19th Century


The 19th century is noted for the cultural dominance of the British Empire, although it can be seen that the United States was an increasingly important power. Advances in science and technology, collectively known as the industrial revolution, began to transform western civilization. The rest of the world could hardly help but notice the difference between their traditional ways and the educated, industrialized european civilization, and began to react to Western dominance in many different ways.	Sapience Home Site Map About Sapience History Modern History Early 19th Century Early-mid 19th century Middle 19th Century Late-Mid 19th Century Late 19th Century
This century, like others, is divided arbitrarily into Early, Early middle, Middle, Late middle, and Late periods of 20 years each.

The 19th century is noted for the cultural dominance of the British Empire, although it can be seen that the United States was an increasingly important power. Advances in science and technology, collectively known as the industrial revolution, began to transform western civilization.

The rest of the world could hardly help but notice the difference between their traditional ways and the educated, industrialized european civilization, and began to react to Western dominance in many different ways.

This century, like others, is divided arbitrarily into Early, Early middle, Middle, Late middle, and Late periods of 20 years each.

Early 19th century (1801-1820)

Starting in England, rapid progress in transportation, communication, and energy technology started to bring about the Industrial Revolution. The Napoleonic wars brought about about a significant political realignment of Europe. The republic of Greater Colombia in northern South America, led by Simon Bolivar, was the first of the Spanish colonies to break away. The British took control of the colonies of South Africa.

Early mid 19th century (1821-1840)

Railroads and steam-powered factories began to appear in other areas of Western Europe besides Britain. Greater Columbia broke up into smaller countries. Mexico and southern South America broke away from Spain, and Brazil was granted independence from Portugal. The British successfully resisted an attempt by Burma to expand in the first Anglo-Burmese war.

Mid 19th century (1841-1860)

Railroad networks continued to grow and the telegraph was invented. Europeans continued to have a technological advantage over the rest of the world, and continued their expansion. The Crimean war, in which England, France, and the Ottoman Empire defeated Russia, gained much publicity. A rebellion in India resulted in the disincorporation of the British East India company and direct British rule. The British expanded into Burma in the second Anglo-Burmese war.

Late mid 19th century (1861-1880)

Railroad and telegraph networks continued to grow and played an important role in Western civilization. By use of these industrial and military advantages, Europeans continued to extent their rule or dominance over the rest of the world. The European exploration of the interior of Africa continued in earnest.

Late 19th century (1881-1900)

During these two decades, the increasing use and reliability of steamships, railroads, the telephone and telegraph, and advanced weaponry gave Europeans a significant technological advantage over other nations. Burma was annexed by the British in the third Anglo-Burmese war. Subsaharan Africa was divided among colonial powers. In the early 1880s, the island of Krakatoa exploded in a volcanic eruption. For the late 1880s, I have not recorded significant events. In the early 1890s, China was defeated in the Sino-Japanese war. In the late 1890s, radio was demonstrated useful in communication with ships at sea. China was nearly divided among colonial powers, and the Boxer Rebellion began. The Boer war between the British and the Dutch-descended Boers began


Science Natural science is only indirectly important for 19th century history. Physics and chemistry are not useful as astronomy, and earth science Discoveries in biology including molecular biology, cell biology, organisms biology, systematics, ecology, and biohistory significantly influenced history. Personal studies The human body is at a fairly low level, though knowlege of body systems, body functions, human life cycle, disease, and form and appearance was increasingy important. Psychology including behavioral elements, mind, behavior patterns, developmental psychology, mental disorders, personality, and social psychology may be applicable.	Links to other sites: Yahoo directory: 19th century Internet Modern History Sourcebook: the Long 19th Century 19th century history
Biographies are likely to be more useful in studying events of this period. These are being examined in the particular divisions of the 19th century. Anthropology Social foundations including social presentation, social interaction, social control, group types, and group behavior will be useful. Demography including birth, migration, death, population size and structure, and population change can be considered. Physical anthropology including human origins, racial variation, and human dispersion can be connected. Human ecology including environmental impact on people, relations with other life froms, and human impact on the environment will be useful. Human geography including European geography, African geography, North American geography, South American geography, and Oceanic geography will be useful. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and North Asia will be useful. Particular groups will also be important. Culture Material culture, including clothing, building, transportation, communication, medical technologies and works of art, developed substantially. Industrial technology including tools, fuels, chemical technology, machinery, utilities, and other technology developed and changed society profoundly. Foodstuffs including agricultural procucts, processed and preserved foods, and prepared foods will be useful. Conceptual culture is also significant and includes mathematics and applied science. Language including linguistics, writing, and languages of the world will also be important. Graphic arts including drawing, painting, printmaking and the newly developed art of photography were important. Literature and its divisions of oral tradition, forms, types and genres, and works of literature is highly important. Philosophy including logic, epistemology, metaphysics, aesthetics, ethics, special topics, and philosophical schools and doctrines can be considered. Behavioral culture is also significant. Customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, dress and adornment customs, social interaction customs, and institutional customs. Occupations including food-related, building related, transportation, communication, industrial, and service occupations are significant. Recreation and entertainment including music, dance, theater, games, and sports is important. Cultural events such as miscellaneous events, disasters, meetings, and holidays are important in 19th century history. Institutions There is little information yet gathered on families of the 19th century. Marriage, parenting, kinship, and particular families will be significant. Education including research, teaching, and cultural institutions can be connected. Educational organization including curse material, students, faculty, and administration will be useful. Particular schools including primary, secondary, and higher education are highly important. Economics Economic activity including production, distribution and exchange, and consumption is useful. Industries including companies as well as agriculture, extraction and manufacturing, building and construction, social and medical services, transportation, communiciation, and business and commercial services will be useful. Economic systems including firms, networks, types of systems, and system behavior can be connected. Government Formal systems of law including tribal law, Asiatic law, Western law, and International law had increasing influence. Government structure including political parties, judicial systems, legislative systems, executive systems, heads of government, and government forms had significant developments. Government activities including administration, succession, and state relations are also influential. Particular governments including local and national governments was significant. International government included traditional empires, but was dominated by colonial empires, and there were early roots of modern compacts such as temporary alliances and some special purpose organizations. Religion Religious belief, practice, and organization such as unstructured, fragmented, and highly structured types can be considered. Particular traditions are all significant. Pagan religion including its divisions of European, Asiatic, African, and American Indian religion tended to decline. Asiatic religion including Indian religion such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Persian religion such as Zoroastrianism, Manicheanism, and Oriental religion Confucianism, and Taoism did not expand a great deal. Abrahamic religion including Christianity and its particular divisions of Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, and other traditional Christianity continued to develop. Mormonism originated as a new branch of Christianity. Judaism, and Islam continued to be important, but secularism began to win many converts. Sociology As with history in general and modern history, the examination of social structure and change, communities, and peoples of the world gives weight and substance to 19th century history. Other History Prehistory, antiquity, and classical and medieval history are not as useful in examination of the 19th century as more recent history is. Events of the early 19th century can be better understood by examination of the 18th century. Events of the late 19th century are continued in the 20th century, and overlap with the early 20th century. This has been studied in the early-mid 20th century, mid 20th century, late-mid 20th century, late 20th century, early 21st century, including the early 2000s. and late 2000s, down to 2006 and 2007. It will also be studied in the future, including the near future, middle future, and perhaps the far future.

Science

Natural science is only indirectly important for 19th century history. Physics and chemistry are not useful as astronomy, and earth science Discoveries in biology including molecular biology, cell biology, organisms biology, systematics, ecology, and biohistory significantly influenced history.

Personal studies

The human body is at a fairly low level, though knowlege of body systems, body functions, human life cycle, disease, and form and appearance was increasingy important. Psychology including behavioral elements, mind, behavior patterns, developmental psychology, mental disorders, personality, and social psychology may be applicable.

Links to other sites:

Biographies are likely to be more useful in studying events of this period. These are being examined in the particular divisions of the 19th century.

Anthropology

Social foundations including social presentation, social interaction, social control, group types, and group behavior will be useful. Demography including birth, migration, death, population size and structure, and population change can be considered. Physical anthropology including human origins, racial variation, and human dispersion can be connected. Human ecology including environmental impact on people, relations with other life froms, and human impact on the environment will be useful. Human geography including European geography, African geography, North American geography, South American geography, and Oceanic geography will be useful. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and North Asia will be useful. Particular groups will also be important.

Culture

Material culture, including clothing, building, transportation, communication, medical technologies and works of art, developed substantially. Industrial technology including tools, fuels, chemical technology, machinery, utilities, and other technology developed and changed society profoundly. Foodstuffs including agricultural procucts, processed and preserved foods, and prepared foods will be useful.

Conceptual culture is also significant and includes mathematics and applied science. Language including linguistics, writing, and languages of the world will also be important. Graphic arts including drawing, painting, printmaking and the newly developed art of photography were important. Literature and its divisions of oral tradition, forms, types and genres, and works of literature is highly important. Philosophy including logic, epistemology, metaphysics, aesthetics, ethics, special topics, and philosophical schools and doctrines can be considered.

Behavioral culture is also significant. Customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, dress and adornment customs, social interaction customs, and institutional customs. Occupations including food-related, building related, transportation, communication, industrial, and service occupations are significant. Recreation and entertainment including music, dance, theater, games, and sports is important. Cultural events such as miscellaneous events, disasters, meetings, and holidays are important in 19th century history.

Institutions

There is little information yet gathered on families of the 19th century. Marriage, parenting, kinship, and particular families will be significant. Education including research, teaching, and cultural institutions can be connected. Educational organization including curse material, students, faculty, and administration will be useful. Particular schools including primary, secondary, and higher education are highly important.

Economics

Economic activity including production, distribution and exchange, and consumption is useful. Industries including companies as well as agriculture, extraction and manufacturing, building and construction, social and medical services, transportation, communiciation, and business and commercial services will be useful. Economic systems including firms, networks, types of systems, and system behavior can be connected.

Government

Formal systems of law including tribal law, Asiatic law, Western law, and International law had increasing influence. Government structure including political parties, judicial systems, legislative systems, executive systems, heads of government, and government forms had significant developments. Government activities including administration, succession, and state relations are also influential. Particular governments including local and national governments was significant. International government included traditional empires, but was dominated by colonial empires, and there were early roots of modern compacts such as temporary alliances and some special purpose organizations.

Religion

Religious belief, practice, and organization such as unstructured, fragmented, and highly structured types can be considered. Particular traditions are all significant. Pagan religion including its divisions of European, Asiatic, African, and American Indian religion tended to decline. Asiatic religion including Indian religion such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Persian religion such as Zoroastrianism, Manicheanism, and Oriental religion Confucianism, and Taoism did not expand a great deal. Abrahamic religion including Christianity and its particular divisions of Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, and other traditional Christianity continued to develop. Mormonism originated as a new branch of Christianity. Judaism, and Islam continued to be important, but secularism began to win many converts.

Sociology

As with history in general and modern history, the examination of social structure and change, communities, and peoples of the world gives weight and substance to 19th century history.

Other History

Prehistory, antiquity, and classical and medieval history are not as useful in examination of the 19th century as more recent history is. Events of the early 19th century can be better understood by examination of the 18th century.

Events of the late 19th century are continued in the 20th century, and overlap with the early 20th century. This has been studied in the early-mid 20th century, mid 20th century, late-mid 20th century, late 20th century, early 21st century, including the early 2000s. and late 2000s, down to 2006 and 2007. It will also be studied in the future, including the near future, middle future, and perhaps the far future.

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