Preventing Future Revolution with Holy Alliance

                 One of the most complicated questions that a ruler must ask themselves is “What should I do when my power is threatened?” Prince Metternich, of Austria, had to ask himself this question multiple times. In a group we were able to decide what Metternich would do in a certain situation, before we knew the actual results. We made our decisions based on the type of man Metternich was and what Europe was like during this time.

                Holy Alliance is the concept used by Metternich and the Congress of Vienna, which said that monarchs had a divine right to rule, and that revolution was treason against God. This concept was used to prevent future revolutions. Since Europeans respected God so much they lived under the monarchs because they believed God sent them to rule. Also many revolutions were prevented with Holy Alliance because in those times it was important to maintain a good relationship with God, and no one wanted to commit treason against God by starting a revolution. With holy alliance people of the Congress of Vienna eliminated threats to their power, since there were no revolutions.

                The concept of holy alliance was selfish; the rulers told lies in order to prevent their loss of power. But it was a smart decision to prevent further revolution, even though it wasn't successful and many revolutions resulted later on. I think a better decision could have been made if they gave the people what they wanted. If the members of the Congress of Vienna could sacrifice some of their power and create more of a democracy, I think it could make everyone happy and there would be no need to have a revolution.  

Citation: http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/1-congress-of-vienna-1815-granger.jpg

One Man Influences All of Europe

                                                       

             Napoleon Bonaparte is a name that has been talked about all around the world for hundreds of years. We know of Napoleon today because he has left a lasting impact on the world. This one man is still discussed and studied today because of his bold accomplishments that benefitted Europe. During his time Napoleon had a lot of power, and controlled a large portion of Europe along with some land in the Americas and Africa. Overall Napoleon Bonaparte benefitted Europe in its economic, social and political systems, and a lot of his ideas influence Europe even today.

               Napoleon achieved many things in his lifetime that helped the economic system in Europe. He restored economic prosperity when he controlled prices, encouraged new industry, and helped to build new roads and canals. Napoleon also managed to establish the Bank of France which balanced the budget and undertook big public works programs. These changes made by Napoleon effected a lot of Europe and the changes were beneficial to the European economy.

               Not only did Napoleon change the economic system in Europe but he influenced the social system in Europe. Under his rule French armies eliminated serfdom, got rid of titles of nobility, ended privileges from the church, took away trade barriers, and stimulated the industry. Napoleon stole important artwork and great amounts of money from Italy during the French revolution, which may have sparked new inspiration for art in France. Napoleon also established the Institute of Egypt, which led to studies of ancient Egypt while he invaded Egypt. During his invasion of Egypt Napoleon also reorganized the government.  In a primary source from Madame de Stael, a woman who was exiled from the country under Napoleons rule, she describes Napoleons government "What particularly characterizes Bonaparte's government is his profound contempt for all the intellectual riches of human nature: virtue, dignity, religion, enthusiasm; in his eyes they are the eternal enemies of the continent.'"  She describes how she dislikes Napoleons system of government but his government actually showed Europe that intellectual riches aren't everything, this affected the whole social system in Europe, and we still remember this today, not only in Europe but all over the world. The Headley brothers observed that most of France accepted Napoleon and his ideas because he was  "as a friend of human liberty, and eager to promote the advancement of the race, by opening the field to talent and genius, however low their birth, he was infinitely superior to all sovereign's who endeavored to crush him." Many Europeans agreed with Napoleon because this idea gave skilled people an opportunity to be successful, instead of high class people. This shows why so many Europeans accepted Napoleons ideas and why he was so successful.

               Along with economic and social systems in Europe Napoleon also influenced the political systems of Europe. He was able to double the size of the nation when he sold the Louisiana territory to the United States and this led to the American expansion. Under Napoleon more citizens had access to education and rights to property than before. He also created a meritocracy which benefitted skilled people instead of those who had high social standing. A French soldier, under Napoleons command named Marshal Michel Ney describes his respect, and love for Napoleon and the changes he had made. The soldier says "The times are gone when the people were governed by suppressing their rights. Liberty triumphs in the end, and Napoleon our august emperor." This shows how Napoleons changes to the government were mostly beneficial to his people, apart from for a few exceptions.

            Napoleon was very successful across Europe and his ideas left a positive impact on the continent. He used his power for mostly good reasons that benefitted Europe in their political, economic, and social systems, and therefore left a positive impact.

Picture Citation:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-v2FGiGIpAIe5zjo7wbe6HEVqUSxk1Yd7-lLK-rfLYdkToo0CX58WyCz01hT0lVpK9La6Pi_JwjbhsB1WX5fVPqDDpl_2rHtUmiCdUesyR6fK372ozQ4K-InjHUPcq1Q2DHT4NHipC9I/s1600/659642-napoleon_bonaparte_1_large.jpg

A Fair System

               To show how capitalism and socialism work our history class used starbursts and they represented money. Some students were given more starbursts than others like some people are born with more money than others. Next the starbursts were redistributed equally among all of the students. This equal redistribution shows how socialism works, because the money (or candy) is collected and equally redistributed by the government (or the teacher). The rich students who had a lot of candy were frustrated with this method because their candy was getting taken away and given to others. But it may have been a god thing for the poor students with less candy because they were given candy that they didn't have to work for. I agree with Moran when she said that socialism gives the poor no initiative to work hard, because they know that they will get money (or candy) without even working for it. Students then demonstrated capitalism. They played Rock Paper Scissors to earn more starbursts, and like a student might win many starbursts from a game, someone can earn more money from working hard at a job in the real world. This method, capitalism, gives more opportunity for people to work hard and make their own life like Ryan said. Capitalism also gives people motivation to advance and work their way up to being wealthy, because their is no other way to earn money without working for it. In socialism it's more fun for people who are earning money without working (the poor) and might be frustrating for people who have to give away their money to pay for the poor (the rich). In capitalism it was fun for people who started with a lot of starbursts because they has less to lose, but people who started with less were more frustrated when they didn't have a lot of starbursts.
               Karl Marx began with the theory of capitalism, he believed that everyone started out with uneven amounts of wealth and had the choice to work to get more. People who were poor were not happy with this, which caused Marx to change his idea to socialism. In his idea of socialism the government had the power to collect money from everyone and redistribute it evenly so that no man was wealthier than another. Marx believed that socialism was more fair for the poor but the rich were not getting what they earned. Marx then decided that it would be better to have a classless society with no one who is rich and no one who is poor, this is known as communism. When the people decide to have a classless society no government is needed to control the redistribution of money because there is no difference in wealth. Adam Smith had an idea of the invisible hand. This theory of the invisible hand described that even without a government, the poor will be able to benefit. When there is more than one store or company selling the same product, there will be competition between the two, which will cause both companies to lower their prices and create a better product in order to get business. This is good for everyone, especially the poor because they are able to afford things, and the quality of the product will be better.
                 In my opinion I think both methods of government are a little extreme, so to create a balance of benefitting the rich and benefitting the poor I think the best solution is a mix between socialism and capitalism. The government we have today in America benefits the poor because the wealthier people pay higher taxes that can help the poor, but wealthier people don't have to sacrifice too much of the money they earned to pay for people who don't work to earn money.

The Choice to Protest

       
              During the industrial revolution there was a rebel group called the Luddites. Most Luddites were skilled artisans and they protested against unfair wages in factories, the deceitful manner in which technology was used, and the lack of appreciation of their skills. The group noticed that since the new machines had been created the appreciation of their skills had decreased because the machines made things more efficient and the efficiency of the machines caused their wages to drop dramatically. The following letter is an example of how an English girl working in the factory might have felt about the Luddites and their practices.

The following is a letter from a skilled weaver who works in the mills of England and is writing to her cousin, who lives in America.

Dear Sarah,
       The past year that I have spent working at the factory has been difficult. There are many corrupt practices in the factory, and recently a group known as the Luddites has decided to protest against some of the unfair practices. The Luddites protest against unfair wages, the deceitful manner in which technology is used, and the lack of appreciation of their skills. Last week I came into the factory to find that many of the frames had been destroyed by the Luddites. I've also heard that the Luddites dress up as women, and preform street theatre to make their protest known. I agree with the Luddites in that the new technology of this industrial revolution is decreasing the appreciation of skilled workers like me. My weaving skills were much more appreciated before industrialization and I'm sure that I would be able to earn more money with my weaving if it had not been for the new machines in factories. If I join the Luddites I can help them to stop the corruption in the factories. Please write to me soon, I hope you agree with my decision to support the luddites.

            Your Cousin,

Meghan


Citation: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-the-luddites-really-fought-against-264412/?no-ist=

Women in the Factories Create More Opportunity for Women to Come

            In the 19th century thousands of women risked their lives working in dangerous factories for countless hours almost every day. But their suffering was worth more than they expected. Their work in factories started a movement, to create equal rights for women within society. The women’s hard work in the factories paid off and eventually led to equal rights for women and men.

            Many women were motivated to go to the mills. The video that our history class watched called Daughters of Free Men showed that going to the work at the mills was an opportunity for a girl to become independent from her family. Working at the mills also enabled the girls to make their own money. Once the girls got to the mills they gained confidence and were able to stand up for themselves, especially in front of men. The video shows an example of one of the first times society had seen women standing up to men. Women who worked at the factories made a protest against men, asking men for higher wages. Although this protest was not successful the first time it was a big step for women in society and the second time factory women protested against the men they won the protest.

            The title of the video that our history class watched was Daughters of Free Men.  This title represents how women were seen in the nineteenth century. The title emphasizes that men were considered free, but women were not.  If women were considered free the title would be Daughters of Free Men and Women, but they weren't considered to be free.

            Industrialization lessened the demand for home-produced items, which created a demand for more workers in the factory. The document “The Changing World of American Women” explains this by saying “As trade grew and the importance of home-produced goods declined, gender roles evolved in new directions." Mill girls changed the common perception of women because they took part in the unladylike profession of manufacturing (“The Changing World of American Women” document). Mill girls broke the social norms of women. The mill girls were seen working outside of home, living away from their families, getting an education, writing for the public and were also seen in the labor reform. The strength that mill girls gained through their work at factories made a feminist movement possible in 1850, and this movement challenged the restrictions that were on the lives of women.

The hard work and sacrifice that was displayed by the factory women helped pave the way for the many opportunities that women experience in today’s society.  Today women are respected members of the work force and enjoy equal opportunity to pursue the same careers as men.  Women today owe much thanks to the factory women from the 19^th century.