In terms of philosophical, social, and intellectual upheavals, the 19th Century was distinguishably seismic. A tired world order began to unravel at the start of the century, partly due to unmaintainable empires and the growing influence of the West. The power vacuums that resulted from the implosion of the Napoleonic, Spanish, Holy Roman and Mughal empires were filled chiefly by the British Empire, and other growing superpowers like the Russian Empire, the German Empire, the the French colonial empire, and a young United States. Dominance over much of the world allowed the British Empire to command a heavy hand on the cultural advancement and modernization. Unprecedented technological progress enabled Victorians to witness firsthand the urbanization and industrialization of a major civilization. The measureless evolution of the world was in part due to social and cultural challenges …show more content…
Movements that were sought to advance human rights were magnified like never before. Soon, the literature of the time began to attest the transformative changes that were on the rise, like the push for equal rights, the suffrage movement, and the fight against much of what was regarded as traditional. Thanks to the Enlightenment, many radical movements gained great momentum during this time. Feminism precipitated, highlighting authors like Kate Chopin and Charlotte Brontë. Science, too, benefited from much of the intellectual change. It began to supercede religion in both profane and innocuous ways. The Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin largely evidenced this. With a newfound faith in science, thinkers became more open to liberal ideas. Movements like Environmentalism and Conservatism saw personages like John Muir champion their causes, while Transcendentalism, Modernism, and Naturalism picked up steam. The epic changes spurred some of the largest debates that have transformed the century that