1873
Panic of 1873
The collapse of the New York banking house Jay Cooke and Company touched off a global depression that would last, in some places, until 1879. Railroads defaulted; factories closed; a quarter of American workers lost their jobs. The "Long Depression" fueled populism, the gold-standard debate, and, in Europe, a new round of protectionism.
Anglo-Ashanti War
Sir Garnet Wolseley led a punitive expedition into the Ashanti Empire in what is now Ghana, burned the capital Kumasi, and imposed an indemnity. It was the template for Victorian small wars: careful logistics, Gatling guns, limited aims. The Ashanti would rise again in 1874, 1895, and 1900. Each time the story was the same.
Kulturkampf Peaks
Bismarck's campaign against the political power of the Catholic Church in the new German Empire - the "struggle for culture" - reached its height with the May Laws: expulsion of Jesuits, state control of clerical training, civil marriage. Resistance was enormous; over a thousand priests went to prison. Bismarck eventually retreated. The chancellor had met a stubborner opponent than Austria.
Remington Typewriter
E. Remington and Sons of Ilion, New York - better known for rifles - began commercial production of the Sholes and Glidden typewriter, with its QWERTY keyboard laid out to keep jamming arms apart. Mark Twain bought one and wrote Life on the Mississippi on it. The machine would, within a generation, put women in every office in America.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1873?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1873. The most significant is Panic of 1873: The collapse of the New York banking house Jay Cooke and Company touched off a global depression that would last, in some places, until 1879.
What era was 1873 part of?
1873 falls within the Industrial Age (1801-1900). Steam, empire, and the unmaking of the old order.
Which regions saw notable events in 1873?
The curated events from 1873 span North America, Africa and Europe.