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War of 1812
The cause of the War of 1812 was mostly economic reasons. It was fought between the British and Americans.This was a struggle for both sides.The British had a very strong army but the Americans had enough power to fight through.The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24,ending the war.The Americans celebrated,in honor of their nationalism. (www.thepeoplehistory.com) -
Date of Birth
Charles Dickens was born on February 7th, 1812. He was born on the southern coast of England in Portsmouth. He was born into a poor family. His mother, Elizabeth Barrow was a teacher and school director. His father John Dickens was a naval clerk. He was the second of 8 children.(Biography.com) -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo took place near the Waterloo,Belgium on June 18, 1815.The french empire was lead by Michael Ney and Napoleon Bonaparte.The Prussian army was lead by Gebhard Von Blucher. The Battle of Waterloo marked the end of the hundred days of Napoleon from exile return.The Battle of Waterloo puts an end to the rule of Napoleon,the emperor of France.The battle was an influential battle of all time marking the Bonaparte’s last and Waterloo Campaign. (thepeoplehistory.com) -
Antarctica was Discovered
The first evidence of Antarctica's existence was in 1772 and 1775 by Captain James Cook. The shore wasn't sighted until 1819-1820 by William Smith and James Bransfeild. It wasn't until another year that anyone had actually landed on the continent. The first to land on the continent was American Captain John Davis. (south-pole.com) -
Invention of Camera
The first use of the camera was by Joseph Nicephore Niepce. To make the camera he put a photographic plate into the bottom of the camera obscura. A pattern of light and shadow was projected. It was projected onto the plate that was then developed into an image. Om this camera, the light exposure time was more than 8 hours. Around 12 years later, Louis Daguerre decreases the exposure time to 30 minutes. (Reference.com) -
Early Career
In 1824, when Charles was just 12 his father was sent to prison because of debt. Charles was forced to leave school for the second time even after his father was out of prison. He got an office job which was the start of his writing career. He began freelance reporting at the law courts of London. Just a few years later, he was reporting for two major London newspapers. In 1833, he began submitting sketches to various magazines and newspapers. (Biography.com) -
Newspaper and Magazine Contributions
From 1832 to 1836 Charles had many jobs that influenced his career.He became a reporter for two London newspapers. In following years he began to contribute his own impressions to other newspapers.He also sent in sketches for other magazines and newspapers.He signed many of his works with "Boz".At this time he started his first novel, Oliver Twist.The story features an orphan boy living on the streets. The book was based off of his childhood and how hard it is to be in a poor family.(Gale 475) -
Lecture in U.S
By 1842 Dickens was just as popular in America as he was in England. He went on a five-month lecture tour of the United States speaking out against slavery. He also talked strongly about other reforms. Charles Dickens criticizes American life in his book American Notes. After that novel he wrote, Martin Chuzzlewit again mentioning America and how its more difficult to make your way in American than England. Once those books were done he wrote two Christmas books. (Haines 36) -
Turning Point in Career
Charles Dickens spent a year abroad in Italy, writing Pictures from Italy. While in Italy he also published installments of Dombey and Son, which continued until 1848. When he completed his novel he had reached a new standard in the Dickenson novel. This novel also marked the turning point in his career. It takes a somber look on the view of England at the mid-century,and its tone becomes characteristic of Dickens's future novels. (Gale 475) -
Dark Period
In 1851 within two weeks, Charles Dickens suffered the loss of his father and and one of his daughters. These tragedies were the cause of the his "Dark Period". Interestingly enough the work that he created during this time was some of the best work in fiction writing history. Some argue that Little Dorrit (1855-1857) is Charles' greatest novel. In the book he explains the conditions of England and the struggles and harshness in the world as far as human values. (Gale 475) -
Examination of Victorian Society
From 1852-1853 Charles studied and was fascinated by the Victorian society. Dickens was not afraid to experiment in his novels as he continued to build upon his skills. In his novel Bleak House, it describes his fascination for the society. It also expresses his satire of the chancery courts. In this novel he used both a third-person narrative and a first-person narrator to connect the societal perspective with a personal one. (Haines 36) -
American Civil War
The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865. The American Civil War was fought between the northern and southern United States. They fought over issues including states' rights versus federal authority, westward expansion and slavery. When it ended the Confederate surrendered. This war was the the costliest war ever fought on American soil. Population and territory was devastated in the south.(History.com) -
Public Readings
A short time after his train accident, Charles was back on the road with his public readings and tours. Since, his injuries were so significant, he was told to take it easy in these tours. He attended readings in England and Scotland, only a year after his accident. He continued his readings in 1867 in England and Ireland. He continued his readings until 1870, before he suffered his stroke that lead to death.(MacKenzie 98) -
End of Slavery in America
Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 which ended slavery. However slaves in Texas had no knowledge of this. They didn't find out until two and a half years later. Union soldiers arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865 and declared the end of the civil war. General Granger ordered that some 200,000 slaves be freed in the state.That was the official end of Slavery in America. (theroot.com) -
Train Crash
In 1870 Charles Dickens was in a very bad train crash. He was very physically and physiologically injured. He never fully recovered from this accident and caused his stroke which eventually led to death. Up to the years of is death his health declined. In conclusion the train crash was the cause of his death. (VictorianWeb.org) -
Death
After never fully recovering from his train crash, Dickens dies on June 9th, 1870. At the age of 58 he died from his second stroke. He passed at Gad's Hill Place. This was his country house in Kent, England. With thousands of mourners gathered, he was buried at Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey. At the time of his death he was in the middle of writing a novel called The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Dickens died leaving behind lots of talent for the world to enjoy. (Biography.com)
