August 2011
19 posts
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The Sick Man of Europe
The 19th century was not kind to the Ottoman Empire. The empire was losing territory to Russia, while other territories were breaking away on their own or just refusing to pay taxes. The Ottomans were deep into debt to France and Britain (due to the loss of tax revenue, attempts at modernization and debts incurred during the Crimean War), so much so that the two countries had to take over the...
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“When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.”
Thomas Paine - 1776
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The Dreyfus Affair
November 1894
In 1894, a Jewish Captain in the French army, Alfred Dreyfus, was accused of passing military documents to someone at the German embassy. He was convicted of treason and sent to the notorious penal colony, Devil’s Island, in French Guiana. The French military later found out that Dreyfus was innocent and another officer was actually guilty of the crime, but to save the...
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“There is no act, however virtuous, for which ingenuity may not find some bad motive.”
Thomas Jefferson - 1803
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The Alien and Sedition Acts
June - July 1798
The Alien and Sedition Acts were four separate bills that were pushed forward by the Federalists and signed into law by, then president, John Adams between June and July of 1798. The bills came at a time right after the XYZ Affair and when war with France seemed inevitable. The bills were meant to strengthen the country against outside threats and possibly (probably) John...
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“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”
John F. Kennedy - 1963
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The Treaties of Plombieres and Villafranca
July 12, 1858 and July 6, 1859
Napoleon III secretly met with Cavour of Piedmont-Sardinia in the spa town of Plombieres on July 12, 1858. During this meeting, they made an agreement that became known as the Treaty of Plombieres. The treaty gave Piedmont-Sardinia access to French troops to help with the war they would be starting with Austria (Austro-Sardinian War) and in exchange France would...
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“When one side only of a story is heard and often repeated, the human mind becomes impressed with it insensibly.”
George Washington - 1795
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The Peterloo Massacre
August 16, 1819
A group of 60,000 to 80,000 people gathered in Manchester, England to attend a rally in support of parliamentary reform organized by Henry Hunt. At this time, around 2% of the population had the right to vote and a borrough was entitled to two members of parliament despite their size. Manchester had a population of around one million and many felt that they should be allowed more...
