How Did the World Change in the Nineteenth Century (Revision Class)
to describe inventions of the Industrial Revolution era;
to characterise the effects of the social and economic changes that took place in the nineteenth century and at the beginning of the twentieth century;
to portrey the most important information from the previous classes.
In the nineteenth century, the steam enginesteam engine became widespread. It allowed to produce more, quicker, and cheaper. FactoriesFactories were build all across Europe, with workers working using the machines. The factories provided employment to many people; however, the work conditions were, oftentimes, very difficult. IndustryIndustry had a negative impact on the natural environment. The urban populations grew. The most industrialized countries were England, France, and Western Germany.
The nineteenth century brought many revolutionary inventions that changed human lives forever. Thanks to iron railways and steamshipssteamships, transport became faster, more convenient, and safer. The invention of the telegraph enabled quick transmission of information over large distances. Since the sixteenth century, European powers conquered numerous territories outside of Europe. This process accelerated especially in the nineteenth century. Places such as the countries of Africa and India became another object of colonization. The Europeans exploited the natural riches of the coloniescolonies, treating the local populations as cheap workforce. Great Britain emerged as the largest colonial empire. The Partitioned Polish territories – much like the other countries of Europe – have been industrialized. However, the scale of the industrialization was not as large as in the West. The Partitions remained, above all, rural areas. The Russian Partition was the most industrialized one. It possessed two large industrial cities: Warsaw and Łódź. In Galicia, oil industry appeared. Coal mining and metallurgy developed in Silesia.
Match the term with its definition:
quick population growth in a given place., change, the rise of urban populations and the number of cities, usually at the expense of the countryside., large-scale production of materials (goods) made from natural resources, using labor division and machines., the process of human movement associated with changing one’s place of living, or with a temporary stay., a machine converting water into vapor, then employing it to propel the work of machinery. James Watt is considered to be its inventor., possessions of a state outside of its borders, which are however directly subject to its authority.
| Steam engine | |
| Colonies | |
| Demographic explosion | |
| Migration | |
| Urbanization | |
| Industry |
Read carefully about the changes that took place in the nineteenth century and answer the question: what were the reasons behind it and why did it hapen.
In the nineteenth century, many changes took place. The following are a few of them.
Factory production replaced small‑scale craft workshops.
Owing to the process of urbanizationurbanization, many cities appeared and developed.
The development of industry changed the natural environment.
The production of goods multiplied, and many new, cheaper products appeared in stores.
People started pursuing new forms of entertainment, such as going to cinemas and listening to music using the gramophone.
New social groups appeared, such as the workers and the factory owners.
The significance of some of the groups, such as the peasants, diminished.
Many new professions formed, such as those of the engine driver or telegraph operator.
People traveled further and more often, getting to know the world much better.
Information was relayed much faster and more precisely than ever before.
Read the text and the caricature Slicing the Chinese Cake.
In the nineteenth century, China was generally not interested in European products, which led to an unfavorable trade balance for the countries of the Old Continent, who bought things such as tea, porcelain, and silk. This caused the Europeans to start bringing opium from the British colonies to the Chinese market; the drug’s consumption quickly became a serious problem. The attempts to fight it led to the so‑called Opium Wars and China’s subsequent defeat, as a result of which the country was forced to open its market to trading with the European countries, as well as to make many concessions. Unfavorable political and economic treaties quickly made China dependent on the West, and the weak position of the ruling dynasty rendered the European states and the USA the only guarantors of its power. Great Britain, France, Russia, and Germany started interfering in the internal politics of China, taking over ever more sectors of her economy. With time, this process became known as slicing the Chinese cake.
Read the source text carefully, then mark the characteristics that, according to the author, distinguish the rich and poor inhabitants of London.
characteristics of the rich characteristics of the poor
In the part of London called the West End, a more aristocratic sort of people make their homes, less occupied with work. The streets here are very long and wide, and the houses are as big as palaces. While staying there, a stranger’s eyes are not going to be shocked with the crumbling houses of the poor. – only in the distant streets and dark, damp alleys, poverty makes its nest, dressed in rags, swimming in tears. Only here and there, at the entrance to a dark alley, a silent woman dressed in rags stands with her child at her emaciated breast, looking pleadingly at rich merchants who hurry along, money ringing in their pockets, or at the lazy lord, riding his high horse like a content idol, sometimes glancing proudly and indifferently at the crowd below, as if it were made up of minuscule ants or even less, whose joys and sorrows have nothing to do with his feelings.
Heinrich Heine, Sketches from England, 1827 rok
Keywords
colonialism, urbanization, industry, revolution
Glossary
Przemysł – odbywająca się na wielką skalę produkcja materiałów (dóbr) z zasobów przyrody, za pomocą podziału pracy i maszyn. Pełni wiele funkcji, m.in. produkcyjną – pozyskiwania i wytwarzania; społeczną – miejsca pracy i polepszanie warunków życia; przestrzenną – rozwój miast i zmiana środowiska oraz ekonomiczną – produkcja dóbr, energii i wydobycie surowców.
Fabryka – zakład pracy, w którym proces produkcji odbywa się maszynowo przy udziale robotników. Powstające tam produkty są identyczne i wysokiej jakości.
Urbanizacja – zmiana, wzrost ludności miejskiej oraz zwiększanie się liczby miast, najczęściej kosztem wsi. Urbanizacją nazywamy również proces przekształcania wsi w maista.
Luddyści – robotnicy niszczący maszyny w zakładach przemysłowych w XVIII i XIX wieku. Uważali oni, postęp techniczny i maszyny za przyczynę bezrobocia i zubożenia ludności.
Eksplozja demograficzna – szybkie tempo wzrostu liczby ludności w danym miejscu. Najczęściej mówi się o niej jeśli w ciągu jednej generacji (24 lat) nastąpi podwojenie populacji. Migracja – migration – proces przemieszczania się ludności związany ze zmianą ich zamieszkania lub czasowego pobytu. Możemy podzielić ją na wewnętrzną – w granicach państwa/obszaru lub zewnętrzną.
Emigracja – wyjazd, opuszczenie kraju na dłuższy czas lub na stałe, może być dobrowolna lub przymusowa.
Kolonie – posiadłość państwa, która znajduje się poza jego granicami, ale bezpośrednio mu podlega.
Kolonializm – polityka podbojów i przejmowania państw słabo rozwiniętych przez rozwinięte gospodarczo. Jej której celem było utrzymanie w zależności siebie tych krajów i wykorzystywanie ich zasobów ludzkich i surowcowych.
Dominium – terytorium państwa, w ramach imperium brytyjskiego, mające charakter pośredni między samorządną kolonią a niezależnym państwem. Status dominium oznaczał najwyższy stopień autonomii, które mogło osiągnąć terytorium w ramach Wielkiej Brytanii.
Maszyna parowa – silnik parowy, urządzenie, które zmienia wodę w parę wodną a ta zamienia się w pracę mechaniczną. Za jego wynalazcę uważa się Jamesa Watta.
Silnik elektryczny – maszyna elektryczna, która zmienia prąd w energię elektryczną.
Statek parowy – statek lub okręt napędzany maszyną parową.