CHRONICLE OF THE SOCIAL MOVEMENT (1750-1896).[ToC]

These tables contain the first attempt to make a synchronistic presentation of the most important dates in the modern social, that is, the proletarian, movement. We here specify these dates for the chief countries, England, France, Germany; and as well for the international activity of the working-men's movement. In addition, the most important occurrences in the development of capitalism and of social legislation, so far as they have relation of cause or effect with the social movement, are indicated in heavy type.

YEAR.ENGLAND.FRANCE.GERMANY.INTERNATIONAL.
1750-1800Notable inventions of modern machinery:
(1764-75. Spinning machine.
1780. The puddling process.
1785-90. The machine loom.
1790. Steam engine.
1799. Paper machine.)
Rapid development of the great centres of industry. "Machine Riots." Petitions to forbid legally machines and manufactories, and to reintroduce the Elizabethan trade ordinances.
Laws for the protection of machines.
1776Adam Smith (1723-90).
"Wealth of Nations."
1796 Babeuf's conspiracy, or "The Equals."
1800Robert Owen (1771-1858; chief writings: "A New View of Society," "Book of the New Moral World"). Enters the Dale manufactory at Lanark.
Rigorous prohibition of combination.
1808 Charles Fourier's (1772-1837) first great book appears: "Théorie de quatre mouvements" (1822: "Théorie de l'unité universelle," 1824: "Le nouveau monde industriel et sociétaire").
1813-1814Complete removal of the Elizabethan trade restrictions.
1815-1832Struggle of the proletariat for political rights.
1819The "Savannah" arrives at Liverpool.
1821 Saint Simon's (1760-1825) chief work, "Du Système Industriel," appears (1825: "Nouveau Christianisme").
1825More liberal coalition law.
Rise of the Trade Unions.
1830Opening of the Manchester-Liverpool Railroad.
1830-1848 July Kingdom. Rapid economic development; "Enrichissez-vous, messieurs."
1830-1832 The movement of Bazard and Enfantin, the disciples of Saint Simon.
1831 Insurrection of the silk workers in Lyons: "Vivre en travaillant ou mourir en combattant."
1833Beginnings of specific legislation for working-men.
1834Grand national consolidated trade union, in the spirit of Robert Owen. Founding of the German Zollverein. Beginnings of national industry.
1836 Beginning of the "Journalistic" period of Fourierism under Victor Considerant. Appearance of the Christian socialists (De La Mennais); the "Icarian Communism" of Cabet (Voyage en Icarie, 1840).
Beginning of the economic unions (Buchez, born 1796).
The "Junger Deutschland" in Switzerland. "Bund der Gerechten"; with its central office in London after 1840.
1837-1848The Chartist movement. Six points. Lovett. Feargus O'Connor.
1839-1854Activity of Thomas Carlyle ("Past and Present," 1843), and the Christian socialists (Charles Kingsley, Thomas Hughes, J.D. Maurice).
1839 Louis Blanc (1813-1882): "Organisation du travail."
1840Rowland Hill's penny postage is introduced. The telegraph is first applied to English railroads.Fullest development of anarchistic-communistic clubbism and conspiracy in "Société des Travailleurs egalitaires."
P.J. Proudhon (1809-1865). "Qu'est-ce que la propriété?"
1844The Pioneers of Rochdale. Loom riots in Langenbielau u. Peterswaldau; tumults of working-men in Breslau, Warmbrunn, and other places.
1847 The "Bund der Gerechten" changes itself into the "Bund der Kommunisten" and takes as its platform the "Communistic Manifesto," written by Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Frederick Engels (1820-1895). "Proletarians of all lands, unite yourselves."
1848 The Paris "February Revolution."
Proletarian representatives in the provisional government; Louis Blanc and Albert. 23. u. 24. VI., "June insurrection." The proletariat defeated in street fights.
Communistic agitation on the Rhine, started by Karl Marx and associates. ("Neue Rheinische Zeitung," 1. VI. 48-19. V. 49). The German working-men's movement captured by the hand-workers. Stefan Born. W. Weitling.
1850-1880England's position of industrial monopoly in the markets of the world. Rapid development of the trade unions.
1850-1856 Stern regulations of the various German governments and of the Confederation for the complete repression of the working-men's movement.
Gradual founding of working-men's associations and "culture unions" (Schulze-Delitzsch).
1851-1854 Severe laws of Napoleon III. for the repression of all social agitation.
1851Founding of the United Society of Machinists. First World's Exposition in London.
1852 The "League of Communists" dissolves.
1862 Deputation of working-men from Leipzig to the leaders of the national union in Berlin; "Honorary members!"
1863 Ferdinand Lassalle (1825-1864; 1858, "Heraklit, der Dunkle"; 1861, "System der erworbenen Rechte"); 1. III.: "Offenes Antwortschreiben an das Central Kommittee zur Berufung eines allgemeinen deutscher Arbeiter-Kongresses zu Leipzig."
23. V.: Founding of the general German working-men's movement by Lassalle. Disruption after Lassalle's death in the male line (Becker, J.B. von Schweitzer) and in the female line (Countess Hatzfeld).
1864 Founding of the International Working-Men's Association by the delegates of different nations at the World's Exposition in London. Inaugural address and a constitution by Karl Marx. He remains the veiled leader of the "International." The general office of the Society is in London.
1865 Beginnings of trade agitation; the tobacco workers; (1866 the printers).
1867 Bismarck forces the general, equal, secret, and direct ballot.Appearance of the first volume of "Capital" by Karl Marx.
1868 Founding of the "Alliance international de la démocratic sociale" by Michael Bakunin (1814-1876), with anarchistic tendencies in clear opposition to the Marxist ideas.
1869 Liberal trade regulation for the German Empire. Rapid development of capitalism, especially after the war.
The founding of the "Social-Democratic Working-men's Party" at the Congress at Eisenach: the so-called "Ehrlichen." August Bebel (born 1840); Wilhelm Liebknecht (born 1826). Founding of the "Hirsch-Duncker" trade unions.
The General Assembly of the German Catholic unions decides upon participation in the social movement from the Catholic standpoint.
1871Trade-union act, supplemented in 1875, sanctions the trade-union agitation.The Paris Commune.
1872 Congress of the "I.A.A." at Hague. Exclusion of Bakunin and his faction, who yet for a time find a standing-place in the "Fédération juraissienne." Removal of the general office of the "I.A.A." to New York.
1875 Fusion of the followers of Lassalle with the Eisenachers at the congress in Gotha. The "compromise platform" of Gotha.
1876 First general French Working-Men's Congress at Paris. The "I.A.A." formally dissolves.
1877 The Ghent "World's Congress." Attempt for the reconciliation of the Bakunists and the Marxists miscarries. A general union of "International Socialism" is resolved upon by the Marxists, but does not come to importance.
1879-1890 Law concerning the socialists.
Destruction of working-men's organizations. Removal of the strength of the agitation to other lands. ("Social-demokrat" in Zurich and London.)
1878 Founding of a conservative Christian Socialism by Stöcker.
1879 Working-Men's Congress in Marseilles for the first time gives power to the Collectivists.
1880 Working-Men's Congress in Havre; rupture between the moderates and the radicals. The latter constitute themselves as a "Parti ouvrier révolutionnaire socialiste français."
1881Founding of the Social-Democratic Federation under the control of Marxian influence.
1882 Working-Men's Congress at St. Etienne. Division between the Possibilists and the "Guesdists." The former split, at a later time, into "Bronssists" ("Fédération des travailleurs socialiste de France"), Marxists, and "Allemanists" (Parti ouvrier socialiste révolutionnaire français).
1883Founding of the Fabian Society. Beginning of governmental working-man's assurance; Insurance for the sick; 1884 Insurance against accident; 1890, Insurance for the sick and aged.
1884 A new "Syndicate" law favors the development of the trade-union movement.
1885 Founding of the "Société d'économie sociale" by Benoit Malon, the center of the "independent" socialists ("Parti socialiste independant").
1886 Founding of the "Fédération des syndicate" at the Congress at Lyons.
1887Beginning of the "new Unionism;" the trade-union movement reaches lower strata of the working men with socialistic tendencies (John Burns, Tom Mann, Keir Hardie).
Independent labor party.
1889 Two International Congresses of Working-men at Paris constituted by the "Possibilists" and the "Guesdists," proclaim as the salvation of the proletariat in general the legal enactment of an eight-hour day of work, and the celebration of May 1st as the working-men's holiday. (The first International Association Congress under the new enumeration.)
1890The Trade-Union Congress in Liverpool endorses a legal establishment of the eight-hour work-day by a vote of 193 to 155. The first May festival of the proletariat in all civilized lands.
The first International Miners' Congress at Jolimont.
1890 International Working-Men's Protection Conference in Berlin called by Kaiser Wilhelm II., attended by delegates from 13 nations.
1891 A new party programme for the Social-Democracy founded definitely upon Marxian principles: the so-called "Erfurt programme."
Separation of the "independent" socialists of anarchistic tendency from the Social-Democracy.
Second International Working-Men's Congress at Brussels.
Exclusion of the Anarchists.
Encyclical of Leo XIII., "Rerum novarum," defines the programme of all Catholic-social agitation.
1892 Congress of socialists at Marseilles resolves upon an agrarian programme with recognition of small peasantry holdings.First general trade-union Congress at Halberstadt.
1893 First Congress of the "Fédération de Bourses du Travail."The Social-Democracy comes out of the parliamentary elections as the strongest party in Germany—with 1,786,738 votes.Third International Working-Men's Congress in Zurich; the English trade-unions deliberate officially in union with the continental socialists.
1894The Trade-Union Congress at Norwich declares itself by a majority vote for a communization of the means of production. Beginning of a Democratic-Christian-Social agitation by Pastor Naumann (Die Hilfe).First International Weaver's Congress at Manchester.
1896 Fourth International Working-Men's Congress in London.

INDEX


Sociology.