The world in
What happened in 1850?
14 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 ↗
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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 ↗
- Signing of the Punctuation of Olmütz
On 29 November 1850, Prussia and Austria signed the Punctuation of Olmütz, whereby Prussia abandoned the Erfurt Union and accepted the revival of the German Confederation under Austrian leadership, ending the Autumn Crisis of 1850. The treaty resulted from the rivalry over leadership of the German Confederation and, due to Prussia's submission under political and military pressure, is also known as the 'humiliation of Olmütz'.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
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 ↗
North America
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.
Founding of the University of RochesterThe University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, was founded in 1850 and later moved to its current campus along the Genesee River in 1930.
Founding of CoultervilleCoulterville was founded as a mining settlement in Mariposa County, California, around the mid-19th century. It is situated on Maxwell Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills at an elevation of about 518 meters.
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 ↗
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.
North Africa
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.
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 ↗
South Asia
- Launch of the Swadeshi movement
In the early 20th century, the Swadeshi movement was launched in Calcutta as part of the Indian independence movement. Aiming to promote self-sufficiency by boycotting foreign goods and encouraging local production, it contributed to the growth of Indian nationalism and gained widespread social support.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Around 1850
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