John Stuart Mill, 1800s

"In the 1800s, John Stuart Mill developed the "liberal" idea of politics. Mill said that democracy is the most important political development of the 1800s. He said that there should be more protection for individual rights against the government."
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics

During the time Frankenstein was written, according to Mill democracy was the most important political development of the 1800s. In a democracy, power lies in the citizens who elect the people to represent them. I feel Dr. Frankenstein's creation is in the exact opposite situation. I feel if he did have to power to choose who represents him the last person he would chose is his creator. I think the monster would choose Safie to represent him because when she comes into the peasant's home everyone is overjoyed! Unfortunately, this has not been the case for the monster because of his appearance. If the monster chooses Safie to represent him people might get to know him because of the type of person Safie is rather than automaticall assuming that this tall, hideous creature has ONLY the worst intentions.

Adrianna Sikula

Treaty with the Chickasaw, 1805

Article 1 of the Chickasaw Treaty states "Whereas the Chickasaw nation of Indians have been for some time embarassed by heavy debts due to their merchants and traders, and being destitute-of funds to effect important improvements in their country, they have agreed and do hereby agree to cede the United States, and forever quit claim to the tract of country included within the following bounds..."
http://www.floridahistory.com/chickasaw-land.html

The Chickasaw Treaty was approved May 22, 1807 and annouced and enforced only a day later. This treaty consisted of articles of arrangement made between two comissioners of the United States, James Robertson and Silas Dinsmoor, and the warriors and Mingo Chiefs of the Chickasaw nation of Indians. Artile 1 of this treaty reminds me of Dr. Frankenstein's embarassment when the monster came alive. Like the Chickasaw merchants and traders of this treaty... Dr. Frankenstein looked to create something to benefit man kind and himself. How ever both intentions did exactly the opposite of what they hoped. The Chickasaws lost priviledge to land, while Dr. Frankenstein, in a way, lost the priviledge of having a relationship with some of those he held dear to his heart.

Adrianna Sikula

Harriet Tubman -- What?? Harriet Tubman.. in the story of Frankenstein? YUP! How??

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1819. As a child she was raised under very harsh conditions. In 1851 she started moving other slaves, her family being first, via the underground railroad.

A quote from Thomas Garrett from The New York History Net page states...

"Harriet Tubman had been their "Moses," but not in the sense that Andrew Johnson was the "Moses of the colored people." She had faithfully gone down into Egypt, and had delivered these six bondmen by her own heroism. Harriet was a woman of no pretensions, indeed, a more ordinary specimen of humanity could hardly be found among the most unfortunate-looking farm hands of the South. Yet, in point of courage, shrewdness and disinterested exertions to rescue her fellow-men, by making personal visits to Maryland among the slaves, she was without her equal."

http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman/life.htm

When I read this excerpt about Harriet Tubman it made me think of Henry Clerval. Henry is the one who ends up nursing Victor back to health when he becomes very ill not once, but twice. He is truly a great friend. He stood out from the crowd, like Harriet Tubman. Everyone else in the novel of Frankenstein seemed to be careless. Henry, however, was a great friend to Victor when he needed him most. The fear of Harriet Tubman getting caught and killed probably crossed her mind, as did the though of Henry possibly becoming ill from Victor but these two strong people didn't stop them from doing what they knew was right and had to be done. However, when Harriet Tubman died she received many honors and much recognition. In Frankenstein, when Henry dies Victor doesn't seem to give him the least bit of recognition for all that he has done for him.

Adrianna Sikula

Party Games- Politics of the 1800s

Mark Wahlgren Summers, a University of Kentucky history Professor, wrote a book about the politics of the 1800s called Party Games.

Critic Ralph Derickson summarizes that in Summer's book...

"Summers also points out that hardball politics and third-party challenges helped make the parties more responsive. Ballyhoo did not replace government action. In order to maintain power, major parties not only rigged the system but also gave dissidents part of what they wanted, Summers added.The persistence of a two-party system, Summers concludes, resulted from its adaptability, as well as its ruthlessness. Even the reform of political abuses was shaped to fit the needs of the real owners of the political system – the politicians themselves."

http://www.uky.edu/PR/News/Archives/2004/May2004/040507_summers_book.htm

When Derickson mentions the political parties rigging the system I immediately thought of Dr. Frankenstein and how he too "rigged the system"... the system being procreation or even science.

Even though Dr. Frankenstein was told that his efforts were going to end up being a "waste of time", he didn't let that stop him. As the two-party system Derickson mentions above was ruthless.. I feel that Dr. Frankenstein's selfish lifestyle (ignoring his family and friends, ignoring possible consequences) was also. His ruthlessness allowed him to stick by and complete the creation as the two-party system's ruthlessness allowed them to remain persistent.

Adrianna Sikula

After the French’s success against Prussia at the battle of Jena, Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree in response to laws passed by Britain also known as an order in council. (An Order-in-Council is a type of law making by wealthy governing individuals in the name of the queen and who answer to the queen, who in the time being was Queen Elizabeth II.) The Berlin decree forbade any country allied or dependant on France to trade with the British and the Irish. This move was implemented by Napoleon to destroy the United Kingdoms economy. However, this plan backfired. The only country’s economy which was affected by this plan was France itself. The British controlled the Atlantic trade. Consequently, the United Kingdom did not falter. Eventually countries began to break away from the Continental system, created by Napoleon, which consisted of all countries dependant or allied with France. This sequentially devastated France and led to Napoleon Bonaparte’s downfall.

On the website: http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/history/1800-1840.htm, it is stated:

“Berlin Decree, 1806: Was created in response to the Order in Council by the British, in which the French proclaimed a blockade of the British Isles, and any ship attempting to enter or leave a British port would be seized by France. The Decree was answered with another Order in Council, in which all ships must come to England for licenses of trade.”

The Berlin decree had a minimal effect on the United Kingdom’s economy due to some of Britain’s order in council which were laws created to mediate the problematic trade situation.

-Reuven Ilyayev

Anti-slavery Campaign in Britain

Slavery was around for thousands of years; a cheap and effective method of profit with little expense. In the late 1700s and early 1800s slave trade was a blooming business. European Countries sent their ships to Africa to trade cheap merchandise for humans. These men and women were treated horribly and kept in unlivable conditions while transported to their designated areas such as the American colonies for cheap labor on the plantations.
The first few movements were made against slavery, here stated in a quote from www.victorianweb.org/history/antislavery.html :
“In 1815 at the Congress of Vienna, European statesmen condemned slavery but nothing was done to improve the conditions of slaves. The campaign to abolish slavery continued in Britain. Wilberforce and his co-workers held meetings all over the country to try to persuade people that abolition should be supported. They discovered that many people were unaware of the horrors of slavery and that others were not interested in something which happened thousands of miles away.”
Little by little, slavery was slowly brought to an end.

-Reuven Ilyayev

1812 - Napolean Retreats from Moscow

"Napoleon maintained his army in the burned capital of Russia for five weeks in the hope of bringing Alexander to terms; finally on October 19th with winter setting in and his armies far from home he ordered a retreat from Moscow. His army was harassed throughout their retreat. Of his army of 600,000 less then 100,000 were left when they straggled across the Niemen River in the middle of December."
http://www.historycentral.com/dates/1810ad.html

Basically, the French went into Moscow hoping to burn it down and win the battle, but they were left in the middle of a harsh Russian winter, one they were not ready for. They had no food or proper supplies. This lead to the demise of many of Napoleon's soldiers. Most of them died, and the rest of them were forced to retreat back home.


This event made me think back to the story of Frankenstein. When Dr. Frankenstein's creation comes alive for the first time the doctor frantically runs out of his home. The French's unpreparedness for the harsh winter could symbolize the doctor's unpreparedness of the discovery that his creation started murdering the people who are very important to him. Dr. Frankenstein grew ill due to heartache and guilt as the French being unprepared lead to the soldier's demise in the year 1812.

Adrianna Sikula

Effects of the French & British War

"an American ship, the Horizon, was stranded upon the French coast in November 1807, the French prize court, acting on the grounds that that cargo consisted of merchandise of British origin, seize the ship and its cargo. This decision became the "precedent for the speedy seizure and sequestration of a large amount of American property" by the French. From 1803 to 1807 the British seized 528 American flag ships, while the French had seized 206 between 1803 and the end of 1806. Maritime trade for neutrals was profitable but dangerous."

A quote from:
http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/british/c_ordercouncil.html

Trade between the United States as a neutral country an Britain and France became quite dangerous, as the present quote suggests. Many vessels were seized by Britain and France. Most cargo was which was traveling to France from the United States had been intercepted by the British and vice versa. This angered the United States. The United States eventually issued the Embargo Act as a result of these issues in trade. The act stopped any further trade with European countries.

Reuven Ilyayev

Power of Women

Women have been fighting for their rights since the time of Adam and Eve. Although there have been many improvements as far as equality is concerned, I personally believe that women will always have something to fight for. I don't ever think men and women will be 100% equal. In volume two of the story Frankenstein Dr. Frankenstein is hesitant to create a female companion for his creation. Aside from the fear of procreation, I believe that Dr. Frankenstein was also very hesitant because he feared the chances this new, female creation someday, somehow becoming dominant over man.

Women refused to give up. Even in the 1800s they fought stronger. The power of women was something that all men refused, and will continue to refuse, to accept.

Adrianna Sikula

Britain's Industrial Revolution

"Though industrialization was most prominent in Europe, its transformative powers must be seen as a theme through the period of 1815-1848. "

http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/1848/section1.html

The British Industrial Revolution followed many ideas that came out of the French Revolution. Even new ideas began to emerge like Laissez Faire. During the Industrial Revolution British population seemed to double in size. Northern Europe began the center of all action during the time, being that coal and iron could be found in large amounts in that area. Due to the large shift in social change, political change was soon to come.

The Industrial Revolution began or you can started a new modern form of a capitalist system. What shocked me the most had to be the fact that workers had "rights". In 1802 an act was passed to protect workers. The Industrial Revolution shifted power from what people during that time was used to seeing. Was Tradition shifting?

Later on the United States gave Britain some challenge on the Industrial side!!!!

Amanda Martinez

French Revolution

"The modern era has unfolded in the shadow of the French Revolution."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution

The after effects caused by the French Revolution can be seen through out Western Europe during the early 1800s. The French Revolution caused radical change throughout European History. Soon the growth of Republics and Liberal democracies began. Say goodbye to the Roman Catholic Church, as the idea of secularism began. The effect of secularism was dramatic. Soon kings began o believe they were good (that's not good).

During the Revolution people lost their view's on hierarchy and began to open there eyes to citizenship and human rights. Later in the 1800s laws were passed focusing on the citizen rather than helping provide for a "Mother Country". Believe it or not rights on abortion was a hot topic then.

Amanda Martinez

The Age of Enlightenment

"Today the Enlightenment is often viewed as a historical anomaly, a brief moment when a number of thinkers infatuated with reason vainly supposed that the perfect society could be built on common sense and tolerance"
https://www.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/enlightenment.html

The Enlightenment was mostly centered around the 18th century. It was developed in quite a few countries in Europe such as Germany, Great Britain, France, and where I'm from, the Netherlands =). The Enlightenment was a set of ideas. It was also known as the "Age of Reason" because this was a time when people used their reason to discover the world.

Fersana A.

"1816- The Year Without a Summer"

The story of Frankenstein takes place in Switzerland and London 1816-1817.

In Western Europe, year 1816 was known as “the year without a summer.” In Melody L. Higdon’s article, Climo Talk, she writes, “In New England, eastern Canada, and western Europe, the late spring through early fall of 1816 was extraordinarily cold, an estimated 4-7 Fahrenheit (1.5 to 2.5 Celsius) degrees cooler than normal.” (http://melodyhigdon.com/climotalk/Year_Without_A_Summer.htm)
Perhaps that is why Victor, as a teenager, became interested in the mysteries of the outside world. The poverty of Beaufort (causing him to die) and the orphaning of Elizabeth probably existed during this time because the harsh, unexpected weather caused many people to lose their crops. The Frankenstein’s became the close, loving family that provided for them. In a world where poverty existed it seems as though the value of family and closeness becomes more important because at that time it’s really all you have. Because of the weather it is no surprise that Victor’s mother dies from scarlet fever.

The cold, harsh weather can mirror the way Victor acted towards everyone after he goes off to Ingolstadt. He drives into his studies full speed ahead and complete forgets about his social life and his family far away in Genenva. Then when he starts seeing progress and starts working on his creature he gives a cold shoulder to EVERYTHING, this time including his studies. The weather can also mirror the danger of Victor’s creation being out in the open world.

I know I'd be shivering in my boots if something walked up to me that looked like THIS...




Adrianna Sikula

The British Empire

At its peak, the British Empire was the largest formal empire that the world had ever known. As such, its power and influence stretched all over the globe; shaping it in all manner of ways.
http://www.britishempire.co.uk/

The main reasons for the rise of the British Empire were Christianity, Commerce and Civilisation There were many colonies overseas that were controlled by the British Government. They had different territories that were ruled differently. World War I made them gain quite a few more colonies, but by the end of World War II, they lost some of it.
The British Empire was also known for never having the sun set there before. As this quote says:
"The sun never set on the British Empire
because the sun sets in the West
and the British Empire was in the East."
http://www.friesian.com/british.htm


Fersana A.

The British

Here is a quote from http://ap_history_online.tripod.com/apeh10g.htm:

"The elite was wary of the social unrest that was caused by the economic downturn as a result of the Napoleonic Wars. In 1819, 60,000 people were in St. Peter's field demanding fundamental political changes, such as universal male suffrage and year-round parliament. Soldiers shot 11. This became known as the Peterloo massacre."

From the following quote, I realized that life in Great Britain was not all that pretty. Many were not treat fairly nor equally. As a result, there were many riots. Consequently, the British army had no choice but to eliminate any chance of an uprising.Therefore, people died in great numbers.
Reuven Ilyayev