Which of the following statements do you most agree with?
(A) In a democracy, ordinary citizens need only petition for change and the government will respond.
(B) Even in a democracy, ordinary citizens have no real means to reform the government other than revolution.
(C) Protests are only necessary in non-democratic countries.
(D) When all people have the right to vote, reforms will be necessary.
An Age of Democracy & Progress
1815-1914
Opener:• Democratic ideals strongly affect
Europe and its colonies.
• The United States expands its borders.
• Technology and science change daily life.
Topic 1: Democratic Reform
& Activism
Spurred by the demands of the people, Great Britain and France underwent
democratic reforms.(pp. 720-738 in text)
Britain Enacts Reforms• A Severely Limited Democracy– In the early 1800s, vote limited to men with
substantial property– Women could not vote at all– Upper classes (5%) run the government
• The Reform Bill of 1832– 1832 bill gives middle class suffrage – the right to
vote• Enlarged the electorate
– Also gives thriving new industrial cities more representation in parliament
British Parliament Today
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsAa9VmwOaI
• Much different than our Congressmen and women ;-)
Chartist Movement
The People’s Charter– Universal male suffrage– Annual parliamentary elections– Salaries for members of parliament– Secret Ballot • Would allow people to cast their votes without
announcing them publicly.
The Victorian Age
• Queen Victoria – Rules for 64 years at height of British power (Longest reign in British history)– Symbol of a Nation’s Values• Duty, thrift, honesty, code of morals and manners
– A Confident Age• The Middle and Working class feel great confidence in
their future, as Britain expanded its already HUGE empire.• Many social reforms!
Women Get the Vote!
Organization & Resistance
• Many women organize to win the right to vote• Some argue against it as too radical a break
from tradition• Others say women do not have ability to engage
in politics
Militant Protests
• Emmeline Pankhurst forms:– Women’s Social and Political Union
• After 1903, WSPU members protest, go to jail, stage hunger strikes
• Women do not win suffrage in the Britain and the U.S. until after WWI
France & Democracy
• Franco-Prussian War ends a long period of French domination in Europe.
• Napoleon III (yes, third!) surrenders to the Prussian army after a 4 month siege of Paris.
• France changes governments repeatedly after Franco-Prussian War – provisional governments
• Third Republic – French government formed in 1875, lasts for 70 years!– Legislative body, with a prime minister– Over 50 coalition governments formed!
The Suez Canal
• The Suez Canal was built during this time period by France.
• The canal is located in NE Egypt and connects the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.
The Dreyfus Affair• 1894 French Scandal– High ranking army officer, Alfred Dreyfus, was
accused of spying for Germany.– At his trial, neither Dreyfus or his lawyer were
allowed to see the evidence against him.– This injustice was rooted in Anti-Semitism –
Prejudice against Jews– He was convicted and exiled to Devil’s Island• Penal Colony of the coast of South America.• By 1896, new evidence pointed to another officer as
the spy.• The Army refused to grant Dreyfus a new trial.
• In 1898, French novelist Emile Zola wrote an article entitle, J’Acuuse! (I Accuse).
• He charged the army and government with suppressing the truth.
• As a result, Zola was convicted of libel.• He fled into exile.
Rise of Zionism
• Zionism – belief in the creation of a Jewish homeland
• Grows after Dreyfus Affair
So What Statement?
• Write 2-3 sentences that describe or summarize the key points of this topic.
• Why is this information important?
Topic 2: Self-Rule for British Colonies
Britain allows self-rule in Canada, Australia, and new Zealand but delays it
for Ireland.
Canada Struggles for Self-Rule• French and English Canada– Canada was originally home to many Native
American peoples
– Later, problems between Catholic French, Protestant British settlers
– Canada split: Upper Canada (English), Lower Canada (French)
(pp.796-800 in text)
1867
1873
1882
1895
1905
1912
The Durham Report
• This division eases tensions, but upper class holds power
• Middle class demands more reform, producing rebellions in 1830s
• John Lambton, the Earl of Durham wrote a report which called for a responsible government and a unified English speaking Canada.
• He also encouraged immigration from Britain to Canada
• Hoped to assimilate French-Canadians into British culture.
The Dominion of Canada
• Canadians want central government to protect interests against U.S.
• In 1867, Dominion of Canada formed• Dominion – self governing, but part of the
British Empire
Canada’s Westward Expansion
• First prime minister (PM) of Canada is John MacDonald• Expands Canada to Pacific, then builds
transcontinental railroad
Australia and New Zealand
• James Cook Explores– Captain Cook claims New Zealand (1796), part of
Australia (1770)– Cook encounters Maori – native people of New
Zealand– Australian native peoples called Aborigines by
Europeans
Britain’s Penal Colony
• In 1788, Britain starts colonizing Australia, makes it penal colony
• Penal colony – place where convicts are sent to serve their sentences
• Upon release, prisoners could buy land and settle
Free Settlers Arrive!
– Free people eventually settle both locations– Settlers introduce sheep; wool becomes major
export– Government offers cheap land to encourage
immigration
Achieving Self-Government• In 1901, Britain helps Australian provinces unite
and creates the Independent Commonwealth of Australia.
• Australia kept the British Monarch as head of state.
• Unlike Britain and the U.S., Australia quickly granted women the right to vote.
• In 1856, it became the first nation to introduce the secret ballot.
Ireland• A Troubled History– English expansion into and domination of Ireland
begins in the late 1100s
– Irish Catholic majority resents British laws favoring Protestants
(pp.729-731 in text)
The Great Hunger
• Irish peasants depend heavily on potatoes for nourishment
• 1845-1848 potato famine destroys entire crop!• 1 million out of 8 million people die• Millions flee Ireland to U.S., Canada, Australia,
Britain
(p. 730 in text)
The Irish Win Home Rule
• Demands for Home Rule– Local control over internal affairs– Home rule finally granted in 1914, postponed by
WWI
Rebellion & Division
• Frustrated Irish nationalist stage failed Easter Uprising in 1916
• Irish Republican Army – Unofficial military force seeking independence– 1919, fight War of Independence against British
• In 1921, Ireland splits– Northern Ireland becomes part of Britain– South becomes Irish Free State, then Republic of
Ireland in 1949
So What Statement?
• Write 2-3 sentences that describe or summarize the key points of this topic.
• Why is this information important?
Topic 3:War and Expansion in the
United States
The United States expands across North America and fights a civil war
(pp. 739-743 in text)
Americans Move West
• Manifest Destiny– U.S. has a duty to rule ocean to ocean– U.S. pushes Native Americans continuously west
to worse lands
Texas Joins the United States
• American settlers enter Texas, grow unhappy with Mexican rule
• Win independence in 1836; U.S. annexes Texas in 1845
War with Mexico
• In 1848, U.S. wins Mexican War, gains southwest, California
Civil War Tests Democracy
• North and South– North uses free labor, has both farms and industry– South depends on slave labor, grows a few cash crops
(mainly cotton)– Slavery fuels disagreement over states’ rights versus
federal rights
Civil War Breaks Out
• Abraham Lincoln – elected in 1860, fiercely opposed by South
• Southern states withdraw from the Union• U.S Civil War – North defeats South after
bitter fighting (1861-1865)
The Post War Economy
• Immigration– By 1914, more than 20 million immigrants arrive
from Europe and Asia– Most immigrants settle in West, Midwest, or
Northeast U.S.– Immigrants provide workforce needed for
industrialization
Railroads
• Transcontinental railroad links East and West in 1869
• Almost 200,000 miles of track cross the U.S. by 1900
• Railroads allow quick movement of goods and raw materials
So What Statement?
• Write 2-3 sentences that describe or summarize the key points of this topic.
• Why is this information important?
Topic 4: Nineteenth-Century Progress
Breakouts in science and technology transform daily life and
entertainment.
Inventions Make Life Easier• Edison the Inventor– Thomas Edison patents over 1,000 inventions
• Alexander Graham Bell invents telephone, 1876
• Guglielmo Marconi (Italian) builds first radio, 1895
• Ford Sparks the Automobile Industry– In 1880s, Germans invent first automobile– Henry Ford lowers cost with assembly line – one
task per worker
• The Wright Brothers Fly– In 1903, Wright brothers develop first working
airplane
New Ideas in Medicine
• The Germ Theory of Disease– Louis Pasteur discovers existence of bacteria
while observing fermentation– Discover that bacteria causes disease– Sterilizing reduces deaths from infections– Vaccines are developed– Cities improve sanitation
Darwin Challenges Creationism
• Charles Darwin – English scientist develops Theory of Evolution
• In 1880s most people believed in “creation” by God
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
• Natural Selection – competition elevates “fittest”
• Fittest then breed, their offspring share advantages
• Gradually, over generations, species change; new species evolve
• Theory of Evolution – species change slowly through natural selection
Genetics
• Austrian monk Gregor Mendel discovers patters to inherited traits
• Mendel’s work begins the science of genetics
Social Sciences Explore Behavior
• Ivan Pavlov believes human actions are actually unconscious reactions
• Sigmund Freud studies unconscious, develops psychoanalysis
• Their ideas shake Enlightenment’s faith in reason!
The Rise of Mass Culture
• Mass Culture – art, music, writing, entertainment for large audience
• Changes Produce Mass Culture– Leisure activities (movies, music) now available to
working class– Spectator sports draw huge crowds!
So What Statement?
• Write 2-3 sentences that describe or summarize the key points of this topic.
• Why is this information important?
