-
James Hargreaves invents the spinning jenny, and things kind of escalate.
After the invention of the flying shuttle, weavers were able to produce clothe much more easily. Unfortunately for spinners, they now had to work harder and faster in order to keep up. Luckily for them, James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny, which allowed them to even surpass the weavers. This led to a series of one-uppings from either side over the next couple of decades with new technology such as the water powered loom from Edmund Cartwright.
(image from apworldhistory.wikispaces.com) -
Puddling: the other white melting of ore to purify it.
Sometime aroung the 1780's, the technique known as puddling came into use. Puddling was the use of a coal-derived substance known as coke being used to burn away impurities in crude iron. This high quality iron was far more durable than crude. This purified iron was used to build factories, trains, and other things made of iron.
(Image from tjskl.org.cn) -
Smallpox vaccine created
Smallpox used to be a really big problem. All sorts of diseases, really, but smallpox was one of the biggest, as it was essentially a death warrant. That's what made the vaccine something of a godsend. A vaccine is a dose of "dead" virus that is injected into the bloodstream. After realizing that the virus is foreign, the body figures out the best way to defend against it, making you immune.
(Picture from textbookofbackteriology.net -
Goin' on the rails on a steam powered train.
The invention of the steam locomotive was the death knoll for agricultural economy. Trains were fast, sturdy, and convenient. The building of trains and railway led to many new jobs, and the increased trade efficiency caused a market boom. They allowed for travel to cities, where more and more jobs were appearing, much more easily than before.
(Image from en.wikipedia.org) -
The congress of Vienna
Prince Klemmens von Metternich led a meeting of leaders to resolve European tensions. Metternich said he was justifiied by the principle of legitimacy, which essentially meant that he wanted to put the pre-napoleon monarchs back into power. The "Great powers" all rearranged the territories controlled by each other, because apparently changing and confusing the peasants is the only way to keep them from revolting. Predictably, this ended up not working.
(image from worldexecutive.com -
A plethora of rebellions
Liberalism and Nationalism were speading through Europe. The bourbon king Charles X was removed from office, leading to a consitutional monarchy in France. A series of revolts across European countries such as: Belgium, Poland, and Italy soon followed. Poland and Italy, however, were not successful, as Russia and Austria, respectively, stepped in to stop them. -
France France revolution
The Republicans of the past were living the dream of the Republicans of the present: Overthrowing their government and replacing it with their own. Their provisional government held a free (except for women) election of the Constituent Assembly. The government opened almost twice as many workshops, emptying the treasury. This terrified the moderates, who closed the workshops. Everyone freaked out, lots of people died or were sent to prison, and Napoleon's nephew was elected president. -
Austrian revolution
The Austrian Empire was a multinational state, composed of several countries who were only really united through the Hapsburg emperor. Demonstrations in major Austrian cities led to the firing of Metternich, the prime minister. Revolutionaries took control of the Viennese capital, demanding a liberal constitution. Hungary obeyed, and in Bohemia protesters followed the Viennise. By the end of october, however, the revolutions were crushed. -
On the Origin of Species is published
On the Origin of Species was Charles Darwin's work describing evolution, specifically the nature of natural selection. There is just as much controversy now as there was back then, so...next topic. This outlined the idea that all of humanity was driven by a desire to survive. Ever heard the phrase "survival of the fittest"? Species was the origin of the phrase. -
Lots of war ending in German unification.
Otto von Bismarck was Prime minister of Prussia. He wanted to increase taxes in order to build the army, but parliament wouldn't budge. Responding as any mentally balanced individual would, Bismarck promptly disobeyed their orders and taxed his country anyway. He then went to war with a lot of militarily weaker countries and principalities. After defeating Austria, he rounded up the remaining German states in order to defeat France.
