The Meiji Restoration of Japan

Japan is an archipelago - what is that?

- An archipelago is a large chain of islands. The most well known archipelagos are Japan, New Zealand, the Phillipines and Indonesia.

How did Matthew Perry "bully" the Japanese into signing a trade treaty?

- Matthew Perry had cannons out and sails down when he lowered the anchor onto the shores 26 miles away from Tokyo. He did this to intimidate the Japanese. He pulled into a docking port so people would see the advancements made in the West. The Japanese knew very well that they stood no chance against the Europeans who had powerful weapons. Seeing the huge ship with large cannons was intimidating enough for the Japanese.

What did Perry have that impressed the Japanese?

- Matthew Perry had large ships which ran on coal. They had a steam engine inside of them and could operate without sails. The Japanese were fascinated and had never seen anything larger than a sailboat. Perry also brought along with him a small locomotive, or toy train. Japan had never seen such technology.

How did the Japanese economy change during the Meiji Era?

- Japan saw the West and decided that they needed to change their ways. They observed European countries and the way they were run. Japan industrialized and adapted the ways of the West to their own Constitution and the way their very own country was run.

How did they modernize and industrialize?

- Japan sent many people to the West to study the way countries were run. For example, Japanese men studied the German Constitution. Japan later adapted it and made their own constitution. Japan also introduced a "national educational system."

Karl Marx and Communism

Karl Marx hated industrialization. He believed that it was a bad thing and that it encouraged the separation of social classes. Because of this, inequality was more abundant and a two "social classes" emerged (as Karl Marx put it).

There were two new social classes because of Industrialization; the bourgeoisie and the proletariat classes. The proletariat are the poor factory workers who would always break their backs for the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie were the rich factory owners who hired workers to make money for them. "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer," Karl Marx stated.

Karl Marx predicted that large companies would buy out the smaller companies. He believed that everything would become a power struggle for money due to Capitalism. He saw Capitalism to be very evil and that it would someday destroy the world. He wrote in his book, "The Communist Manifesto" in hopes of getting people to follow Communism, a system in which he believed would benefit the world.

Communism was a very brilliant idea. Communism meant that people would receive the same amount of money, goods, supplies, and even power in the government. There would be no ownership of things, just sharing. Because everyone shares, there would be no need for a government over time. Unfortunately, things did not work out this peacefully.

Marx's ideas were fantastic but nobody really followed it the way it was originally intended to be. Corrupt officials took power and capitalism proved to be a better system for countries. It is very evident in our modern world today.

Karl Marx and The Industrial Revolution

Karl Marx was a man who not only held an important place in government in the 1800s, but he was a man that still holds major influence in the world today. He was just like your average child. He studied hard (but drank very often) as he grew into adulthood. He then married and moved to Paris in 1843. In Paris, he met face to face with industrialization and booming commerce. He saw how poorly the middle class (workers) were treated.

Karl Marx hated the Industrial Revolution and capitalism. Capitalism is the thought that businesses are owned and operated for profit. He saw that workers worked long hours and were treated unfairly only to receive poor pay and salary. Marx was extremely encouraged to make change.

Karl Marx is commonly called the "Father of Communism." Marx believed that if goods could be equally distributed among people, things could be be successful. Under Communism, no one person was above another. As the title suggests, everyone was common. Karl Marx's ideas quickly spread and many European nations soon followed Communism.

Nationalism and the Creation of Italy

In the 1800's, Nationalism became a very accepted thing in countries across the world. Nationalism is when the people have support and are devoted to their country. Nationalism makes a country strong. In more advanced terms, Nationalism is the belief that one's loyalty should not be to a king or an empire but to a nation of people who share a common culture and history.

The United States of America is arguably the most powerful nation in the world. The reason for the United States being so powerful is because of Nationalism. Many things contribute to the nationalist society we have today. We all have defined borders and speak English. We all live under the same sets of laws and rules. Everywhere we go, we can see American flags, license plates, and we can even see American clothing and music that make up part of our culture. In school, to show how I am Nationalistic, I pay taxes, sing the national anthem and even read the Pledge of Allegiance.

Before for 1800's, there was no Germany, Poland, or Italy. This was because there were no clear, separate borders. Instead of countries, the land was just made up of different kingdoms and it was hard to see what was what. Eventually, people realized that they all had different cultures and decided to separate. They made different countries (and separated from the Austro-Hungarian emipire).

Simon Bolivar and Latin American Revolutions

Simon Bolivar was a hero to many people in South America. Nicknamed "The Liberator," Bolivar set independence for Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Bolivar was born on July 24, 1783. His story is truly an inspiration to people around the world today.

Simon Bolivar, as a young boy, inherited a large fortune when his parents passed away. When he grew up, he got married to Maria Teresa Rodriguez. After a year, she died of the yellow fever. Brokenhearted, Bolivar traveled to Europe and studied the teachings of Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke and Jean Jacques Rosseau. Through his studies, he saw how the French and United States gained independence. He was inspired to do the same.

Simon Bolivar was not always successful. Many times, Bolivar was forced to retreat out of a country. Over time, he would gathered troops and gained independence from Spain. By the early 1820's, many countries were freed and were independent from Spain. They had democracy at last. After obtaining democracy, Bolivar was made president of Colombia. Unfortunately, he was not a good political leader. He wanted to unite into "Grand Colombia." Other countries did not like this idea and went against it.

Maximillien Robespierre and The Reign of Terror

While the French Revolution was a great thing that eventually led to democracy in France, it wasn't all jolly and happy once it ended. The French Revolution faded into the Reign of Terror, one of the scariest moments in history. The Reign of Terror lasted many years. After the French Revolution ended, Louis XVI was a limited monarch. He was a ruler with limited powers. This kind of nation is called a limited monarchy.

Because Louis XVI hated his loss of power and the government, he tried to flee the country. He was unsuccessful and was brought back to France. When he returned, there was a power struggle in France. People panicked and wondered who would be the next leader. Street gangs took control and sometimes even had more power than the government. One street gang, Jacobins, even took Louis XVI and killed him in the guillotine.

France soon grew desperate and it turned into mayhem. Many groups tried to fight and take power. However, one individual, Maximillien Robespierre, rose up. He took control and killed anyone who went against him. He did this in order to wipe out any evidence of the old way, or the old monarchy. Robespierre almost had absolute power. Many people had their heads cut off by the government. Eventually, citizens got so aggrivated that they had Robespierre arrested. Soon, his head head was cut off. Napolean rose up and became the next leader. He was a very successful person.

The French Revolution: Social Causes

Explain some of the causes of The French Revolution. What were the three estates and why did the third estate feel used? How did the Enlightenment thinkers influence the French Revolution? What really triggered the revolution, what happened on July 14, 1789?

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In the 1780's , the French Revolution started. The French Revolution was a major event that eventually led to the democracy of France. At the time, France was probably the most advanced country to date. Louis XIV was as great king and ruled the country well. After Louis XIV (absolute monarch) passed away, Louis XV took the throne and power. He was a poor ruler and was very lazy. Louix XVI was not much better, he tried to be an absolute monarch just like Louis XIV, but he wasn't successful. This is because of the French Revolution.

The American Revolution greatly inspired the French Revolution that took place in the 1780s. They saw how America became independant from the mother country (England) and their ideas of democracy (taken from the Enlightenment thinkers). The third French estate saw this and decided that they wanted democracy just like America had.

At the time, France was a very feudalist society. France was divided into three different estates. The first estate was made up by Catholic clergy. They were less than one percent of the population. They had the most power and control. The second estate, still very powerful, was made up of wealthy nobles. They made up only two percent of the population. The third estate, everyone else (including merchants, common people, peasants) was a whopping ninety eight (98%) of the population! They were the poorest, and they also had to pay the most taxes. The common folks had to pay a little more than 50% of the taxes in France. Average people were considered to be inferior, had very high tax and had no say in the government whatsoever.

France followed the Old Regime. The Old Regime was the old way of thinking. It gave the first and second estates different punishments, special courts and a break on their taxes. The nobles and clergy had special treatment and got away with many things that would be considered a serious crime for the third estate.

No one actual event triggered the revolution. It was a series of multiple events that led to the revolution. The most memorable event was probably the siege of The Bastille, which took place on July 14, 1789. The Bastille was a large, grandeur prison. It was the largest prison in Paris. Citizens stormed it in the pursuit of arms, as well as to release innocent prisoners from the third estate. After the siege of the Bastille, a wave of terror roamed the countryside. This wave of terror was called "The Great Fear." Catholic clergy and nobles had their homes attacked. This sent a strong message to the government. Eventually, the third estate did the same thing, but marched to the Versaille, the home of Louis XVI. They took him back to Paris where he lived. They then had him executed in the guillotine.