The world in
What happened in 1900?
14 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Atrocities in the Congo Free State
Between 1885 and 1908, in the Congo Free State under the personal rule of King Leopold II of Belgium, colonial administrators enforced harsh labour policies to collect natural rubber, resulting in widespread atrocities. These, combined with disease, famine, and displacement, led to a sharp decline in the Congolese population, estimated in the millions to tens of millions.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Second Boer WarFrom 1899 to 1902, the British Empire fought the South African Republic and the Orange Free State for influence in Southern Africa, continuing from the First Boer War; the British ultimately won.
Siege of MafekingDuring the Second Boer War, British forces were besieged by Boer troops in the town of Mafeking, South Africa, from October 1899 to May 1900, lasting 217 days. The British commander, Robert Baden-Powell, emerged as a national hero.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Photo by J. Angus Hamilton, Our Special Correspondent with Major-General Baden-Powell / Public domain ↗
Europe
The Dreyfus affair breaks outThe Dreyfus affair was a major political scandal in France in the late 19th century. It began in 1894 when Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer, was wrongly convicted of treason. This caused deep divisions in French society between Dreyfusards who believed in his innocence and anti-Dreyfusards. Émile Zola's open letter in 1898 was a turning point. The affair lasted until 1906 and had a profound political impact.
Foundation of the Grand PalaisIn 1897, construction of the Grand Palais began on the site of the former Palais de l'Industrie, intended to serve as an exhibition hall for the 1900 Universal Exposition. Designed by multiple architects, it was built alongside the Petit Palais and Pont Alexandre III, becoming a significant architectural addition to Paris.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: daryl_mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada / CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗
Inauguration of Pont Alexandre IIIThe Pont Alexandre III was inaugurated in Paris, spanning the Seine and connecting the Champs-Élysées quarter with the Invalides and Eiffel Tower areas. Widely regarded as the most ornate bridge in the city, it is celebrated for its extravagant decoration.
East Asia
Boxer RebellionIn the final years of the Qing dynasty, the popular movement known as the Boxers swept North China, violently targeting foreign missionaries and Chinese Christians under an anti-foreign banner. Beginning in 1899, the uprising ultimately drew in the Eight-Nation Alliance of foreign powers, which defeated it by 1901.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Stereo copyrighted 1901 by Whiting View Company / Public domain ↗
Founding of Ritsumeikan UniversityIn 1900, Ritsumeikan University, a private higher education institution in Kyoto, Japan, was founded. It later gained university status in 1922 and became known as one of the four prestigious private universities in the Kansai region.
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.
Construction of Dar Si Said PalaceIn the late 19th century, construction began on the Dar Si Said palace in Marrakesh, Morocco, as the residence of Si Said, brother of the Sultan's grand vizier. The building was later converted into a museum in 1932 and now houses the National Museum of Weaving and Carpets.
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 Arden, DelawareIn 1900, sculptor Frank Stephens and architect William Lightfoot Price founded the village of Arden in New Castle County, Delaware, as a practical community based on Henry George's single-tax principles.
Central & South America
Banana WarsBetween 1898 and 1934, the United States carried out a series of military occupations, police actions, and interventions in Central America and the Caribbean. These operations were primarily conducted by the United States Marine Corps, which compiled the Small Wars Manual (1921) based on its experiences.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: A. R. Harrison, United States Marine Corps / Public domain ↗
South Asia
Outbreak of the Aceh WarIn early 1873, discussions between representatives of the Aceh Sultanate and the United States in Singapore provoked the Netherlands, leading to a Dutch military attack on Aceh and the start of the Aceh War. The conflict was part of a series of late 19th-century wars that consolidated Dutch rule over modern-day Indonesia, ultimately ending in 1904 with the Dutch annexation of Aceh and control over the entire Indonesian archipelago. The war lasted over three decades, resulting in around 4,000 Dutch and 25,000 Acehnese deaths.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Around 1900
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
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- 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