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French and Indian War
A war that originally started as a conflict between Austria and Prussia. It spilled over into the new world and resulted in a fight between France and England. Both sides enlisted the help of native Americans, but the English eventually won. The colonists were forbidden to settle the newly acquired Ohio Rover Valley territory by the crown, which upset them. -
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American Revolution
This was started by a series of taxes imposed upon American colonists by the British parliament that the colonists had no say in. The colonists successfully revolted and created the United States of America, a country based on ideas made popular by the Enlightenment. -
Invention of Steam Engine
James Watt, a Scottish engineer, created the first practical steam engine which allowed for nearly endless possibilities in production. The steam engine would be used in factories, locomotives, ships, and homes to create electricity. -
Writing of The Wealth of Nations
This book was written by Scottish economist Adam Smith and outlines his support of capitalism in the Industrial Revolution. He argued that things should be owned by the individuals themselves and that prices should be set by the natural law of supply and demand. -
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Industrial Revolution
A period of industrialization and urbanization in Europe and America. It was a major shift from things being made by hands basic machines to being made by huge machines and steam power. Transportation, economics, iron and textile industries, and the general quality of life improved substantially because of this revolution. Electricity and plumbing meant that more people would come to live in cities rather than in rural areas. -
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French Revolution
A revolt of peasants against the nobility in France. It was sparked by Enlightenment ideas and France's poor economy due to their support of the American Revolution and the French and Indian War. It never fulfilled its purpose and devolved into a bloodbath at times, and resulted in European nations attacking France to try and capitalize on the instability. -
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Haitian Revolution
Toussaint L'Ouverture led this uprising, which in 1790 resulted in the successful overthrow of French colonial rule on this Caribbean island. This revolution set up the first black government in the Western Hemisphere and the world's second democratic republic (after the US). -
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Napoleonic Wars
A series of wars in Europe that shaped European geopolitics for centuries to come. European nations attempted to attack France in the midst of its revolution to quell the uprising and take control. A young French general named Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power and led the French army to countless victories, nearly conquering all of Europe before being defeated in 1815. -
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Latin American wars of Independence
A series of wars in Central and South America against Spanish and Portuguese rulers. The political instability in Spain caused by Napoleon as well as the revolutions of America and Haiti inspired revolutionaries like Simon Bolivar to rise and rebel. -
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Opium Wars
Wars between Britain and China fought over Chinese trade. The British wanted to trade China opium for tea, the Chinese refused, and the British attacked multiple times. The numerous treaties that were signed forced the Chinese to cede Hong Kong to Britain, open 5 port cities for international trade, and showed the weakness of the Qing Dynasty. -
Writing of Communist Manifesto
A German economist named Karl Marx wrote this book explaining his grievances against capitalism and industrialization. He argued that the perfect economic system would have everyone receive equal pay and have everything be owned by the state. This was called communism, and was implemented in countries such as Russia where industrialization was needed quickly. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The first women's rights convention held in Seneca Falls, NY. The convention discussed women's rights and rewrote important documents to include women in them. -
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Taiping Rebellion
In the 1850s and 1860s, Chinese scholar Hong Xiuquan led a Christian-based revolutionary movement to reform China’s society. The violent reaction by the imperial court left China financially strained and caused the bloodiest civil war in world history. -
Opening of Japan
Japan's government had closed the country and refused any outside influence. This changed when US Navy Commodore Matthew Perry and his gunships went to Japan and forced them to trade with the outside world. This led to Japan accepting Western influence with the Meiji Restoration. -
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Crimean War
A war between the Ottoman Empire and Russia over control of the Black Sea. Intervention from Britain and France caused Russia to lose. This let Russia know that it was time to industrialize. -
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American Civil War
This was a war between states that wanted to keep slavery and states that didn't. The southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America and attempted to capture federal forts under the pretense that they now belonged to the CSA. This didn't sit well with the US and they fought for 4 years, eventually beating the CSA and abolishing slavery in the US. -
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Meiji Restoration
A series of reforms made by Japan to increase its power. It abolished the power of the shogunate and restored power to the Meiji oligarchy. Japan's military, government, and culture were made larger, stronger, and more Western. -
Unification of Germany and Italy
These two nations had rushes of imperialism in the late 19th century and formed to create the Kingdom of Italy and the German Empire. These two countries controlled lots of lands and would be some of the key belligerents of World War 1. -
Berlin Conference
A meeting of European powers to decide how Africa would be colonized and divided among themselves. This meeting did not include any African diplomats. -
Spanish-American War
A war between Spain and America that ended in an American victory. This war was mainly for American imperialism and acted as a show of force, proving that America was now a global force to be reckoned with.