This unit focuses on the advance of capitalism in Europe and the USA. It also deals with issues of nationalism by examining the unification of Italy, the unification of Germany, and the consolidation of national unity in the USA through the American Civil War.
The rapid industrial development in Europe and the USA, stimulated by the progress of science and technology, is also covered. The economic, social, and political effects of the Industrial Revolution are discussed.
The age of colonialism is also covered in this unit. The driving forces behind European colonialism, rivalries among colonial powers, and their cooperation in the partition of Africa are examined.
Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
Explain how Italians and Germans formed united national states and the effects of their unification.
Analyze the causes, course, and consequences of the American Civil War.
Describe the consequences of the Industrial Revolution and its impact on Europe and the rest of the world.
Analyze the development of industrial capitalism in Europe and explain how it paved the way for colonial rivalries, conflicts, and the Scramble for Africa.
1.1 Development of Capitalism in Europe and the USA
Key Concepts
• Nation-State
• Colonialism
• Hegemony
• Imperialism
• Innovation
• Liberal Democracy
• Nationalism
• Revisionism
• Revolution
• Scientific Socialism
• Universal Suffrage
• Utilitarianism
• Hegemony
• Imperialism
• Innovation
• Liberal Democracy
• Nationalism
• Revisionism
• Revolution
• Scientific Socialism
• Universal Suffrage
• Utilitarianism
In Grade Nine, you learned about the numerous inventions that initiated the Industrial Revolution. We shall now turn to the second phase of the Industrial Revolution in 19th-century Europe and the USA.
The first phase of the Industrial Revolution began in England during the second half of the 18th century. The second phase brought even greater technological and industrial progress.
The main features of the Industrial Revolution at this stage were:
• The substitution of steel for iron as the basic industrial material.
• The replacement of coal by gas and oil as the principal sources of power, together with the increasing use of electricity as a major source of industrial energy.
• The development of automatic machinery and a high degree of specialization.
• Radical improvements in transportation and communication.
• The spread of industrialization throughout Europe and the USA.
Steel production increased significantly in both quantity and quality during the 19th century. In 1856, Henry Bessemer invented a process that removed impurities from molten iron and enabled steel to be produced quickly and cheaply. The Bessemer process made steel the principal metal used in machine building, construction, and many other industrial purposes.
Activities
1. Mention some of the uses of steel.
2. Discuss with a driver how a diesel engine and a turbine work.
Another major innovation during the 19th century was the invention of the steam turbine. Electricity also came into practical use during this period. In 1831, Michael Faraday discovered the principles of electromagnetic induction, which led to the invention of the dynamo. In the 1870s, these discoveries were applied to the manufacture of electric motors. Rudolf Diesel later invented the diesel engine, which was widely used in ships and automobiles.
Following these major innovations, railways, canals, and steamships became the dominant means of transportation. Canal construction for inland transportation began in England and the United States. In the United States, the Erie Canal, which connected the Hudson River and New York City with the Great Lakes, was completed in 1825. It helped make New York the commercial capital of the United States.
The Suez Canal was completed in 1869. It linked the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, greatly reducing the time and distance required to travel to South and Southeast Asia by avoiding the route around the Cape of Good Hope.
The Panama Canal was completed in 1914. It connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, enabling the United States to have easier access to the Pacific and East Asia.
Russia also constructed an extensive canal network linking the Volga and Don Rivers and connecting the Baltic Sea with the White Sea. In addition, the steam engine revolutionized ocean travel and maritime transportation.
Railroad building increased tremendously during the 19th century. In 1825, the first railway was built in England. It was developed by George Stephenson. In England, railway lines expanded rapidly between 1825 and 1890. In Brussels, Paris, and Madrid, railways radiated from the centers of the cities, linking different regions. The USA, Canada, and Russia showed similar progress. In Africa, the Cape to Cairo Railway was designed to strengthen British imperialism.
There was also a revolution in communication. In 1840, the first modern postal system was introduced in England. By 1874, the Universal Postal Union had been established to facilitate the exchange of mail between countries. The first telegraph company was founded in 1846, and the Western Union Company was organized in 1856. An American, Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone in 1876. Wireless telegraphy was invented by the Italian Guglielmo Marconi in 1896.
Until the second half of the 19th century, England was the leading industrial nation. However, from the 1830s onward, British industrial technology spread to Europe and the United States. In the 1870s, Japan also followed the path of Western industrialization.
The Industrial Revolution:
Changed people's way of life.
Russia also constructed an extensive canal network linking the Volga and Don Rivers and connecting the Baltic Sea with the White Sea. In addition, the steam engine revolutionized ocean travel and maritime transportation.
Railroad building increased tremendously during the 19th century. In 1825, the first railway was built in England. It was developed by George Stephenson. In England, railway lines expanded rapidly between 1825 and 1890. In Brussels, Paris, and Madrid, railways radiated from the centers of the cities, linking different regions. The USA, Canada, and Russia showed similar progress. In Africa, the Cape to Cairo Railway was designed to strengthen British imperialism.
There was also a revolution in communication. In 1840, the first modern postal system was introduced in England. By 1874, the Universal Postal Union had been established to facilitate the exchange of mail between countries. The first telegraph company was founded in 1846, and the Western Union Company was organized in 1856. An American, Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone in 1876. Wireless telegraphy was invented by the Italian Guglielmo Marconi in 1896.
Until the second half of the 19th century, England was the leading industrial nation. However, from the 1830s onward, British industrial technology spread to Europe and the United States. In the 1870s, Japan also followed the path of Western industrialization.
The Industrial Revolution:
Changed people's way of life.
Brought about major economic, social, and political changes.
Enabled industrialized European countries to dominate much of the world during the 19th century.
Activities
Debate the advantages and disadvantages of science and technology.
Identify innovations introduced into Ethiopia during the 19th and early 20th centuries that could be associated with the Industrial Revolution.