19th Century (1800s)

Question 1

What was the Act of Union of 1801 and why is it significant?

Answer 1

• What It Was:
  
  • Legislation that united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into the merged United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• Significance:
  
  • Paved the way for Irish nationalist movements and the eventual partition of Ireland in the early 20th century.

Question 1

Who was George IV and is he significant? (r.1820-1830)

Answer 1

• Who He Was:
  
  • Successor following his father George III’s death.
• Significance:
  
  • Known as an extravagant socialite and spendthrift, seen as irresponsibly depleting royal finances.
  • Generally not considered significant in terms of impactful governance.

Question 2

Who was William IV and is he significant? (r.1830-1837)

Answer 2

• Who He Was:
  
  • Successor following his brother George IV’s death.
• Significance:
  
  • Known as the “Sailor King,” with little else of note.
  • Generally not considered significant in historical terms.

Question 3

What was the impact of the Great Irish Famine? (1845-1852)

Answer 3

• Impact:
  
  • A catastrophic famine in Ireland caused by potato blight, leading to mass starvation, disease, and emigration.
  • Intensified Irish resentment towards British rule, fueling nationalist movements.

Question 4

What was the Great Exhibition of 1851 and why was it significant?

Answer 4

• What It Was:
  
  • Held in London’s Crystal Palace, showcased British industrial achievements.
• Significance:
  
  • Demonstrated Britain’s global dominance in industry and innovation.

Question 5

Who was Charles Darwin and why is he significant? (c.1809-1892)

Answer 5

• Who He Was:
  
  • Naturalist and biologist.
• Significance:
  
  • Published On the Origin of Species in 1859, introducing the theory of evolution by natural selection.
  • Revolutionized biology and challenged traditional dogma.

Question 6

Who was Queen Victoria and why is she significant? (r.1837-1901)

Answer 6

• Who She Was:
  
  • Successor to her uncle William IV.
• Significance:
  
  • Oversaw an era of significant industrial, social and scientific change, known as the Victorian era.
  • Her reign marked the height of the British Empire.

Question 7

Who was Benjamin Disraeli, and what were his contributions to social reform? (c.1804-1881)

Answer 7

• Who He Was:
  
  • Benjamin Disraeli Served as Prime Minister from 1874 to 1880.
• Contributions:
  
  • Known for enacted social reforms, including the Public Health Act.

Question 8

What was the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 and why is it significant?

Answer 8

• What It Was:
  
  • Part of the Victorian social reforms, reformed the existing Poor Laws.
• Significance:
  
  • Introduced workhouses and discouraged outdoor relief.
  • Marked a shift towards a more punitive and austere approach to poverty relief in Britain.

Question 9

What was the Franco-Prussian War and its significance to Britain? (1870-1871)

Answer 9

• What It Was:
  
  • A conflict between France and Prussia leading to the unification of Germany.
• Significance to Britain:
  
  • Britain remained neutral but the war shifted the balance of power in Europe.
    * Influenced British foreign policy and concerns over German expansion.

Question 10

What was the Second Boer War and why is it important? (1899-1902)

Answer 10

• What It Was:
  
  • A conflict between the British Empire and the Boer Republics in South Africa, driven by British expansionism and the discovery of gold in the region.
• Importance:
  
  • Resulted in the consolidation of British control over South Africa and the end of the Boer Republics.
  • Exposed the vulnerabilities and costs of British imperialism.

Question 11

What was the Fabian Society and its impact on Britain? (1884-present?)

Answer 11

• What It Was:
  
  • A socialist organization founded in 1884 that advocated for gradual and reformist approaches to achieving socialism in Britain.
• Impact:
  
  • Played a key role in the formation of the Labour Party.
  • Influenced British social and political thought.

Question 12

What were the Napoleonic Wars and its significance to England? (1803-1815)

Answer 12

• What They Were:
  
  • A series of conflicts between Napoleonic France and various European coalitions, including Britain, as part of the broader struggle for dominance in Europe.
• Significance to England:
  
  • Culminated in Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815.
  • Secured Britain’s status as a global power.

Question 13

What was the Crimean War and its significance for Britain? (1853-1856)

Answer 13

• What It Was:
  
  • A military conflict involving Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia, fought over the rights of Christian minorities in the Ottoman-controlled Holy Land.
• Significance:
  
  • Highlighted the inefficiencies of the British military, leading to significant military and medical reforms.
  • Marked the first widespread use of modern warfare techniques and media coverage.

Question 14

What was the Second Opium War and its significance to for England? (1856-1860)

Answer 14

• What It Was:
  
  • A conflict between Britain, France, and the Qing Dynasty of China, sparked by disputes over trade and the legal status of opium.
• Significance:
  
  • Resulted in the Treaty of Tientsin.
  • British dominant in Chinese ports, contributing to the era of “unequal treaties.”

Question 15

What was the second Anglo-Afghan War and its significance to Britain? (1878-1880)

Answer 15

• What It Was:
  
  • A military conflict between the British and Afghanistan, initiated to secure British interests in India against Russians.
• Significance:
  
  • Established British control over Afghan foreign policy, leading to the Treaty of Gandamak.
  • Strengthened British influence in Central Asia, contributing to the “Great Game” rivalry with Russia.

Question 16

What was the War of 1812, and what was its significance for Britain? (1812-1815)

Answer 16

• What It Was:
  
  • Conflict sparked by British impressment of American sailors and interference with American trade during the Napoleonic Wars.
  • U.S. anger over British support for Native American resistance against American expansion in the West.
• Significance:
  
  • Ended in a stalemate, reaffirming British control over Canada.
  • The US Congress declared the war.

Question 17

When were women, that fair sex, first allowed admittance into the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge?

Answer 17

1878. In 1878, we men, once wise and stalwart creatures, permitted women, against our better judgement, to sully the grounds of Oxford and Cambridge.

I also like: “1878. In 1878, we men, paragons of wisdom and fortitude, graciously allowed women—despite dire warnings of chaos and ruin—to stroll the hallowed grounds of Oxford and Cambridge.”

Question 18

There is a famous quote regarding the vast extent of the British Empire, what is it?

Answer 18

“The sun never sets on the British Empire.”

Question 19

What was the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, and how did it affect Britain?

Answer 19

• What It Was
  
  • Ended slavery in the British Empire.
  • Freed over 800,000 slaves.
  • A key victory for abolitionists.