ESSAY CEMETERY

Video 1: The Second Industrial Revolution The period between 1890-1914 is the most dynamic period in history: politically, socially, economically. There's a giant advance in all of these. The first Industrial Revolution was characterized by the steam engine. Now new technologies include electricity, the combustion engine, petroleum as fuel, cars, chemistry, and chemical products. Everything is accelerating more quickly than ever before: a situation causes a problem which leads to a technological solution and so on. We have machines that make machines. In addition, more raw materials than ever have to be sourced and imported. Chemistry evolves and the field of physics emerges. There are lots of advances in medicines: aspirin for instance. German universities were considered the best in the world and many medicinal advances are invented. Breakfast cereals emerge.  Coca-cola breaks as a consumer product. It is sold for the first time in thousands of locations. This means the productio...

Video 1: The Age of Imperialism In the 1860s-70s, there is a movement away from global imperial expansion. But in the late 1870s into the turn of the 19th century, there is imperial growth again. History is not linear! Why this ebb and rise? Gladstone in England thought that imperialism clashed with liberal ideals. During this period, Australian, Canada, and eventually South Africa and New Zealand are increasingly given independence. They only remain strong in India. France had significant holdings like in Vietnam. In the beginning of the 1870s France has suffered significant defeats in Mexico, and turmoil at home. In Germany, Bismarck tries to maintain balance at home rather than expanding outwards. So why does a big wave of imperialism begin in the 1870s? More military power -- a "second" military evolution Better rifles Artillery Chemical explosives Steam-powered iron warships -- Navalism Machine guns Advances in communication: telegraphs rather than messengers The gap bet...

Video 1: To Build a Nation In the traditional world, nation states didn't exist. Instead, life was very local and people didn't travel far. People based their identities on their family, the crops they grew and their local communities and languages. Many of these languages no longer exist. There may have been a distant lord that owned their lands, but that was the only connection to the outside world. In the mid-1800s, communities started breaking apart when people began migrating to the cities for jobs. Everywhere an enlarged sense of community began emerging because news traveled faster thanks to technological advances. People began asking what they had in common, and the answer was the nation. Some aspects of national culture and language arose naturally but there were also deliberate efforts to create a national identity. The above painting depicts lots of different nations together each flying their own flag. The hope was that rather than different princes bickering over t...

  Video 1: The Great Divergence -- Why? The term Great Divergence was coined by the historian David Pomerance. Across Eurasia, the East diverged from the West. If we look at per capita GDP (Gross Domestic Product), there wasn't much GDP growth difference between the West and Asia in 1500-1820. However, in 1820-1870, Western GDP really grows whereas in Asia it declines slightly. In terms of total GDP, the two regions weren't very different in the initial period. However, in the later period, the difference is really stark: Europe is producing much more. In 1500, Asia was the biggest producer in the world, producing over 60% of the world's products whereas Europe produces 17%. As time goes on, this balance flips (by 1913) and Europe overtakes Asian production. The similarities between Asia and the West in 1700-1750 Basic scientific discoveries (gunpowder, higher mathematics) Manufactured goods (ceramics) Population centers Financial capacity Growth constraints + Malthusian tr...

Video 1: Lucky Americans In this video we'll discuss the implications of the revolutions in the Atlantic World on the rest of the world. The British, the Spanish and the French in the 1790s Early 1790s: The war of the First Coalition 1796 - 1801: The war of the Second Coalition in France. During this period Spain rules over most of North and South America. Brazil was occupied by Brazil. The West Indies were occupied by France, England and Spain. The French West Indies was experiencing a slave revolt which deprived them of the goods of that region. The Spanish hold over its colonies was considered weak during this period. By the 1790s Charles 4 was the monarch of Spain. Manuel Godoy became a lover of the Queen, and Charles the king allowed himself to be influenced by Godoy. The British saw an opportunity to make a move against France: they attacked Saint Domingue from their colony in Jamaica. They also tried to conquer Buenos Aires. Both attempts failed. Frustrated by their failures...