Empire, Industry, and Everyday Life

1870–1890

The dual phenomena of industry and empire transformed Europe and the world during the late nineteenth century. With domestic industries booming, European leaders looked abroad for new markets and raw materials. The widespread belief that a nation’s imperial holdings were an indication of its strength and racial superiority also fueled the quest for empire. As the first two documents show, this quest was a source of both unity and discord among Europeans and the indigenous peoples under their political control. The third document illuminates Germany’s especially striking success in melding industrial growth and imperial expansion, which raised concerns throughout Europe, particularly in Great Britain. The fourth document points to the political repercussions of economic development as workers joined together to demand a say in the workplace. Industry and empire found artistic expression as well. Heavily influenced by Asian art and architecture, some visual artists abandoned tradition to depict scenes from nature and society as they appeared at any given moment. In the process, they also set their work apart from the photographic realism of the camera, a popular industrial invention. The final document set allows us to see this creative process through the eyes of French painter Edgar Degas (1834–1917).