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The Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar is usually cited by the British as the most important naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars and sometimes in all of history. This is because victory in the Battle of Trafalgar saved Britain from being invaded by the French. -
The Abolition of Slavery
The attempt to abolish slavery within the British Empire hearkens back to the end of the 18th century, but it wasn’t until 1807 that the first major victory was scored. The movement, spearheaded by William Wilberforce, was only partially successful at this time, managing to put an end to slavery only in the British Isles and not in the colonies. -
revolution and independence movements swept through the Spanish and Portuguese colonies of Latin America.
With the Iberian countries weakened and at the end of their imperial dominance, they could not hold on to their colonies so far away from home. -
South American Independence
At the beginning of the 19th century, revolution and independence movements swept through the Spanish and Portuguese colonies of Latin America. With the Iberian countries weakened and at the end of their imperial dominance, they could not hold on to their colonies so far away from home.
From 1811 to 1828, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay all won their independence. -
The Battle of Waterloo
One of the most famous battles of all time, the Battle of Waterloo cemented Napoleon’s final defeat, thus ending the Napoleonic Wars once and for all. -
Railways and Steam
Credited as the “Father of Railways,” George Stephenson created the first steam locomotive that ran on rails. His ideas were picked up by investors, and throughout the 1820s and 1830s, many miles of railways were built and experimented upon with great success. -
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The American Civil War
Without a doubt, one of the most devastating events of the 19th century was the American Civil War. It claimed the lives of between 620,000 and 750,000 soldiers and even more civilians. As a result, however, four million slaves were freed, and greater steps were taken for further emancipation. -
The Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone in 1875 was a huge milestone in the history of inventions. It allowed people to communicate instantly over extreme distances. Before then, what could now be done in seconds, could take days, weeks, or even months. -
The Invention of the Lightbulb
The story begins in 1800 with Alessandro Volta, who invented the voltaic pile, the first method of generating electricity. In the process, he also was the first human to intentionally generate electrical incandescence through an invention. -
Rapid expansion and change in the United States
The last decades of the nineteenth century were marked by rapid expansion and change in the United States, including the disappearance of the great American frontier and the acquisition of island possessions overseas as an outcome of the Spanish–American War.