
African National Congress
A political party in Africa formed as a response to racial inequality in the region. -
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Korean War
A conflict between North and South Korea. The United States got involved, and it was just a mess. Eventually, the 38th parallel was established as being the barrier between the two regions. -
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Construction of the Aswan Dam
A dam built to control the flow of the Nile (it being comprised of two parts. The Lower Dam was completed in 1902 and the purpose of the High Dam was to assist in the pacification of the river when it was too much for just one structure.) -
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Bay of Pigs Invasion
An unsuccessful action by the CIA with the goal of overthrowing Fidel Castro's government of Cuba. It was a bad deal all around and only served to make Castro paranoid of future U.S. involvement in Cuba's affairs. -
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Berlin Wall
A barrier separating East and West Germany, and also serving as a tangible metaphor for the Iron Curtain separating the capitalist Western countries from the communist Eastern ones.