Democratic Reforms of the 19th Century

Britain Expands Democracy

Traditional Government

• Britain became a constitutional monarchy when Charles II took the throne in 1662

• Wealthy landowners still controlled Parliament

• The increase in education during industrialization forced a change in government, the working class, women, & colonists all wanted a voice in government

Democratic Progress

• The Enlightenment, industrialization, and political revolutions that occurred in the 18th century encouraged peaceful political reform in Great Britain

• Only 5% of the population had a voice in government

• British land owners feared rebellion so they decided to share the power

Reforms

• Reform Bill of 1832-gave middle class men the right to vote and gave urban areas representation in Parliament

• Chartists wanted secret ballots, no land requirement to serve in Parliament, and salaries for Members of Parliament

• Women began to fight for the right to vote during the 1800s

France• Third Republic emerges after the Franco-

Prussian War• Dreyfus Affair—Jewish officer framed &

convicted of treason, revealed European Anti-Semitism

• Zionism developed in response, the Jews wanted to return to a homeland in Palestine, the Romans had kicked them out in 76 AD

British Colonies

• Canada, New Zealand, & Australia all were made dominions (given home rule) because culturally they were very similar to the British

• Ireland, South Africa, & India also had movements for home rule but the British refused to give them independence, ETHNOCENTRISM/RACISM

Ireland

• British imposed their culture & attempted to destroy the Irish culture, banned schools & the Celtic language

• Catholic vs. Protestant, Northern Ireland had a large Protestant population

• Potato Famine 1848-more Irish in US than Ireland

• 1916 Uprising-Angered the British

• IRA developed to fight for home rule

• 1921 granted independence but Northern Ireland remains part of Britain

• Conflict in Northern Ireland redevelops during the 1970s

Ireland

Technology Explosion

• Edison-light bulb, phonograph, motion pictures• Eastman-Kodak film, motion picture film• Bell-telephone• Marconi-radio• Ford-assembly-line built automobiles• Wright Brothers-flight• One invention leads to another and the rate

keeps increasing

Medicine

• Germ Theory- Louis Pasteur discovers bacteria causes disease

• Joseph Lister links bacteria to post surgery deaths, surgeons begin sterilizing equipment

• Vaccines developed to fight disease

Science

• Darwin proposes theory of evolution, still controversial today

• Mendel-genetics, traits passed to offspring• Dalton-all matter made of atoms• Medeleev-creates the Periodic Table of

Elements• Curie’s discover radioactivity • Rutherford-atoms have nucleus

surrounded by electrons

Social Sciences

• Archaeology, anthropology, & psychology all develop in late 19th century

• Scientists want to explain human behavior & development

• Freud-conscious & unconscious both influence human behavior

• Pavlov-animals (people too) can be trained for automatic response

Mass Culture

• The increase in education led to a larger market for art, music, & literature

• Labor reforms lead to more leisure time which also increased the market for the arts

• Spectator sports also developed

• Music, vaudeville, & movies also spread cultural ideas