5.1 V and VI

Hey, guys! Welcome back! We are almost done with 5.1, one more post! Today, we discuss 5.1 V and VI which talks about global capitalism and the responses to it. Capitalism, if you don't know, is an economic system invented in the Industrial Revolution in which the means of production-machines, factories, land, and other forms of wealth-are privately owned. Its an economic system still used today, particularly here in America.

5.1 V: The development and spread of global capitalism led to a variety of responses.

    A: In industrialized states, many workers organized themselves to improve working conditions, limit hours, and gain higher wages, while others opposed industrialists' treatment of workers by promoting alternative visions of society, including Marxism.

       1) One alternative vision of society was Marxism. Marxism was formed by German theorist Karl Marx. Karl Marx is widely known for being one of the first authors of Communist writings. Communism is an idea where the community works together, no one is better than anyone, and the state controls the economy. Marx saw the industrial order as unjust and oppressive. He began to analyze the lives of workers, where he wrote his Communist books. He claimed that the fundamental organization of any society came from the relationships in work. This is called materialism. To put it in simpler terms, it means that a society's structure was built on the relationships between classes that were formed from work. 

       2) Another alternative vision of society was called Utopian socialism. This was a goal of British and French thinkers to improve society through cooperation and social planning. This would lead to the perfect society, a utopia. To prove their point, they lived in communes where daily life could be organized as it was in the factory. Large groups of people worked together to complete tasks efficiently. Followers also valued technicians and engineers as future rulers of nations.

       3) Finally, an alternative view of society was Anarchism. Anarchism is a political idea that society should be stateless. They govern themselves. The state is often looked down upon as unnecessary or harmful to society.

    B: In Qing China and the Ottoman Empire, some members of the government resisted economic change and attempted to maintain preindustrial forms of economic production, while other members of the Qing and Ottoman governments led reforms in imperial policies.

       1) One example of reforms is the Tanzimat movement in the Ottoman Empire. These reforms were heavily influenced by European ideas to change the empire to a more modern state. It established new institutions that would guarantee the security of life, property, and honor to all subjects, regardless of religion or race. It developed a standardized system of taxation.  There was also the development of a new secular school system, the reorganization of the army, and the introduction of new codes of commercial and criminal law.

       2) Another example of reforms is the Self-Strengthening Movement in the Qing Empire. It was a movement to modernize China's economic and military sectors. It's aim was to strengtthen China by preserving Qing rule and maintaining traditional Confucian values. The movement was mainly concerned military industrialization and modernization. This was modeled on the West.

    C: In a small number of states, governments promoted their own state-sponsored visions of industrialization.

       1) One example is the economic reforms of Meiji Japan. When Japan began learning Western industrialization to compete and protect Japan, they reformed a lot. In the 1870s, the reformed government had seen  the laying of thousands of miles of railroads and telegraph lines. By the 20th century, they had 32,000 factories, 5400 steam engines, and 2700 machines run by electricity.

       2) Another example is in Tsarist Russia. There was a development of factories and railroads there.

       3) Finally, Muhammad Ali, ruler of Egypt, developed a cotton textile industry in Egypt. He recognized the need for modern industry and skills. He exempted silk workers from the army and founded engineering schools. Ottoman merchants prospered and hundreds of new jobs opened up for workers who needed money.

    D: In response to criticisms of industrial global capitalism, some governments mitigated the negative effects of industrial capitalism by promoting various types of reforms.

       1) One reform was state pensions and public health in Germany grew.

       2) Another was the expansion of suffrage (women's rights) in Britain.

       3) A final reform was that public education spread to many nation states to obtain more skilled workers and a smarter society as a whole.

5.1 VI: The ways in which people organized themselves into societies also underwent significant transformations in industrialized states due to the fundamental restructuring of the global economy.

    A: New social classes, including the middle class and the industrial working class, developed.

       1) The middle class: In 1751, the middle class, or the Bourgeorisie, was formed. Members of this class had no political power individually, but together, they had a giant voice. An example of this is that the Bourgeorisie started the French Revolution. Merchants made up this class as well and industrialization was particularly important. People in the Bourgeorisie generated a lot of wealth, mostly because of the Industrial Revolution.

       2) The industrial working class: This class was known as the Proletariat. They were the wage earning, mass-working class. They did well, okay enough. However, the Proletariat were not tied to the political structure like the Bourgeorisie. 

    B: Family dynamics, gender roles, and demographics changed in response to industrialization.

       1) Family dynamics: Families used to be the basic social unit of society, but since industrialization, they were drifting away from this.

       2) Gender roles: In factories, women were especially demeaned. Men dreaded when women were allowed to work in their factories, as it usually meant that owner was saving on wages by cutting some of the men. Women were payed much less than men. Sometimes, in order to work in factories, women had to grant their overseers favors to work. However, most women prefered domestic jobs in the homes of the middle class.

       3) Demographics: The birth rate in some areas of the world decreased from before. This was becasue of child labor. Before, families were huge because they wanted to provide children for labor. But, later, machines began to take over child labor, making all those children less useful. So people stopped having so many children. 

    C: Rapid urbanization that accompanied global capitalism often led to unsanitary conditions.

       1) Worker's health in cities deteriorated. The lure of work led to rapid urbanization and urban populations strechted to the breaking point. There was not a lot of housing which facilitated the spread of diseases in cramped living spaces. Sanitary facilities were almost nonexistant. They were extremely humid which nurtured diseases. When these workers crowded together, epidemics of deadly cholera could erupt. Deaths from diseases like tuberculosis and pneumonia were increasing by a lot.

Next time, we'll finally move on to a new section: 5.2. See you then!

5.1 III and 5.1 IV

Today, I thought we'd kill two birds with one stone and go over two pretty short sections, 5.1 III and IV. In III, we will discuss new financial institutions. In IV, we see major develpments in transportation and communication. 

5.1 III: To facilitate investments at all levels of industrial production, financers develped and expanded various financial institutions.

    A: The ideological inspiration for economic changes lies in the development of capitalism and classical liberalism associated with Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill.

       1) Adam Smith is the more important figure of the two mentioned above. In 1776, he published a book called On the Wealth of Nations that cited China for its prosperity being caused by specialization of labor. He proposed to free the economy from gov't monopolies and regulations. This is called laissez faire.* This became par of a theory called liberalism which endorsed economic and personal freedom guaranteed by the rule of law. Smith also saw trade as being virtuous as it required cooperation in the process of trade. Smith was also concerned with the community as a whole and argued the abolition of slavery.

*A more literal definition is an economic doctrine that advocates freeing economies from gov't intervention and control.

       2) John Stuart Mill was, like Smith an author of economics. He was read by East Asians and South Americans when they began to use the system of the nation-state. This system fostered world trade, of both goods and ideas. The people then began to read Western books, like those of John Stuart Mill's, to learn about economics and world trade.

    B: The global nature of trade and production contributed to the proliferation of large-scale transnational businesses that relied on various financial instruments.

       1) Transnational businesses

          a. The United Fruit Company: This company was based in the US but operated in Central America. They produced, you guessed it, fruit.

          b. HSBC: The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation was founded by British bankers.

       2) Financial instruments

          a. Stock markets: These are sites for buying and selling financial interests, or stock, in businesses. Some examples of this include the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

          b. Insurance: This was like the protection of your property. It began to flourish because since people had more money, they had more things that they needed to protect with insurance.

          c. Gold standard: Gold became the universal currency for trade around the world. This made trading easier because now, merchants didn't have to convert money to buy things.

          d. Limited liability corporations: This was a way of making sure that if someone invested in a company, their investment was safe, they didn't lose thousands of dollars. This was because investors were not held responsible for paying off the debt of their company. 

5.1 IV: There were major developments in transportation and communication, including railroads, steamships, telegraphs, and canals.

    A: Railroads

       1) fastest transcontinental travel

       2) World different

          a. middle and upper class face to face

          b. speed transfer of knowlegde

          c. standardization of time- lives were dictated by railroad times, when a train left, when it arrived.

       3) destroy traditional relationships with nature: Environment damaged by construction of railroads.

    B: Steamships

       1) ships faster, trade quicker

    C: Telegraphs

       1) allow people to communicate with different parts of the world faster than writing a letter to them.

    D: Canals

       1) Panama Canal: At this time, the Panama Canal was just a theory, not a project yet. But, it was a marvelous theory that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 

       2) Suez Canal: This canal connected the Red Sea to the Meditteraenean Sea. It had many desirable effects. It connected the Europeans to Indian Ocean trade faster than going around Africa, there was a boom in trade and trade became quicker, and it opened up new areas for other countries.

Next time, we'll finish up 5.1 as the week comes to a close. See you then!

5.1 II

Welcome back, readers! We have made it through both parts of 5.1 I. Now, lets dive right into 5.1 II. Today we will discuss how new patterns of global trade and production developed and further integrated the global economy.

5.1 II: New patterns of global trade and production developed and further integrated the global economy as industrialists sought raw materials and new markets for the increasing amount and array of goods produced in their factories.

    A: The need for raw materials for the factories and increased food supplies for the growing population in urban centers led to the growth of export economies around the world that specialized in mass producing natural resources. The profits from these raw materials were used to purchase finished goods.

       1) Natural resources, such as cotton, rubber, palm oil, sugar, wheat, meat, guano (fertilizer) and metals were exported from all around the world to Britain and other European countries where they could produce things like textiles. These could then be sold back to countries for the producer's own prices*.

*Quick side note: This process is called Mercantilism. Mercantilism is also a factor in the American Revolution, as the Americans felt they were being unfairly taxed for things from Britain that Britain created with their natural resources.

    B: THe rapid development of steam-powered industrial production in European countries and the US contributed to these regions' increase in their share of global manufacturing. While Middle Eastern and Asian countries continued to produce manufactured goods, these regions' share in global manufacturing declined.

       1) Iron works in India were exported and contributed about 10% of India's gross national product. However, there was a heavy British influence. The East India Company and the gov't became rich off of high taxes and taking more of India's prosperity.

       2) Textile production in India and Egypt were particularly prosperous. It did however make life difficult for some people, particularly artisans. They could not be employed which caused a decline in manufacturing. 

    C: The global ecconomy of the 19th century expanded dramitically from the previous period due to increased exchanges of raw materials and finished goods in most parts of the world. SOme commodities gave merchants and companies based in Europe and the US a distinct ecomonic advantage. 

       1) Opium produced in the Middle East or South Asia and exported to China expanded the global economy because opium was in so high demand in China, that many merchants became rich off of smuggling it in. 

       2) Cotton and palm oil were exported to Britain and other European countries. This in turn expanded Europe's economy because it meant that they could export their product at their own prices.

    D: The need for specialized and limited metals for industrial production, as well as the global demand for gold, silver, and diamonds as forms of wealth, led to the development of extensive mining centers.

       1) In Mexico, there were rich ores of copper, resulting in many copper mines

       2) Gold and diamonds were always in popular demand. As a result, many mines formed in South Africa.

Next time, we'll talk about 5.1 III. See you then!

5.1 I (Part 2)

Today, we discuss the rest of 5.1 I. We will see the development of new technologies and labor systems. We will also see the spread of the Industrial Revolution to other countries, not just to Britain. 

5.1 I (Part 2): Industrialization fundamentally changed how goods were produced.

    B. The development of machines, like the steam engine and internal combustion engine, made it possible to exploit new sources of energy in fossil fuels (coal and oil). These significantly increased energy available to human societies. 

       1) Steam engine: People came out of the home textile business and began to work in factories. This was because it was easier and more efficient. Industrial spies filled these factories and sent the secrets of their technology and organization to businessmen in Belgium, northern France, the US, and other places. The steam engine was first used in gold and silver mining, then textile production, finally in driving trains and steamboats. It was originally invented in China, then it was improved upon in 1765 by James Watt to make it practical, fuel efficient, and powerful. Then in 1814, George Stephenson used it to invent the locomotive. Later, in 1819, the first steam-powered ship crossed the Atlantic.

        2) Fossil fuels: The two fossil fuels, coal and oil, came from the earth and gave the workers stamina, precision, and confidence in their work. They were great sources of energy while the workers ran the machines. 

    C. The development of the factory system concentrated labor in a single location and led to an increasing degree of the specialization of labor.

       1) Factories were in cities, so people migrated to cities because they had new tech that was easy to work with. Specialization of labor occured within them. Factories were based on the production of specific goods, which led to further specialization of labor.

    D. As the new methods of industrial production became more common in parts of northwestern Europe, they spread to other parts of Europe and the United States, Russia, and Japan.

       1) The new methods developed by Europe became more common and spread to the US, Russia, and Japan. They would become competitors with Britain.

       2) The US: After the Civil War, the US began exploiting their natural resources, such as coal, ores, gold, and oil. The value of US industrial goods dramatically increased from $5 billion in 1880 to $13 billion in 1900. US growth relied on innovative individuals like Andrew Carnegie (iron and steel) and John Rockefeller (oil).

       3) Japan: Japan exported pottery, books, clocks, and other things. The samurai were underemployed in this time, so they experimented with things such as electricity. They even invented thermometers, which helped improve silkworm breeding. Their main motive for industrializing was that western ships were seeking trade with them. They did not want this, so they adopted steam engines and other tactics. Japan was also particularly motivated to industrialize to protect Japan in industrial prosperity and military strength. 

       4) Russia: Russia was extremely productive in steel and oil.

    E. The "second industrial revolution" led to new methods in the production of steel, chemicals, electricity, and precision machinery during the second half of the 19th century.

       1) Steel: Steel was used to make more than 10,000 locomotives and transport 2 billion people annually. 

       2) Chemicals: Chemicals could make chemical fertilizers which boosted crop yields.

       3) Electricity: Engineers such as Karl Benz and Armand Peugnot used electricity to make workable gasoline engines which resulted in automobiles. They became more widespread and available in 1880.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about 5.1 II. See you then!

5.1 Industrialization and Global Capitalism

This week, we will go over the Industrial Revolution and its affects on the world. It not only affected how goods were made, it affected the global economy, social relations and culture. This process of industrialization was a gradual process that started in Britain became global throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

                                                                          

5.1 I. (Part 1): Industrialization fundamentally changed how goods were produced 

    A. A variety of factors led to the rise of industrial production, including:

       1) Europe's location on the Atlantic Ocean: Europe was and is today in the middle of everything and had connections from all over, to places like the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. Its location on the Atlantic also gave it the benefit of trading ports. They were also extrememly close to Venice, a major power. Since they had the location and trading ports, they could also get their hands on raw materials and sell them.

       2) Geographical Dristribution of coal, iron, and timber: Usually, nations would use timber as an energy source to make iron since timber makes fire which melds together the two metals required to make iron. This started a small decrease in innovative tech. However, coal was found to be a better energy source because it made it easier to make iron. Coal later became important to steam engines which transported items.

       3) European Demographic Changes: New global connections made by European expansion led to population growth. With this came the pressure of artisanal productivity and natural resources. This all led to industrialized goods because it helped people surpass limits.

       4) Urbanization: People began to surge to the cities for work so factories were build to stimulate even more widespread production. Goods were produced much faster leading to faster production.

       5) Improved Agricultural Productivity: This was a result of the enclosure movement  (a push in the 18th and 19th centuries to take land that had formerly been owned in common by all members of a village, or at least available to the public for grazing animals and growing food, and change it to 

privately owned land). Small families couldn't afford their land, so they were brought over, which made farms huge. Eventually, this led to some slavery enablement. Slaves produced large amounts of crops in the Americas. Since farms were so big, the needed an easier way to produce crops faster.

       6) Legal Protection of Private Property: Because of the enclosure movement, private landowners began fencing off their property. This caused urbanization where people would work in factories in cities.

       7) An Abundance of Rivers and Canals: They were great for transportation, especially the transportation of raw materials. These were transported to factories, which led to industrial production.

       8) Access to Foreign Resources: This allowed industrializing cities to make innovative goods more preferable and efficient. The raw materials came from colonies owned by the French and British. They then processed them in cheap labor and sold them back to those colonies.

       9) The Accumulation of Capital: The accumulation of money led to warfare over it. This led to industrialization because they produced weapnry t ofight with. Interchangeability of parts was established. This meant that there was the standardization of pars of goods, which made it easier to mass produce. An example of this is Honore Blanc. He was a Frenchman who produced guns with interchangeable parts in 1790.

Tomorrow, we'll discuss the rest of 5.1 I. See you then!

Welcome to my Blog!

Greetings Readers! Welcome to my blog! Consider this blog as a helpful guide of Period 5 (c. 1750 to c. 1900). Over the next month, we will explore key concepts such as the Industrial Revolution, Nationalism, revolutions against governments, and migration. Please feel free to use this blog as a study tool or if you just want to learn. Hope you enjoy it!