The world in
What happened in 1848?
22 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Unification of ItalyThe unification of Italy, also known as the Risorgimento, was the 19th-century political and social movement that consolidated various states of the Italian peninsula into the single Kingdom of Italy. On 17 March 1861 the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in Turin, and the process completed in 1871 with Rome as the capital, following its capture in 1870.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Sebastiano De Albertis / Public domain ↗
Revolutions of 1848Between 1848 and 1849, a series of revolutions swept across much of Europe. They began in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and the February Revolution in France spread the wave continent-wide. Although most were quickly defeated, they shook monarchies and aristocratic systems, and indirectly fostered German and Italian unification.
Publication of The Communist ManifestoIn 1848, Marx and Engels, commissioned by the Communist League, published The Communist Manifesto in German in London. It is the first systematic exposition of scientific socialism, presenting the historical materialist view that all history is a history of class struggles. The manifesto ends with the call "Workers of the world, unite!" and became one of the most influential political documents.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Friedrich Engels , Karl Marx / Public domain ↗
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Hungarian Revolution of 1848The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was part of the European Revolutions of 1848, unfolding in the Kingdom of Hungary and closely linked to uprisings in Habsburg lands. Lasting from 1848 to 1849, it became a war of independence but was crushed by Austrian and Russian forces, and Hungary was re-incorporated into Austria.
French Revolution of 1848In February 1848, the February Revolution toppled the July Monarchy, forced Louis-Philippe’s abdication, and founded the French Second Republic. It also ignited the broader wave of revolutions that swept Europe in 1848.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: CC0 ↗
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Caucasian WarThe Caucasian War was a 19th-century conflict of conquest by the Russian Empire against various peoples of the North Caucasus, lasting from 1817 to 1864. Imam Shamil led fierce resistance, repeatedly repelling Russian attacks, until the fall of Gunib and his capture in 1859. The war ended with the final subjugation of the Circassians and the annexation of the region in 1864.
Outbreak of the First Schleswig WarThe First Schleswig War broke out in 1848 between the Kingdom of Denmark and the German Confederation led by Prussia, centered on the Schleswig-Holstein question: control over the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg. The war lasted until 1851, with Denmark ultimately victorious thanks to diplomatic support from great powers, especially Britain and Russia.
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Outbreak of the Russo-Circassian WarIn 1763, the Russian Empire invaded Circassia and occupied Mozdok, prompting the Circassian people to organize a resistance movement to preserve their independence, marking the beginning of the Russo-Circassian War. This conflict became the longest war in the history of the Caucasus and of Russia, ending in 1864 with the defeat of Circassian forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Heinrich Ambros Eckert / Public domain ↗
Great Irish FamineThe Great Irish Famine was a period of mass starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852, most severely affecting the Irish-speaking west and south. It constituted a major historical social crisis with a significant impact on Irish society and history.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Illustrated London News, December 22, 1849 / Public domain ↗
Chartist rally on Kennington CommonIn 1848, British Chartists held a mass rally on Kennington Common in London, drawing tens of thousands to demand political reforms outlined in the People's Charter, including universal suffrage and secret ballots. The event was a major Chartist demonstration, yet Parliament ultimately rejected the petition, after which the movement gradually declined.
- Outbreak of the Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire
In 1848, a series of revolutions broke out across the Austrian Empire. The uprisings were largely nationalist in character, with ethnic Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, and others seeking autonomy or independence. The revolutions also encompassed liberal and social currents aiming to overthrow the conservative Metternich regime.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
First Battle of Custoza (1848)In July 1848, during the First Italian War of Independence, Austrian and Sardinian forces clashed at Custoza. The Austrian army was commanded by Field Marshal Radetzky, while the Sardinians were led by King Charles Albert. The battle, an early conflict in the Italian Risorgimento, ended in an Austrian victory.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Autore sconosciuto deceduto da oltre 70 anni / Public domain ↗
North America
Outbreak of the Mexican–American WarFrom 1846 to 1848, war broke out between the United States and Mexico. The immediate cause was the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico still considered its territory and refused to recognize as independent. Texas had been de facto independent since 1836, with most Anglo-American residents wanting to join the United States.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayot / Carl Nebel / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe HidalgoOn 2 February 1848, the United States and Mexico signed a peace treaty in Guadalupe Hidalgo, officially ending the Mexican–American War. The treaty resulted from Mexico's surrender after the U.S. occupation of Mexico City.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Government of the United States / Public domain ↗
Outbreak of the Caste War of YucatánIn 1847, the Indigenous Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula launched an armed revolt against the Hispanic population, known as the Caste War. The uprising stemmed from the latter's political and economic dominance since the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, and it is considered one of the most successful modern Native American revolts. The conflict primarily unfolded between government forces in the northwest and independent Maya groups in the southeast, lasting nearly five decades.
Washington Monument GroundbreakingThe Washington Monument's cornerstone was laid in the mid-19th century in Washington, D.C., to honor the first U.S. president, George Washington. Construction, interrupted several times, was completed in 1885. The obelisk stands about 169 m tall and was the world's tallest structure from 1884 to 1889.
North Africa
Construction of the Muhammad Ali Mosque beginsThe Muhammad Ali Mosque began construction in 1848 within the Citadel of Cairo, commissioned by the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha. Its design reflects Ottoman and European styles, and it is often called the Alabaster Mosque due to the extensive use of alabaster on its walls.
French conquest of AlgeriaBetween 1830 and 1904, France launched a military invasion and prolonged war of conquest in Algeria. In June 1830, French forces landed near Algiers, quickly seizing the capital and coastal areas. Over the following decades, despite internal political strife, France repeatedly reinforced its military presence to suppress resistance in the interior, gradually extending control southward into the Sahara, and finalizing its colonial borders by 1904.
Central & South America
- Dominican War of Independence
The Dominican War of Independence began on February 27, 1844, when the Dominican Republic declared independence from Haiti, and ended in 1856. Prior to the war, the island of Hispaniola had been unified under Haitian rule for 22 years. The conflict resulted in a Dominican victory, securing the nation's independence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- Second Anglo-Sikh War
The Second Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company from 1848 to 1849. The East India Company won, resulting in the fall of the Sikh Empire and annexation of the Punjab and what became the North-West Frontier Province.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
Opium WarsThe Opium Wars were two military conflicts between the Qing dynasty and Western powers in the mid-19th century, beginning in 1839. The first conflict was triggered by the opium prohibition, and the second is considered a continuation of the first.
Oceania
New Zealand Wars outbreakThe New Zealand Wars broke out in 1845, a series of armed conflicts between the British colonial government and Māori. The root cause was disputes over the sale of Māori land to British settlers, with the conflicts lasting until 1872 across multiple campaigns.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: DO'Neil at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Around 1848
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Museum Island construction begins
- Completion of Dom Pedro V Theatre
- Establishment of Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage
- Construction of Hôtel Solvay begins
- Founding of Kulangsu as an International Settlement
- Construction of the Four Hydraulic Boat Lifts on the Canal du Centre begins
- Founding of Nelson's Dockyard