1830-1847
The continuation from 1830-1847. Nota Bene: Please note that I have decided Western Australia will be called (and will always have been called New Holland) and that Singapore is now called Terminal Eiland (the Dutch name), but that a settlement on the island is called Singapura by the locals and by the British (Anglo-Dutch) merchants and settlers.
1830-1833- Transportation systems are expanded throughout Europe as the French improve canals and roads, the British build railways and the Prussians double their extensive road network. In Russia new railways are being built, especially towards the east, where the prospect of trade with Japan and China is alluring. Industrialization had also taken off as British coal production more than doubled and as Belgium began to exploit her coalmines more efficiently (she produced three and a third times as much coal as France). Even in newly independent Alsace, coal production was booming, as was the textile industry (with 2,000 power looms). With the new textile and coal industries booming, many merchants and manufacturers began to press for the repeal of the much-hated Corn Laws, because the laws impeded trade and thus business.
In Germany the various customs unions (set up between 1818 and 1829) were improving trade and soon most of the smaller ones were absorbed into the larger, more dominant unions. The largest was lead by Prussia and included the central German states, the second largest was the one lead by Hannover and which included Brunswick, Lippe-Schappe and other northwest German states (and which was prevented from joining the Prussian-lead customs union because the Northwest German Customs Union also included the UK proper (Netherlands, Britain and Ireland) as the King and Parliament had been petitioned by many Dutch and east coast English merchants to let the UK into the customs union. The third customs union was the South German Customs Union, which included Bavaria, Wurttemburg, Baden and Alsace and had Austria as an associated member state (Austria only agreed to the freeing of trade in certain areas and on certain items, she was still wary of the idea for her empire though).
In France the eminent Lafayette became Prime Minister of France under Louis XIX and under his leadership in government, the more republican minded sections of government managed to reintroduce the republican blue-white-red tricolour, but in its centre was placed a gold fleur-di-lis to signify the monarchy. They also carried out government reform by changing the Chamber of Peers into an upper house of life members only, appointed by the King (though the positions in the Chamber were no longer hereditary). The electorate was also widened as the voting age was lowered to 25 and property qualifications were lowered. Censorship was abolished and citizens could become deputies at age 32 instead of age 40. Extraordinary tribunals or judicial commissions were prohibited. Roman Catholicism was recognized as the religion of the majority of Frenchmen and of the monarchs (so no Protestant monarchs), but Protestants were no longer to be discriminated against and thus church and state were almost completely separated. In addition, state-aided primary schools were to be set up in each commune.
1832- Some members of the new Irish Dail had been looking at the state of affairs in Ireland with regards to agriculture and land tenure and they did not like what they saw. A few members were worried about the almost exclusive reliance of the Irish peasantry upon the potato (indeed, upon one variety of potato) and clamoured for Ireland to try and farm more varied crops. These forbearers of doom as well as the other members interested in the agricultural state of the island also disliked the type of land ownership practiced in Eire. A number of estates on what would otherwise be excellent farmland or pasture were being badly run (if run at all) by absentee landlords and in many cases were heavily mortgaged. With a population of 6.2 million (and rising rapidly by almost 2 million per decade) now to feed, the idea that good land was being wasted was abhorred. Also all non-Anglicans (of the Church of Ireland) were forbidden from owning land in Ireland. Considering that the Catholics now had political equality, it was now felt that Catholic emancipation would not be complete until Catholics and other non-Anglican Protestants were treated fairly and equally in all areas. So these Dail members introduced a bill in the Dail which would petition the Parliament back in Westminister to allow for persons of all denominations to own land in Ireland and for the local government to seize bankrupt and badly run estates in the name of the national government (in the latter case provided the landlord has a residency outside of his estate), oversee the running of those estates for an interim period and then to re-sell them to highest bidder in a effort to try to put a stop to the waste of all that good land. The bill was approved almost universally in the Dail (even by most of the Protestant members) and the Irish Dail sent its message to Westminister. Not by chance, did the Catholic Association also send a similar petition to Westminister jointly with a Dutch Catholic group and also with the support of the Dutch Estates-General (as the Dutch were not Anglicans, and did not see eye-to-eye with discrimination in Ireland against non-Anglicans).
In Italy, the ruler of North Italy was driven from his throne, but was restored by Austria, which put down the revolt ruthlessly. Mazzini, who helped organize the revolt, fled to Marseilles and founded the “Young Italy” movement. This movement aimed to arouse all of Italy to greater unity to achieve national independence and its support grew (especially after Austria’s handling of the revolt.
1833- Having received all of these messages and petitions and with the support of a number of newly liberal minded MPs (from England and Wales and also from Scotland) and the expected support of the MPs from Ireland and the Netherlands, the Parliament approved the measure and delegated authority to Irish Dail to carry out what in essence amounted to land reform. In the first year of the Dail’s new program (which was seen as non-threatening by the British govt. due mainly to the prospects of better farm output in Ireland (which a number of MPs had pointed could be used in export like Irish dairy products and Irish maize/corn)), up to 43 estates in western Ireland were requisitioned (more would have been, but the Westminister Parliament had placed a limitation: absentee landlords’ holdings could only be requisitioned and sold, only if it was proven that the landlords were absent for a significant amount of time and that their land was in a decrepit state as a result, thus some landlords, with influential friends, managed to escape with their properties. Westminister also insisted that the local govt. acting for the national govt. would pay compensation for badly run lands (bankrupt estates were just requisitioned) equal to the value of the land in its current state). These estates were then put up for auction and now that Catholics and Presbyterians could buy land, a number of Catholics were able to procure land. Some were English Catholics, some Dutch Catholics, others were Dutch, English and Irish Presbyterians, but a few well off Irish Catholics also bought land. Some of the poorer Irish Catholics and Protestants even pooled money to buy plots and then worked the land communally. In the following years, some absentee landlords began to correct their lackadaisical ways in a effort to prevent requisition, but still some plots were requisitioned but by 1843 only 18 plots (some of them having been re-sold previously) had to be confisicated or requisitioned
In Germany, liberal constitutions were forced by near revolt or granted out of fear of revolt by the rulers of Brunswick and Hesse-Cassel and the liberal oppositions in Alsace, Baden, Wurttemburg and Bavaria gained in strength at local elections.
1834- French missionaries (Catholic) arrive in Mangareva in Tuamotu Islands in the South Pacific.
In Italy, Piedmont-Corsica-Sardinia organized a customs union similar to ones set up in Germany and soon (Habsburg) North Italy and the Two Sicilies joined (out of purely economic reasons, although the fact that King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies was married to Maria Christina, daughter of King Victor Emmanuel I of Piedmont-Corsica-Sardinia, had something to do with it). The Papal States refused to join, as did Austria (which was rather upset about North Italy joining).
1835- Prussia and Austria, feeling threatened by the rise of liberalism in Germany forced through the Six Acts in the Diet at Frankfurt which re-established the old order by re-introducing repressive measures, strengthening the power of the princes and curbing the ability of the outspoken sections of the press to express itself.
1836- “The Trek” (not “the Great Trek”) of the Boers away from Kape Colonie. Around 2,000 Boers embark on the Trek (around a third the number of OTL), including one Andries Pretorius. The Trekkers essentially set out on two paths. One group headed towards Natal and setup a new town called Drakensburg on the coast, while the other group, headed by Pretorius, head north across the Oranje river and then across the Vaal to establish a settlement called Niew Utrecht, which was later renamed Pretoria after their leader (when Pretorius was killed in a battle against local Africans in 1840). The government of Pretoria (which is closer to the Vaal than OTL Pretoria) declares its overlordship of all the lands between the Limpopo and the Oranje rivers. The UK does not recognize this of course, but it does recognize the original city-state of Niew Utrecht/Pretoria (as well as Drakensburg) in 1840.
1837- Start of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan. This new shogun is much less tolerant now of foreigners and when an incident (basically a fight over some goods which were claimed to have been stolen) occurs in the port facilities of Nagasaki between some European traders and the local Japanese merchants resulting in the death of 2 Japanese and 1 European, the shogun reinstates the ban on all trade with the outside world and expels the European (Russian and British) traders from Nagasaki and forbids their return on pain of death.
The British and Russians are upset, but do not press the issue. The British begin to focus on trading with China instead via Terminal Eiland (Dutch for Terminal Island) upon which is a settlement the locals call Singapura (Lion City) after the name of a 14th century settlement there. From Terminal Eiland, the British transported Opium that was grown in India to China, to be traded for Silver, Tea and Silks.
1837-1840- Frenchman Jules Dumont d’Urville attempts to chart the coast of Antarctica.
1838-1841- Lt. Charles Wilkes of leads an UP exploring expedition to Antarctica, but he dies on the expedition in 1840.
1839- Ottoman sultan Abdul Majid begins a modernisation programme, the “Tanizmat”.
In Afghanistan the British fight their first Afghan war, which resulted in defeat (though not annihilation) of the British Army (something like 65% losses).
In China, war breaks out with the UK over the trading of Opium. This becomes known as the Opium War. The war starts after Chinese commissioners burn chests of Opium in the ports of Canton and Shanghai and when the Imperial Chinese authorities ban all trade in Opium and with Britain and threaten to ban the Europeans. Coming two years after the Japanese fiasco, the British decide not to put up with this and war started. The threat to the other Europeans, meant that the Russians, French and Portuguese were quite happy to see the UK go to war and the Portuguese and French even sent some of their ships and soldiers to take part in the action.
In North America, the USA and (to a lesser extent the UPA which is slightly more benevolent to the Native Americans after having adopted King George the First’s idea of establishing “protectorates” over them) expels a large number of eastern Native Americans into Mexico, with many dying along the way. The Native Americans reach northern Mexico where some are able to re-establish themselves and their way of life in the more empty sections of the country, while others are variously taken care of or beaten upon by the local Native Americans and still others go to the towns where they integrate (even inter-marry) with the Mexicans.
1840- Upper and Lower Canada are united in self-governing union. The UK declares sovereignty over New Zealand and sends a governor to the new town of Wellington.
Treaty of Waitangi signed between the UK and the Maori of New Zealand. Under the treaty the Maoris are granted citizenship and land rights.
In Hawai’i a constitution is granted under Kamehameha III.
1842- France annexes the Marquesas Islands and makes Tahiti a protectorate.
1843- Phytophthora infestans, or 'potato blight', arrives in western Ireland from ships trading with the Americas and from its start around Cork and Mayo quickly spread throughout the island. By the end of the year, practically the entire Irish potato crop had been destroyed by the mould and starvation was quite possible and had in fact begun. The Tory govt. in London under Robert Peel had opted for a quick and effective response to the new Irish potato crisis. Some in his govt. suggested that the Irish farmers stop selling their maize for export, but, Peel and others in his govt. realized that this would essentially kill the economy and increase poverty as the Irish maize would be sold cheaper in Ireland than abroad and the farmers would thus bring in less money and may not be able to pay the rent and thus face eviction. Peel opted instead to import Maize from the Americas (especially Mexico, the UPA and wheat from British North American colonies) and India. Most of this maize coming from within the Empire or from friends and good trading partners was procured at relatively reasonable prices (as compared to receiving maize from say the USA (which would only want to make money from the crop) or Central America. The govt. gave what amounted to £100,000 worth of maize and in many areas this headed off starvation. The Opposition in Parliament, lead by Lord Russell opposed (naturally) this scheme and insisted that government should take a hands off approach to such issues and perhaps set up only soup kitchens. Well, Peel, having served in the Dublin Castle British administration and having originally been an MP for the bourough of Cashel, County Tipperary, had an understanding of Ireland and did not believe that Russell’s ideas were going to be helpful, except for the soup kitchens, which he implemented alongside the imported maize.
In Africa, the UK takes over the region of Natal (Zululand)
1844- For the second year in a row, the Irish potato crisis continues, but British and local Irish govt. efforts have stemmed the imminent problem of starvation and by the end of 1844 only at most a few hundred persons had died. Some Irishmen had begun immigrating after being evicted by non-too sympathizing landlords, though admittedly some landlords were kindly and helped the ex-tenants find passage across the seas to British North America, the USA and UPA and England, while others were persuaded to keep their tenants after the Catholic Association began sponsoring some tenants. Still others, being Catholic or previously Protestant peasants before 1832 took pity on their tenants and allowed the rent to be late (but for a few months).
1847- In the last year of the Potato Crisis, sometimes called the Potato Famine, the problem was almost finally under control and new varieties of potatoes and new crops were had been planted (plus in some areas the mould have been brought under control through rather extreme measures like burning plots of land and burning the blighted potatoes). In all, over the past few years only 200,000 persons had died from starvation, but approximately 1 million Irishmen had emigrated to other areas of the world. The near-famine conditions had negatively impacted on fertility and marriages and thus 1850 found Ireland with 5 million people (with the population declining slightly) and the young persons waiting longer before marrying (and having smaller families- a throwback to the bad times of 1843-1847). Ireland had also gotten rid of (legally and socially) the equal subdivision of land among all the sons of one father (which had lead to ridiculously small plots by 1846) and now plot sizes were up and the various farms could now grow crops other than potato. The fact that the potato crop had been wiped out for the past 3 out of 4 years also meant the Irish were now wary of relying on one crop and they began to diversify their farm produce. By 1852 British Parliament was moving towards having fair rent for tenants in Ireland and for more assured fixity of tenure (though there was still a long way to go).
