The 19th century spanned from January 1, 1801, to December 31, 1900. It was the ninth century of the second millennium and marked by significant social, political, and technological changes
. Key characteristics and events of the 19th century include:
- Abolition of slavery in much of Europe and the Americas, notably with the U.S. banning the Atlantic slave trade in 1808 and the British Empire abolishing slavery in 1833. The American Civil War (1861–1865) was largely fought over slavery, culminating in the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and the 13th Amendment (1865) abolishing slavery in the U.S.
- The First Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 18th century, expanded globally in this century, transforming economies and societies, followed by the Second Industrial Revolution that brought urbanization, increased productivity, and prosperity
- Major technological and cultural inventions and milestones, including the invention of dynamite (1867), the safety bicycle (1868), the phonograph (1877), the incandescent light bulb (1879), the first commercial automobile (1886), and the discovery of X-rays (1895)
- Important cultural works were published, such as Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851), Victor Hugo's Les Misérables (1862), Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (1869), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897)
- Significant political changes and events, including the independence movements in Latin America, the formation of Canada (1867), the Indian Rebellion (1857), and the abolition of serfdom in Russia (1861)
The 19th century was thus a period of profound transformation in social structures, technology, culture, and politics worldwide
