19th century, England: history, major dates and events

The 19th century for England was truly a golden age. At that time, her political and economic authority became virtually indisputable. She managed to avoid the French revolutionary contagion because she herself was completely in a completely different revolution - scientific and technical. The industrial revolution put the country in the leading position in the world economy, and Britain's sufficiently active foreign policy ensured world domination among European states. These and many other factors not only affected the lives of the English themselves, but also set a certain vector for the development of history.

The Industrial Revolution in England in the 19th Century

In order to understand why the scientific and technological revolution has received in England the most fertile ground for its development, it is necessary to go a little deeper into history. The fact is that England met the 19th century as the first country where conditions for the emergence of capitalism were created. The bourgeois revolution of the late 17th century gave this country a new political system - not an absolute, but a constitutional monarchy. A new bourgeoisie was admitted to power, which made it possible to direct state policy and to economic development, too. On this basis, ideas on the mechanization of human labor, and, consequently, on the cheapening of the labor force and the cost of production, of course, were able to be realized. As a result, the world market was flooded with English goods, which were better and cheaper than the products of those countries where the manufactory still dominated.

Great resettlement

Reducing the share of the peasant population and increasing the urban population - this is how the social image of England in the 19th century changed. The beginning of the great resettlement again put the industrial revolution. The number of factories and factories was constantly increasing, and more and more new labor was required. At the same time, this factor did not lead to the decline of agriculture. On the contrary, it only benefited from it. In the conditions of severe competition, small peasant farms gave way to large land ownership - farming. Survived only those of them that were able to optimize their management style: use improved fertilizers, machines and new technology agrotechnics. Of course, the cost of maintaining such an economy has increased, but the profit due to the increase in turnover has become quite different. Thus, with the transition to capitalism in England (19th century), agriculture began to develop actively. Yield and productivity of livestock in the country has outstripped many European countries several times.

Colonial policy of the United Kingdom

Perhaps no country owned as many colonies as England in the first half of the 19th century. India, Canada, Africa, and then Australia also became a source of accumulation of its wealth. But if earlier they were simply plundered by English colonists, a completely different colonial policy is characterized by the 19th century. England begins to use the colonies as a market for the sale of its goods and a source of raw materials. For example, Australia, where there was absolutely nothing to take, England used as a huge sheep farm. India has become a source of raw materials for the cotton industry. In parallel, England flooded the colonies with its goods, blocking the opportunity there to develop its own production and thereby increasing the dependence of the satellites on its island master. In general, foreign policy was far-sighted.

Bread hungry

The more England got richer, the more noticeable was the gap between the poor and the rich. Charles Dickens had a bright nature for his sketches. It's hard to say whether he really exaggerated much. The length of the working day was rarely less than 12-13 hours, and more often. At the same time, wages were barely enough to make ends meet. Manufacturers often used cheap female, and even child labor - an introduction to the production of machines that allowed. Any labor unions were forbidden and were perceived as rebellious. In 1819 in Manchester, in the area of Petersfield, a demonstration of workers was shot. Contemporaries called this slaughter "the battle of Pieterlo". But a much more acute confrontation arose between the manufacturers and landowners. The rise in grain prices triggered a rise in the price of bread, which made it necessary to raise wages to workers. As a result, in the parliament for many years, the manufacturers and landowners were dragging the rope of "grain laws".

Crazy King

The political ambitions of England were very great. It did not stop them and the fact that the head of state was absolutely insane. In 1811 George, king of England, was declared incompetent, and his eldest son actually assumed the reins of government by becoming regent. The military failure of Napoleon played into the hands of British diplomats. After his retreat from the walls of Moscow, it was England that became the organizing principle that had all Europe over the French leader. The Paris world, signed in 1814, added to its assets a significant number of new lands. France was to give England Malta, Tobago and Seychelles. Holland - lands in Guyana with magnificent cotton plantations, Ceylon and Cape of Good Hope. Denmark - Heligoland. And under its supreme patronage were placed the Ionian Islands. Such an increment of territories turned into an era of regency. England did not yawn and at sea. After the Great Armada, it was she who adopted the title of "Lady of the Seas". For two years her confrontation with the United States lasted. English ships constantly cruised along neutral waters near the continent, without chancing even frankly robbery raids. In 1814, the world was signed, which for a while made some peace.

Time of calm and tranquility

The time in which England ruled William IV (1830-1837) proved to be very fruitful for the country. Although few people believed in this, the king was 65 years old at the time of his accession to the throne, a considerable age for that time. One of the most socially important laws was the introduction of restrictions on child labor. Almost all of the United Kingdom of Great Britain was freed from slavery. The law on the poor has been amended. It was the most peaceful and peaceful period in the first half of the 19th century. Up to the Crimean War of 1853, there were no major wars. But the most significant reform of Wilhelm IV was the parliamentary reform. The old system did not allow to participate in the elections not only for workers, but also for the new industrial bourgeoisie. The House of Commons was in the hands of merchants, wealthy landowners and bankers. They were the masters of the parliament. The bourgeoisie turned to the workers for help, which, hoping that they too would get a legislative place, helped them to assert their rights. Often with weapons in their hands. The July Revolution of 1830 in France was another strong impetus to the solution of this problem. In 1832, a parliamentary reform was carried out, thanks to which the industrial bourgeoisie was given the right to vote in parliament. The workers, however, did not benefit from this, which caused the Chartist movement in England.

The struggle of workers for their rights

Having been deceived by the promises of the bourgeoisie, the working class now opposed it. In 1835, mass demonstrations and speeches began again, aggravated with the onset of the crisis of 1836, when thousands of hard workers were thrown out onto the street. In London, the "Association of Workers" was formed, which formulated a charter for universal suffrage for submission to the parliament. In English, "charter" sounds like "charter", hence the name - the Chartist movement. In England, the workers demanded that they equalize themselves with the bourgeoisie and allow their candidates to be nominated to the authorities. Their situation was getting worse and the only one who could stand up for them was themselves. The movement divided into three camps. The London carpenter Lovett led a moderate wing, which believes that everything can be achieved peacefully, using negotiations. Other Chartists contemptuously called this branch a "party of pink water". The course of physical struggle was led by Irish lawyer O'Connor. The owner of extraordinary strength, a great boxer, he led more militant workers. But there was a third, revolutionary wing. His leader was Garni. A fan of Marx and Engels and the ideals of the Great French Revolution, he actively fought for the exclusion of land from farmers in favor of the state and for the establishment of an eight-hour norm of the working day. In general, the Chartist movement in England failed. However, it mattered somehow: the bourgeoisie was compelled to meet workers on a number of points, and laws were passed in parliament that protected the rights of workers.

19th century: England in its heyday

In 1837, Queen Victoria ascended to the throne. The time of her reign is considered the "golden age" of the country. Relative calm, which characterized the foreign policy of England, finally allowed to focus on economic development. As a result, by the middle of the 19th century, it was the most powerful and wealthy power in Europe. She could dictate her terms on the world political arena and establish beneficial ties for her. In 1841, the railway opened, on which the first journey was made by the queen. Many Englishmen still consider the time of Victoria's rule the best period that the history of England knew. The 19th century, which left deep scars in many countries, was simply blessed for the island state. But perhaps even more than political and economic success, the English are proud of the moral image that the queen instilled in her subjects. Features of the Victorian era in England have long been a talk of the town. At that time, everything that was somehow connected with the physical side of human nature, was not only hiding, but also actively blamed. Rigid moral laws required complete submission, and their violation was severely punished. It even reached the point of absurdity: when an exhibition of antique statues was brought to England, they were not exhibited until they covered all their sham with fig leaves. Attitude towards women was tremulous, right up to complete enslavement. They were not allowed to read newspapers with political articles, were not allowed to travel unaccompanied by men. The most important value was considered to be marriage and family, divorce or treason was exhibited simply as a criminal offense.

Imperial ambitions of the kingdom

By the middle of the 19th century it became already clear that the "golden age" was tending to its decline. The United States and the united Germany gradually began to raise their heads, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain began to gradually give up its leading positions in the world political arena. Conservative parties that promoted imperialist slogans came to power. They opposed liberal values - orientation to social and economic development - promises of stability, calls for moderate reforms and the preservation of traditional British institutions. The leader of the Conservative Party at that time was Disraeli. He accused the liberals of betraying national interests. The main factor supporting the "imperialism" of England, the conservatives considered military power. Already in the middle of 1870, the term "British Empire" first appeared, Queen Victoria became known as the Empress of India. The liberals, headed by W. Gladstone, focused on colonial policy. During the 19th century, England acquired so many territories that it became increasingly difficult to keep them all in one hand. Gladstone was a supporter of the Greek model of colonization, he believed that spiritual and cultural ties are much stronger than economic ones. Canada was given a constitution, and the remaining colonies received much greater economic and political independence.

Time to give way to the palm tree

Actively developing after the unification, Germany began to show unambiguous impulses towards hegemony. English goods were no longer the only ones on the world market, German and American products were now nothing worse. In England, they came to the conclusion that it was necessary to change economic policy. Established in 1881, the League of Fair Trade decided to reorient the goods from the European market to the Asian market. This was to help her notorious colonies. In parallel, active development of the British by Africa, as well as territories adjacent to British India, was under way. Many countries in Asia - Afghanistan and Iran, for example - have become almost half the colonies of England. But for the first time in many years, the island state began to face competition on this field. For example, France, Belgium, Germany and Portugal also claimed their rights to African lands. On this basis in the UK began to actively develop "jingoistic" mood. The term "jingo" denoted supporters of aggressive diplomacy and power methods in politics. Later, the jingoists began to be called extreme nationalists cherishing the ideas of imperial patriotism. They believed that the more territories England conquered, the greater its power and authority.

The 19th century can rightfully be called the century of England in world history. No wonder she got the title of "workshop of the world." English goods on the market were more than any other. They were cheap and could boast of excellent quality. The scientific and technological revolution gave the richest fruits in England, which became possible due to the fact that in this country, earlier than in all other countries, they abandoned the absolute monarchy. New forces in the legislative branch brought very positive results. Increased aggressive appetites of the country provided it with a large number of new territories, which, of course, besides wealth, brought many problems. Nevertheless, by the end of the 19th century, England had become one of the most powerful states, which subsequently allowed it to continue to cut the map of the world and to decide the fate of history.