How did new ideas and new
technologies contribute to change from 1750-1918?
From 1750 to 1918 there were a lot of the great changes.In 1756 Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Russia and the Netherlands were involved in a major conflict called the Seven Years War. European powers fought over the control of colonies in North America, the Caribbean, Asia and West Africa as they tried to assert their emerging technology superiority. The period ended with another war, WorldWar 1. Between these two wars, technology changed dramatically, James Hargreaves cotton spinning frame paved the way for mass production of material in factories. James Watt’s revolutionised transport and manufacturing through his improvements of a basic steam engine. These inventions sparked the Industrial Revolution. It took the world from agricultural villages to the emergence of high-rise cities.
Transport first began as horse and cart but then finished with aeroplanes flying the skies. Ideas about how to organise the society were also a key part of the period.
In 1755 the American war of independence showed that royal authority could bechallenged.This followed challenges to Papal authority during the Reformation of the 16th century.
The Occurrence of the philosophical ideas based on reason rather than religion is known as the Enlightenment. It led to the development of scientific inquiry and rational thoughts and dominated the 18th Century.It delivered the basis for the modern secular and not religious state. There were many revolutions during this period.
Americas 13 British colonies passed a declaration of Independence from Britain on the 4th of July 1776. It claimed that all men are created equal and declared that people were awarded with certain rights. The ideas of rights for all people were regarded as a philosophical concept rather than something practical.
The American Revolution transformed the British Colonies of northern America into a new republic names the United States of America.During the French Revolution the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed as a protest against royal power on the 14thof July 1789.
Both these revolutions changed the relationship between governments and governed, and introduced the concept of rights for all people. The American Revolution had championed the new social order of the revolutions cry of"Liberty, equality, fraternity. During this period many political, social and economic concepts emerged.
As a result of the American and French revolutions Nationalism emerged. It changed how people thought about where they lived. European people saw themselves as nations rather than members of an empire.
Imperialism emerged which was the control of certain countries or states over others. From the 18th Century until early 20th Century this took the form of colonisation. Powerful nations imposed their economic, political and cultural dominance over large parts of the world.
Capitalism emerged in the mid-19th Century as a system of economic organisation that relied on the private ownership of industry and the means of production of goods. Great Britain was the major capitalist economy in the 19thCentury.
An alternative view point to capitalism was socialism. This system allowed governments to play an important role in the allocation of resources and distribution of wealth.
As industrialism came to dominate British life, workers started to organise to protect themselves and this was called Chartism. This came about as factory and mine owners made a lot of money it they could pay their workers less. Trade unions were formed to
protect the rights of workers.
With the French revolution came egalitarianism which was the idea of equity in life and opportunity. Its main point was that no person was better than another. It helped to justify working class demands for political representation.
As the scientific world developed Darwinism emerged which was the theory of evolution. Charles Darwin wrote a book in 1859 based on the work of earlier thinkers who challenged the idea that society was constantly moving towards an ideal future. His scientific theories also challenged the Bible and his research showed that species evolved over time.
Charles Darwin