chapter_26_An_Age_of_Democracy_and_Progress_1815-1914

Chapter 26: An Age of Democracy and Progress, 1815–1914

  • Democratic ideals affect Europe and its colonies

  • Expansion of the United States' borders

  • Impact of technology and science on daily life

  • Women's suffrage movements emerge

Section 1: Democratic Reform and Activism

  • Democratic reforms driven by public demand in Great Britain and France.

Britain Enacts Reforms

A Severely Limited Democracy

  • Voting in the early 1800s limited to men with substantial property.

  • Women were completely excluded from voting.

  • 5% of the population (upper classes) controlled government.

The Reform Bill of 1832

  • Aimed at giving middle-class men the right to vote.

  • Increased representation for new industrial cities.

Chartist Movement

  • Movement advocating for:

    • Suffrage for all men

    • Secret votes

    • Parliamentary reforms.

  • Initially rejected by Parliament, but goals later adopted.

The Victorian Age

  • Queen Victoria’s reign (64 years)

  • Power transitioned from monarchy to Parliament, especially the House of Commons.

  • Government operated mainly by the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Women Get the Vote

Organization and Resistance

  • Women organized to gain voting rights.

  • Arguments against women voting included:

    • Perceived as too radical.

    • Doubts regarding women's ability to participate in politics.

Emmeline Pankhurst

  • Founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1903.

  • WSPU members protested, were imprisoned, and staged hunger strikes.

  • Full suffrage achieved in Britain and the U.S. only after WWI.

France and Democracy

The Third Republic

  • Established after repeated government changes post-Franco-Prussian War.

  • Lasted for 60 years, founded in 1875.

The Dreyfus Affair

  • A spy scandal involving Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer, reveals strong anti-Semitism in Europe.

  • Government ultimately declared Dreyfus innocent.

The Rise of Zionism

  • Movement for a Jewish homeland gained momentum post-Dreyfus affair.

Section 2: Self-Rule for British Colonies

  • British colonies Canada, Australia, and New Zealand gain self-rule; Ireland's delay continues.

Canada Struggles for Self-Rule

French and English Canada

  • Canada had tensions between Catholic French and Protestant English settlers.

  • Upper Canada (English) and Lower Canada (French) divisions arose.

The Durham Report

  • Suggested reforms to ease tensions and grant more self-rule.

The Dominion of Canada

  • Formed in 1867 as a self-governing entity within the British Empire.

  • John MacDonald as the first Prime Minister; oversees westward expansion and the transcontinental railroad.

Australia and New Zealand

James Cook's Exploration

  • Cook claims New Zealand (1769) and parts of Australia (1770); encounters native peoples.

Britain’s Penal Colony

  • Established in Australia in 1788, intended for convicts.

  • Post-sentence, prisoners could acquire land and settle.

Settling New Zealand

  • British recognition of Maori land rights until 1839, conflicts arise thereafter.

  • New Zealand granted women suffrage in 1893 and early limited self-rule.

The Irish Win Home-Rule

A Troubled History

  • English expansion into Ireland began in the 1100s, leading to resentment.

The Great Famine

  • Potato famine (1845-48) leads to millions dead and mass emigration.

Demands for Home Rule

  • Many Irish desired local control granted in 1914 but postponed due to WWI.

  • 1916 Easter Uprising by frustrated nationalists leads to division: Northern Ireland remains British, while the south becomes Irish Free State in 1949.

Section 3: War and Expansion in the United States

  • Expansion across North America accompanies the American Civil War.

Americans Move West

Manifest Destiny

  • Belief that the U.S. is destined to expand from coast to coast.

Texas Joins the United States

  • American settlers revolted against Mexican rule and won independence in 1836, annexed in 1845.

War with Mexico

  • U.S. victory in 1848 leads to territory acquisition and establishment of current boundaries.

Civil War Tests Democracy

North and South

  • North’s free labor contrasts with the South's dependence on slavery; disagreement fuels conflict.

Civil War Breaks Out

  • Lincoln's election causes Southern secession; the North ultimately defeats the South (1861-65).

Abolition of Slavery

  • Emancipation Proclamation frees Southern slaves; post-war amendments extend citizenship and voting rights.

Reconstruction

  • U.S. troops enforce laws in the South from 1865-77; segregation emerges after troop withdrawal.

The Postwar Economy

Immigration

  • Over 20 million immigrants arrived by 1914, primarily in the Northeast and Midwest.

The Railroads

  • Transcontinental railroad established in 1869 links the U.S.

Section 4: Nineteenth-Century Progress

Breakthroughs in Science and Technology

Inventors Make Life Easier

  • Thomas Edison patents numerous inventions.

  • Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone in 1876.

Ford Sparks the Automobile Industry

  • Henry Ford revolutionizes manufacturing with the assembly line; Wright brothers achieve first flight in 1903.

New Ideas in Medicine

The Germ Theory of Disease

  • Pasteur links bacteria to disease; Lister advances surgical safety through sterilization.

New Ideas in Science

  • Charles Darwin proposes evolution via natural selection; Gregor Mendel lays groundwork for genetics.

Advances in Chemistry and Physics

  • John Dalton and Dmitri Mendeleev contribute greatly to modern science.

Social Sciences Explore Behavior

New Ideas in Social Science

  • The study of psychology emerges, with figures like Freud exploring human behavior and the unconscious.

The Rise of Mass Culture

  • Mass culture entertains large audiences, featuring leisure activities, early film, and sports such as the modern Olympics.