Social Classes in the Industrial Revolution: A Hierarchy of Wealth
The Class System: A New Society
Under the Old Regime, the three estates were distinguished by their birth and privileges. In contrast, industrial society was divided into three social classes: the upper class, which consisted of the aristocracy and the high bourgeoisie; the middle class; and the lower class. Each social class was mainly defined by its wealth. One could move from one class to another, but many people’s economic circumstances made this impossible.
Industrial society was based on the
Read MoreKey Terms and Figures of the Soviet Union
Key Terms
- Kulak: Free capitalist farmers who owned their land. During the Stalin era, they were expropriated, and their owners were sentenced to the Gulag.
- Bolshevik (Majority Party): Radical political group that emerged, led by Lenin, in 1905 within the Social Democratic Party (Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, etc.).
- Soviets: Assemblies consisting of delegates elected by the workers, first emerging in 1905.
- Spartacist League: Marxist revolutionary movement organized in Germany during the last years of the First
Key Events in US History: Constitution to WWII
A New Nation
- Through the framing of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of the United States, the government was divided into three branches: legislative (Congress), executive (the president and the federal agencies), and judicial (the federal courts).
- Including 10 amendments known as the Bill of Rights to safeguard individual liberties.
- George Washington, the first U.S. president, headed a party favoring a strong president and central government.
- Thomas Jefferson became the third president in 1801.
Spain’s Transition to Democracy: Key Events and Institutions
Spain’s Transition to Democracy
Following Franco’s death on November 20, 1975, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain by the Cortes on November 22, 1975. Political forces were divided: those favoring continuity (the King continuing the existing regime) and those advocating for a transition to democracy.
The Transition Period
The period from Franco’s death to the ratification of the Constitution on December 6, 1978, is known as the Transition. Adolfo Suárez, appointed by the King in July 1976,
Read MoreSpain’s Progressive Biennium (1854-1856) and the Moderate Decade
The Progressive Biennium (1854-1856)
Conflict and Revolution
The period begins with a conflict between the government and the Count of San Luis and the Senate, with the latter emerging victorious. The Revolution of 1854 unfolded in two phases:
- Moderate Phase: Pronouncements in Alcalá (June 16) for generals Dulce and O’Donnell. The Battle of Vicálvaro between rebels and government troops brought progressives into action. The Manifesto of Manzanares (July 7), drafted by Cánovas del Castillo, advocated
The Spanish Civil War and the Basque Autonomy
The Civil War in the Basque Country
In 1936, the Basque Country was divided. Álava sided with the Nationalists, while Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa sided with the Republic. The Carlist Requeté played a decisive role in Álava and Navarre, where some right-wing military officers revolted. In Bizkaia, the governor remained passive. Basque nationalism largely aligned with the Republic.
The Defense Board of Gipuzkoa was composed of forces from the Popular Front, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), and the anarchist
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