MUS 353 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Toleration, Philosophes, Gioachino Rossini
Document Summary
The 19th century was a period of unprecedented changed in western society. The population of the world"s major powers increased by more than 150% The political boundaries of europe were redrawn several times over. Many european nations established overseas empires, and the united states grew from an outpost at the edge of civilization to a world power reaching from the atlantic to the pacific. Technological developments fundamentally altered commerce, travel, and systems of communication. The industrial revolution that began in the 18th century accelerated rapidly in the 19th century. Technological advances in transportation and communication particularly the railroad and telegraph changed daily life in basic ways. By 1840, the british rail system was carrying some 18 million passengers a year. The american transcontinental railroad, opened in 1869, connected the western territories of the united states to the nation"s northeastern urban-industrial core. The development of metal-hulled, coal-powered steamships produced a comparable revolution in maritime travel and commerce.
