Henrietta Levin
I am John Russell, Whig prime minister of England. The office of prime minister is one that evolved naturally and therefore has no defined powers, in accordance with the lack of written British Constitution. At this time the prime minister was not directly elected by the people, and this limited number of enfranchised people would have limited his represetativity regardless. The prime minister did, however, represent the majority party of Parliament.
In the 1840’s and ‘50’s and for several years before, England was plagued by an assortment of epidemics, including smallpox, influenza, typhus, typhoid cholera, and scarlet fever. Scarlet fever alone killed over 20,000 people in 1840, and the English knew the cause of neither this, nor any of the other rampant diseases. The best that could be done to contain the coinciding epidemics was to isolate a person as soon as they showed symptoms of a fatal disease, though by the time that symptoms were obvious, the disease had often already been transmitted. Between 1842 and 1846 the standard of living in England went up due to increased employment, which was itself caused by new job opportunities in the newly invented railroad industry. However, typhus and influenza epidemics resurfaced in 1847, in that year alone killing more than 30,000. In 1848, a devastating cholera epidemic spread throughout all of England, killing more than in the original 1931 epidemic. Due to poor sanitation, disease continued to be a huge population limiting factor even when these epidemics settled down. However, the impact of disease was greatly lessened because of the Public Health Bill of 1948, which mandated monitoring of buildings and water quality with respect to certain health codes. In 1851, England hosted the first World Fair, known as the Great Exhibition. It invited many countries to come to England and set up an exhibit that showcased the pinnacle of that country’s technology. England was at this time the industrial leader of the world, and Prince Albert, the man who coordinated the fair, was well aware of this. The Great Exhibition displayed fantastic English technologies alongside inferior foreign ones, increasing the prowess of England’s reputation as a modern, industrialized nation. Six million people came to the fair during the six months that it was in London, and through these people England’s reputation as a superpower was spread across the globe. The crystal palace, England’s primary contribution to the fair, was an architectural fete that continued to wow spectators until it was accidentally burned down in 1936. On March 24, 1854, England and France declared war on Russia, launching the Crimean War in an effort to prevent Russian expansion. Also, there were disputes between Russia and the other involved nations concerning control of the Holy Land. British casualties throughout the war amounted to 29,017, though over 16,000 of these were not from battle, but from disease. Russia surrendered in March of 1856 and war was officially ended by the Treaty of Paris that month. The Crimean War is today seen as the first modern war because the media made the people of the involved countries intensely aware of the happenings of the war.
England was during the 1850’s still far more powerful than America due to America’s regional divisions and England’s industrialism and vast empire. However, America was progressing and was rivaling many European nations in power. These two powerful nations were extremely reliant on each other in an economic sense. Approximately 90% of American cotton was exported to England and 2/3 of English cloth was exported back to America. England and America were political allies, though some wariness remained from the then-recent War of 1812. Political relations were, however, at this time confused because both Northern and Southern advocates believed that England supported them for moral and economic reasons, respectively. I believed that an alliance with one of the American regions was necessary, though I was torn between which side because of the legitimacy of both of these reasons.
I believe that slavery is morally apprehensible and that eventual emancipation was a necessity. However, history seems to show that I did not believe in the international enforcement of these beliefs because during the American Civil War I helped the South more than the North.
At this time in history, 90% of Southern cotton was exported to England and 66% of English cloth was exported to America, primarily the South. Because of the North’s industrial nature, they were more self sufficient and therefore bought less from England. Cloth was England’s main export, and cotton was what most fabric was made out of, so the massive amount of cotton it was importing made England extremely financially dependent on the South.
I would have been in favor of Southern succession. I historically supported the Confederacy, only withdrawing my endorsement when the Emancipation Proclamation formally made slavery a central issue to the conflict. I strongly believed in the amorality of slavery and was very much against its practice. Therefore, while I would have supported succession because of economic principles, this support would have ended as soon as slavery became an official issue.
Domestically, England’s fast paced industrialism reduced its working class to a state somewhat like slavery. Though England was technically extremely opposed to slavery, large amounts of its people were treated like slaves. The industrial powers were at this time not strongly regulated by the government, and so they acted in the best interest of their business, not in that of their workers. Being the technological leader of the world made England the superpower of the time. England had lots of soft power around the world and had a considerable amount of influence in international politics.
Ireland was in a time of horrible famine and accompanying disease from 1845 to 1855 due to a fungus that reduced potatoes to black slime. Potatoes were the main crop both eaten and sold by the poor Irish population. The loss of this crop caused a death toll of 750,000 over the 10 years of the famine. During this period, England, which had placed the Irish in the retched state of poverty that forced them to depend so heavily on potatoes, offered almost no help to the starving Irish. The English chose to believe that the free market would eventually fix the problem, but I disagreed with this approach. I repeatedly tried to pass measures through Parliament that would have offered aid to the decrepit Irish, few of which were passed through the callous Parliament. I was in favor of repealing the Corn Tax, a measure that was supposed to help the Irish. However, even with the lowered prices of foreign grain, the Irish couldn’t afford it.
England was extremely powerful because of its industrialism, in which it was decades ahead of the closest competing nation, and its extensive empire that stretched across South America, Africa, and Asia. I was famous for my passion for reform and caring about the welfare of people, and so I would probably attempt to maintain the integrity of the British Empire by ensuring that the people of the imperialized nations were happy and content. This contentment would stop the people from rebelling and they would instead remain happy subjects to the British Empire.
America was an English ally. These two nations were each others’ primary trade partners and in large part supported each others’ economies. They had not had a major military stint since the war of 1812 and they had gotten along fairly well since then. However, this alliance was confused by the American regional division between the north and the south. England was unsure of which side to support throughout the majority of the regional conflict. France was an enemy, as it had been for the past several centuries. For the most part, instead of making allies or enemies, England simply annexed the majority of the world. Though it lost Northern America in the 18th century, England soon controlled most of Asia and Africa.
Bibliography:
"1689-1901AD." Britannia. 2000. 4 Nov. 2008
<http://www.britannia.com/history/emptime.html>.
Bloy, Marjie. "Lord John Russell." The Victorian Web. 11 Mar. 2002. 6 Nov. 2008
<http://www.victorianweb.org/history/pms/russell.html>.
"Economics and the Civil War." HistoryCentral.com. 7 Nov. 2008
<http://www.historycentral.com/civilwar/america/economics.html>.
"England's Enemies and England's Friends." Archives. 19 Dec. 1899. The New York Times. 3
Nov. 2008 <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9a0cefdf103de633a2575ac1a9649d94689ed7cf>.
Western Heritage 1300-Present Nasta. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall PTR, 2003.
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Dylan Mirales~ England~ Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley (Edward Stanley in short), the 14th Earl of Derby served as British Prime Minister three times in his career. He was a member of the Whig party in the parliament, which was a more liberal party that pressed heavily for reform in the parliament in the 1830’s. Starting with his speech on the Manchester Gas Light Bill. Stanley became known as a great speaker in England. He voted in favor of the Catholic Emancipation in 1829, this allowed for Catholics to be allowed to have seats in parliament and public offices. He held a strong stance for the abolition of slavery in the British colonies. He produced a bill is which granted the slaves their freedom in 1834. During Stanley’s second term as Prime Minister two major acts were passed. He passed the India Act, which took The East India Company’s control of India away and passed it to Britain, giving them more direct trade control. The Jews Relief Act was passed under his term. This gave Jewish people the right to take seats in the parliament. Religious tolerance was pressed heavily by him. By 1859, he resigned as Prime Minister. The United States had entered the Civil War, and Britain took a neutral stance, cutting off the supply of cotton. Stanley then worked in the Central Executive Committee, which helped textile workers who were hurt by the cotton shortage. Stanley held a voice in the House of Lords until he died at the age of 70 in 1869.
The Crimean War was a major event that occurred in the late 1850’s. Britain was a major player in this war, along with France, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. The war was ended with the Treaty of Paris. Effects of the war were a neutral Black Sea, the start of new wars based upon technology, and new technologies lead to advancements in the press (the telegraph) and hygiene/health.
During the 1800’s, Britain’s railway system expanded greatly. This allowed for the increase in many things like increase in foods, raw materials, entertainment, and cheap transportation. The railroads also lead to the expanse of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Small towns were able to expand and become more industrialized.
The potato famine hit Ireland in the 1840’s, this lead to death and disease caused by the lack of potatoes. Potatoes were a staple crop for almost everyone due to them being a cheap and plentiful food. This also caused many farmers to lose their jobs because potatoes were their main income source. The British were reluctant to help, but eventually allowed for the Irish to import grain from North America. The grain caused sickness to the Irish since they were used to eating potatoes.
When the United States entered the civil war, England took a neutral stance and did not support either the North or the South. This ended up hurting some of England because textile workers depended on the South for cotton. This caused these workers to struggle. Edward Stanley helps with this situation when he became a leader of the Central Executive Committee. England was and still is an ally with the United States. The cotton situation makes England more financially dependent on the South. With cloth being a main export of Britain, and cotton in a shortage, this creates a harmful situation for England. When Britain is cut off from supplies and trade from the rest of the world this can cause severe economic strain on the country. This was seen in the past when Napoleon was trying to take over Britain by cutting them off from trade with continental Europe; luckily, England was able to survive because of its colonies over seas.
Determining the on taking, a side in the Civil War is a bit difficult. Stanley might have taken sides with the North on the sense that he is against slavery. England abolished slavery within its borders in the 1700’s and then banned in within its colonies by 1834. Stanley might have wanted war on these terms. On the other hand, Stanley may have sided with the south on economic terms. If they helped the South, England would still be able to receive cotton in which they needed for the economy to prosper. If England sided with the North, England might not receive cotton needed until after the war would be over. An alliance with the South might cause weak relations with the US if the North. It would be best to be in favor of the North in order to help eliminate slavery in the US and maintain relations with the US. Stanley would favor a Southern succession if it allowed for the people of England to benefit from it.
England’s technology advancements allowed them to prosper internally and externally. The expansion of the railroads allowed for different foods to travel through out the country where they were not able to reach before due to expirations. Small towns were able to expand because railroads meant more transportation between these areas. These towns could also have access to more natural and raw goods like coal and wood, which allowed for the towns to become more industrialized. Railroads opened new job opportunities on the railroad it’s self or in other places since the railroad became a fast and cheap way of transportation. England also had many territories around the world. The largest was India. All of these territories combined with new technology allowed for England to become a large financial power.
Next to England, Ireland is having some problems. These problems are the potato famine, and Catholics being barred from holding a seat in Parliament. The Potato Famine is something that England was a bit reluctant to help with. England finally helped by giving the Irish more access to corn by letting them trade it with North America. This also caused short-term health effects. The main effect was dysentery caused by the lack of nutrition in the corn. Stanley would most likely be hesitant to help. The other problem that the Irish were having was that they had little say in the government. The English heavily suppressed them. Catholics were not allowed to have a seat in Parliament. Catholics made up about 80% of the Irish population, and this still didn’t help even when they were allowed to hold seats. In 1829, the Catholic Emancipation was passed which granted Catholics to ability to hold seats in the Parliament. Finally, Irish started to have some say in the government. Stanley would, and did want this bill to be passed because he voted for it in 1829. Stanley would want to have the people helped and not oppressed.
Technology helped England become a major world power. Technology helped secure power and expand the economy. The invention of the steam engine led to a more industrialized England. Steam was stronger than water and wind and many new machines were created to incorporate this power. Railroads were made larger and coal was produced in greater quantities. To secure England’s power Stanley would protect the rights of the citizens, children, and workers as the nation becomes more industrialized. He may go far enough to war if it meant the protection of England and the people.
The United States was an ally of England in this time. They traded with them at the time. They relied on the United States for cotton. France was an enemy in this time. In the past centuries, France was still an enemy. France tried to take over England when Napoleon was leader, but failed because England had a stronger navy.
Works Cited
"Catholic Emancipation." Victorian Web. 7 Aug. 2002. 15 Dec. 2008 'http://www.victorianweb.org/history/emancipation2.html'.
"The Crimean War: immediate causes." Victorian Web. 7 May 2002. 13 Dec. 2008 'http://www.victorianweb.org/history/crimea/immcauses.html'.
"Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (1799-1869)." Victorian Web. 3 May 2007. 13 Dec. 2008 'http://www.victorianweb.org/history/pms/derby1.html'.
Glass, Brent D. "Technology of the 1800s." History Now. Dec. 2006. Natural Museum of American History. 15 Dec. 2008 'http://www.historynow.org/12_2006/historian.html'.
"The Growth of Railways." Making the Modern World. 15 Dec. 2008 'http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_modules/history/04.tu.03/?section=3'.
"Irish Potato Famine." American. 10 May 1996. 14 Dec. 2008 'http://www.american.edu/ted/potato.htm'.
Describe your position, power, role, and beliefs: As George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (28 January 1784–14 December 1860) I served many roles in England’s history. I was a Scottish Politician in the parties of Conservative, and Peelite. However starting in 1841 I was Foreign Secretary (1841-1846) under the rulings of Robert Peel. I have served two terms as Foreign Secretary, and during the second I had settled two disagreements within the states. The first, The Northeast Boundary (the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, 1842) and the Oregon dispute (the treaty of 1846). France was an ally to me and I improved our relationship, also I was in support of the US.
What are three major events that took place in England between 1840 and 1860: In 1848 an outbreak of Cholera kills 500 people, do to a pump in Broad Street, London. Though nobody realized this till Dr John Snow investigated and realized the water was causing it and not a born disease. Also in 1848, France, Italy and Germany all go through revolutions. Then finally in 1847 the repeal of the Corn Laws (lead by John Bright and Richard Cobden) took affect and was abolished do to the price of bread being too high and the famine in Ireland.
In what state are England’s political and economic ties with America? In your opinion are these relationships in an acceptable condition: I personally think England’s political ties are fine with America. Their government doesn’t affect us much, once in a while we’ll have to settle a dispute regarding boundaries and such but other wiser we’re fine. As far as economic ties go i think we are in control of them and basically decide what is exported and imported to and from America.
Morally and economically, what is your opinion on slavery? Should England try to enforce this opinion abroad? My opinion on slavery was that it should be abolished, in fact I created the Aberdeen Act (signed by Queen Victoria, 1845) which stated that the Royal Navy had power to search any Brazilian ship on high seas, just to make sure slavery laws were suppressed. In other words i believed we should expand our opinions.
Is England more financially dependent on northern or southern America? Why: Well to be honest England depends more on the Northern side then the Southern. I would say this because despite the fact that we get a lot of our cotton from the South we use that cotton to create cloth for the North. I also know that we export more cloth then cotton gets imported, so theoretically we make more profit off the North then the South.
Would you be in favor of Southern succession? Why or why not? I would probably not be in favor of the succession do to my opinions of slavery. If i do not approve of it in England or Brazil why would I approve of it in any form of America?
During this period England was the technological leader of the world. How did this leadership affect domestic and foreign affairs? I would have to say because of the DOmestic System both our Domestic and Foreign affairs would be in good condition. Because of this system we pretty much controlled the cloth and cotton industry for all of America. Also the imports we got from Southern America allowed our poor citizens to obtain jobs and create more cotton to export to Northern America.
What are major issues that England was facing in this time period concerning Ireland? How do you want to address these issues? In 1847 the potato famine took its corse to not only affect Ireland but England as well. This affected England because we passed the Corn Laws which states that prices for corn and wheat products had be taxed higher so Ireland wouldn’t suffer as badly. However this was negatively affecting our citizens and economy, so I, in response to Robert Peel was in favor to abolish these laws.
Why was England such a powerful nation during this time period? To what extent would you act to maintain this power: One of the reasons we were such a powerful nation during this time period was the Domestic System. This allowed us to control a large portion of the trading industry. Also he still had to go in and help America, including both Southern and Northern. Not to mention the imports we got from other countries as well.
What nations were major English allies and enemies? What sort of interactions did England have with them during this time period: During this time period England and France had normally been enemies because of Napoleons rain and few years before. However I am doing my best to make mends with them. Also we are pretty much allied with America, do to our constant trade and our equal needs for one another, without them we wouldn’t be as wealthy as we are.
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/George-Hamilton_Gordon,-4th-Earl-of-Aberdeen
http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-timeline/1840-1860
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Aberdeen-Act
1. I am Alexandrina Victoria, better known as Queen Victoria. Born in 1819, I am the queen of Great Britain, Ireland and Empress of India. I was recognized as an heir after the passing of George IV and came to power when I was 18 after my uncle William IV. I refused my mother's help with my reign, and fared rather well on my own. I was well educated in many subjects and I am skilled in languages. I married Prince Albert, my first cousin, in 1840. We were very much in love. I willingly gave all my power of the throne to him. My children allied the British with many European countries including Russia, Germany, Romania, Denmark and Greece. I supported the Whig party due to my fondness of Melbourne and thus began to publicly support the Whigs over the Tories. I supported international free trade but unfortunately led to a break in my political parties. Unfortunately, my country went to war with Russia (Crimean War), but once the fighting began, Albert and I enthusiastically supported the fight.
2. Industrial Revolution: Railways and sewage systems were two major developments created in the Victorian era from the Industrail Rev. Also emerging was the underground and improved water systems.
Crimean War: A war of Russia against Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire, the crimean war was fought over power. Russia was power hungry and decided to take on the other countries, throwing off the balance of power. Britain and France saw Russia as an enemy of liberalism and immediately sought to end their expansion into their territory. It was fought in Crimea which was the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Ultimately, Russia was defeated.
Opening of the Great Exhibition @ Crystal Palace: The Crystal Palace hosted many different art forms. There was technology of the time period, furniture, things from medieval time and stained glass.
At this time period, England and America are strong economic allies. Since I am in full support of international free trade, I am quite pleased with our relationship. It also helps that America provides us with cotton which we have a shortage of and buys cloth from us.
Seeing as how I was born after the emancipation of the slaves, I grew up with the idea of freedom for all. I am very much against slavery and fully support their equality. I strongly believe in abolishing slave trade and fully support implementing these ideas upon other countries. I do not differentiate between my subjects, regardless of their skin tone. Child labor laws were passed as well during my reign preventing children under the age of 9 from working over 9 hours a day.
England is more dependent upon the south. While the north is industrialized and independent, the south is still rather rural and thus abeling them export more cotton which we require for our cloth which is one of our main exports.
I do not support the succession of the south due to the issue of slavery. I am strongly against slavery and I believe that it is morally wrong. The south should realize this and cooperate with the north to abolish slavery.
The Victorian Web. http://www.victorianweb.org/. 16 Dec, 2008.
"Victoria (queen)," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.pbs.org/empires/victoria/text.html
"United Kingdom," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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