mkd era #3

1756-1763

7 Years War (French and Indian War)

• Resulted in the Treaty of Paris and Peace of Hubertusburg
• Treaty of Paris caused France to lose almost all land in North America
• Treaty of Hubertusburg caused Prussia, Austria, and Saxony to return to 1748 borders
• Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia became major powers in Europe. France, Austria, and Spain were reduced.
• Debt that Britain gathered -> taxes on colonists in NA -> American Revolution

1767

Invention of the Spinning Jenny

• A major factor in industrializing the textile industry
• Met the gap in supply and demand for textiles

1776

Declaration of Independence

• American colonies severed ties with Great Britain
• Provided the colonies' justification for seeking independence
• Continued John Locke's ideas of life, liberty, and (pursuit of happiness)

1776

Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations"

• Blueprint for free trade and free markets/capitalism
• Discouraged gov't intervention in the economy
• Ideas seen in today's economies

1789

French Revolution begins

• Set to end Feudalism
• Embraced enlightenment ideas
• Rise of the peasant class
• Set to end the monarchy

1796

Jenner's smallpox vaccine

• First vaccine to prevent smallpox infections
• Lead to the development of other technologies to prevent contagious diseases

1804

Haitian independence

• Only successful slave rebellion
• First black republic
• Second country in the Americas to gain independence to Europe

1807

British abolish Trans-Atlantic slave trade

• Freedom for 800,000 people
• Slave importation increased in South America
• America experienced a more productive economy

1807-1808

Janissary Revolt

• Triggered the start of the Serbian Revolution
• Deposed Sultan Selim III

1815

Congress of Vienna

• First genuine attempt to forge an 'international order'
• Brought peace to a troubled Europe
• Napoleon's conquered territories was returned to previous rulers
• Switzerland became a nation, acted as buffer between France & Austria
• Kings were brought back

1820s

Independence in Latin America

• Gave states Latin America full access to international trade
• Many states in Latin America gained independence
• Portuguese presence was significantly diminished

1825

Erie Canal opens

• Made New York City a major trading port
• Opened the western part of the U.S. to increase trade and settlement
• Gave access to resources west of the Appalachians

1839

1st Opium War in China

• Resulted in the Treaty of Nanjing
• China was to cede Hong Kong to the British
• The British would be able to trade in 5 Chinese ports, rather than 1
• China refused to ratify the treaties, which lead to the capture of Beijing and the burning of the emperor's palace

1839-1878

Tanzimat Reforms

• Development of a new secular school system
• Reorganization of the army based on the Prussian conscript system
• Creation of provincial representative assemblies
• Introduction of new codes of commercial and criminal law , modeled after those of France
• All actions were taken to adopt European models and become a part of the European nations

1848

Marx & Engles' "The Communist Manifesto"

• Basis for modern communism
• Production, distribution and exchange should be owned by the community as a whole
• Against capitalism

1848-1849

European revolutions

• Rise of the middle class
• Increased political democracy
• However, most revolts ultimately ended in failure and repression

1853

Commodore Perry "opens" Japan

• Re-established trade between Japan and the West after 200 years
• Foreign currency disrupted the Japanese monetary system
• Contributed to the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate -> restoration of the Emperor

1857

Sepoy Mutiny

• Dissolution of the East India Company
• Forced the British to reorganize the army, financial system, and administration in India,
• Began a policy of consultation with Indians
• British-imposed social measures that antagonized Hindu society were abolished

1861

Russian "frees" serfs / ends serfdom

• Marked the the first stage in Russia's democratic transformation
• Industrial employment and production increased

1861-1865

U.S. Civil War

• 625,000 deaths
• Slavery was abolished -> lead to the freedom of almost 4 million slaves
• Established a more centralized and powerful gov't
• The Confederacy collapsed
• The Union's victory ensured that the U.S. stayed one unified nation

1861-1870

Italian unification

• Unified Italian states politically
• Unified Italy became one of the most populous countries in Europe
• Freedom from Austrian power weakened Austria -> boosted France's international position

1863

U.S. Emancipation Proclamation

• Freed nearly 3.5 million slaves in Confederate states
• Allowed Black people to serve in the military
• Strengthened morality among the Union

1869

Suez Canal Opens

• Greatly reduced the distance between Europe and Asia, as it provided a direct route (no longer needed to circumvent Africa) -> easier trade
• Considered one of the most important naval paths for trade between the East and West

1871

German unification

• Became a large, wealthy, and powerful nation in Europe
• Altered the balance of powers set by the Congress of Vienna
• Guaranteed peace among the previously separate Germanic states

1885

Berlin Conference

• European claim that all of Africa could be occupied by whoever can take it
• Ended up dividing Africa among themselves and formed new boundaries
• Played a significant role in the conquest of Africa

1888

Brazil ends slavery

• Last to do so in the Americas
• Slavery was the core of Brazilian economy
• Slavery was encouraged by the Catholic church
• The process was slow and timid, and many Afro-Brazilians still had to work as a slave
• Discontent about having a largely Afro-Brazilian population, a policy was passed to try to make Brazilian bloodlines more European through immigration

1893

New Zealand grants women suffrage

• First self-governing country in which all women had the right to vote
• Influenced other major states

1896

Battle of Adowa

• Ethiopia's defeat of Italy ensured Ethiopia's unconditional freedom
• Made Ethiopia a symbol for freedom for the rest of Africa
• Italy's failure caused discontent, which lead to the Prime Minister's resignation
• Ehtiopia's victory bolstered their credibility to Europeans
• Allowed Ethiopia to expand and flourish

1898

Spanish-American War

• Peace treaty was created, Spain had to relinquish power over Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, Philippines, to the U.S.
• Furthered the U.S. as a world power

1899-1902

Boer War

• British control over S Africa (Boers)
• Many Black Africans died in concentration camps
• Changed the political structure of S Africa
  *Boers: Dutch and Huguenot populations in S Africa