Understanding Industrialization, Luddism, and European Revolutions
Industrialization and its Impact
Industrialization: Process in which new manufacturing processes spread to other countries from Britain.
Joint Stock Companies
Joint Stock Companies: The company’s capital is divided into shares. The investors share the risks and profits from the company’s investments.
Luddism
Luddism: A movement of people who broke the machines.
The Transportation Revolution
The transportation revolution was necessary because British factories made much more goods than before and could supply markets all over the world. It was also necessary to transport raw materials to the factories.
Industrialization in Spain
Spain was slow to industrialize due to its traditional economy and social structure, poor transport, and the absence of a large bourgeoisie.
Development of Banks
- They acted as intermediaries between savers and borrowers: they accepted deposits from savers to lend money to companies.
- They helped governments to borrow money.
- They created bills of exchange to move money from one place to another.
Key Figures and Events
Charles X
Charles X was the king during the July Revolution in 1830. He dissolved the parliament, censored the press, and limited the right to vote.
Count of Cavour
Count of Cavour was a conservative whose exploitation of international rivalries and revolutionary movements brought about the unification of Italy in 1861 under the House of Savoy.
Disentailment
Disentailment was a process of land reform used by the liberals and bourgeoisie. They nationalized land owned by the municipalities and the church.
Nationalism
Nationalism: A nation is not the same as a country. It is a movement of people in which they share traditions, customs, characteristics, geographic reasons, history, and language.
Spring of Nations (1848)
In 1848, France was suffering from falling wages, rapid inflation, and unemployment. Violent protestors marched on the royal palace, and Louis Philippe was forced to escape from Britain. This created the French Second Republic. The revolution in France inspired people all over Europe to rebel against their monarchs.
Ferdinand VII and Absolutism
Ferdinand VII wanted to restore the Ancien Régime. He abolished the Spanish Constitution of 1812 and dissolved the Spanish Parliament. He persecuted and imprisoned his political opponents and gave privileges to the nobility and clergy. In 1820, General Riego started a liberal rebellion, forcing Ferdinand to accept the Spanish Constitution of 1812. The reforms of the Cádiz Parliament were brought back. In 1823, Ferdinand pretended to accept the constitutional monarchy but asked the Holy Alliance for help. France sent 60,000 men to support Ferdinand; this army was known as the ‘Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis,’ and Absolutism was restored. The 10 following years are known as the Ominous Decade because of the brutal repression of liberals. In 1830, Ferdinand changed the Spanish law of succession so a female was able to inherit the throne. In 1833, Ferdinand died.
The Glorious Revolution in Spain
In 1860, the Moderate government grew really unpopular because it had become less liberal and increasingly authoritarian and conservative, and Spain had an economic crisis because of the end of the rail boom. Isabella had always supported the Moderates. The Progressive Party, Democratic Party, Liberal Union, led by General Prim, signed the Pact of Ostende in 1866, in which they agreed to remove the Moderates and Isabella from power. In September 1868, they achieved their aims: first, the navy in Cádiz rebelled, and then at the Battle of Alcolea, led by General Serrano, defeated the royalist army. Suddenly, Isabella was forced into exile.