Honors World History Project: Exhibit
Nyma Ehtesham and Safiye Sabuncuoglu
Introduction
The world has witnessed many turning points. As the world adopted modern ideas many principles and the definition of normal changed which led to the occurrence of historically significant events like revolutions and reformations. The Constitution of the United States, The Protestant Reformation, and The Industrial Revolution all represent turning points in history as they greatly altered the course of humanity, and consequently, altered the course of history by giving people rights and freedoms, introducing new ideas, and changing the life of an average person.
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document that formally declared independence for the American colonies from Great Britain. The Declaration was drafted and signed mostly due to the fact that the American colonists were not content with their rights under British rule. (Malone Dumas). For example, the sugar act was put in place by the British Parliament. It raised taxes on sugar from the West Indies, forcing colonists to buy sugar from Britain. The Declaration of Independence is a seminal document because it is very important in the history of democracy and a landmark in the history of human rights efforts.
The signing of the Declaration of Independence was a turning point in history because it was the first document made by the people of a nation saying that they had the right to choose their own government, which inspired many people and nations from around the world to fight for their own liberty. A good example of this is the French Revolution which followed the American Revolution; the declaration of Independence exerted a major influence on French revolution efforts. The Declaration was also used by abolitionists to support the idea that slavery is unconstitutional. The Declaration of Independence was a turning point in history because it was very important in the history of democracy, and it inspired many people to fight for their liberty.
The Bill Of Rights
The Bill of Rights is a document that contains the first ten amendments of the Constitution of the United States of America. These amendments tell the rights and freedoms of the citizens of the United States. The Bill of Rights was created because many people wanted to ensure their freedoms and liberties were protected. The ten amendments include the right to free speech, the right to practice religion, the right to keep and bear arms, and the right to a fair trial.
The writing and ratification of the Bill of Rights represented a turning point in the course of humanity. The Bill of Rights was one of the first documents guaranteeing citizens’ unalienable rights. The rights and freedoms given to the citizens of the United States were unlike the rights given in any other country at the time. Much like the Declaration of Independence, the writing and ratification of this document inspired many people around the world to fight for their rights. This, arguably, altered the course of history.
Queen Elizabeth’s Proclamation to Forbid Preaching
England was once a Catholic nation, however, in the 1600s, the Church of England became protestant. This resulted in many changes to the island nation. Many people who believed and followed the Catholic faith would now either have to switch to Protestantism, or they would have to find another place to live.
This source is a letter from Queen Elizabeth to the public. In her proclamation, she talks about how she is legalizing the English litany and forbidding seditious preaching. This shows an example of how some countries in Europe, in this case, England, switched to protestant beliefs. The document also shows how serious the Queen was about this proclamation. In the proclamation, it is stated that any person committing acts of disobedience will be punished. This led to many people emigrating from England, and moving to the British colonies in North America. One could argue that this eventually led to the founding of the United States, and the idea that people have a right to choose their religion.
95 Theses
The 95 theses were a set of statements authored by priest and scholar, Martin Luther. These statements expressed his opinions on the Catholic Church and questioned their ways. Luther’s 95 Theses were written mainly due to the selling of indulgences by the Catholic Church. Luther believed that the selling of indulgences by the Catholic Church was wrongful. According to Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, and Matt Mullen, Luther’s 95 Theses being written marked the start of the Protestant Reformation, which was a turning point in world history (History.com Editors 2009).
This document also inspired many others to question the values and motives of the Catholic Church. Luther’s 95 theses were translated to German and two months after they were written they were being read in almost every major European city. This meant that many more people could read and understand Luther’s view of the Catholic Church. Due to this document, the Catholic Church didn’t have as much power as it did before. Before Luther’s 95 Theses, the only denomination of Christianity allowed in Western Europe was Roman Catholicism. Because the Catholic Church didn’t have as much power, they were eventually forced to reform in the Catholic Reformation. Luther’s 95 Theses were a turning point in history because they inspired many people to question the Catholic Church, which resulted in the Protestant Reformation.
John Calvin’s Letter to the French King
John Calvin was a very important person who helped bring about the Protestant Reformation, especially in France. Calvin worked to stop the repression of Protestantism in France. (Zweirlen). One way that Calvin did this was by writing a letter to the French King, Francis, regarding the flaws of the Catholic clergy in France. This letter gave multiple different criticisms of the clergy. Calvin states how the Catholic clergy of France are corrupt and how they do not follow the Gospel. Calvin also states how the clergy acts dishonestly and how they are ignorant of the Scriptures.
The letter that John Calvin wrote to the French King accelerated the Protestant Reformation which altered the course of religion. This resulted in a turning point in history. This letter showed people how the Catholic clergy in France were corrupt and dishonest. This inspired many people to follow Calvin and his ideas. This, among other things, created many more divisions of Christianity, which resulted in a turning point in History. The multiple divisions of Christianity in Europe resulted in many countries persecuting people who were either not Catholic, or not Protestant. One could argue that many people moved to new colonies and settled there to avoid persecution in their home country. This shows how this letter brought about a turning point in history.
1833 Factory Act
The Leeds Woollen Workers petition is an industrial revolution era petition written by workers in wool manufacture. The workers talk about their tiresome and dangerous work. They compare it to pre-revolution work conditions and standards which demonstrated how dramatic the shift to industrialization was. While the workers’ petition about their employment conditions they also show the impact the machinery had on the human workforce, talking about the number of people who lost their jobs. The loss of jobs while unfortunate brings attention to how efficient the machines were compared to the work people do and highlights how that changed the world of manual labor.
The first and second industrial revolutions replaced manual labor with mass manufacturing and machines. This was a turning point both for the consumers and for the workforce in the newly industrialized countries. This petition also demonstrated a newly changed relationship between employers and their workers. This petition eventually resulted in workers getting to work in better conditions. This change signified the start of a new era in our world.
Westinghouse Works
The video of the Westinghouse Works shows a second industrial revolution era video of a factory. The panorama demonstrates men working on large machinery and carrying carts full of equipment. It shows the working conditions and explains how the lives of ordinary workers were changed by the industrial revolution. The Westinghouse enterprise: one of the largest Industrial Revolution era companies in the United States, primarily manufactured steam and gas engines.
The equipment manufactured by The Westinghouse Machine Co. was used all over the US. The machinery manufactured by Westinghouse and the machinery used in the video was popularized and invented during the Industrial Revolution. (Library of Congress 2008) Inventions such as the Motor-Driven Air Compressor which was shown in the video had vast uses and made many jobs previously done by manual labor easier. This is a prime example of how the Industrial Revolution led to the spread of mass production which was what made it a turning point.
Leeds Woollen Workers Petition
The Leeds Woollen Workers petition is an industrial revolution era petition written by workers in wool manufacture. The workers talk about their tiresome and dangerous work. They compare it to pre-revolution work conditions and standards which demonstrated how dramatic the shift to industrialization was. While the workers’ petition about their employment conditions they also show the impact the machinery had on the human workforce, talking about the number of people who lost their jobs. The loss of jobs while unfortunate brings attention to how efficient the machines were compared to the work people do and highlights how that changed the world of manual labor.
The first and second industrial revolutions replaced manual labor with mass manufacturing and machines. This was a turning point both for the consumers and for the workforce in the newly industrialized countries. This petition also demonstrated a newly changed relationship between employers and their workers. This petition eventually resulted in workers getting to work in better conditions. This change signified the start of a new era in our world.
Conclusion
The exhibits displayed all represent a part of the Industrial Revolution, the Consitution of the United States, or the Protestant Reformation. These three events represent turning points in history because they have greatly altered the course of humanity, and consequently, they altered the course of history. The Constitution of the United States gave people rights and freedoms, the Protestant Reformation introduced new ideas, and the Industrial Revolution ultimately changed the life of an average person.