1. The Congress of Vienna met and drew up a map of the boundaries within Europe in 1815. They sought to reestablish the balance of power in Europe that flourished prior to the rise of Prussian, Austrian, British, and French empires. The Congress system not only worked to control empiric expansion, but also attempted to do this through the reestablishment of dynastic monarchies.
2. Robert Castlereagh was the Foreign Secretary Viscount and British representative of the Vienna Congress. Castlereagh worked in Austria to establish Britain as the "arbiter of European affairs", considering the British Empire was the contemporary world power. Castlereagh also worked desperately to keep French and Russian Empires under close observation.
3. The Congress of Vienna sought to reestablish kings, nobles, and clergy within a hierarchical context. The ages of revolutions Europe-wide decimated what once was the old system of primogeniture monarchs. The conservative ideology used to legitimise this claim brings back the idea of divine right of kings. This ideology once again attempted to legitimise birthright from the old beliefs of a king being divinely chosen.
4. Liberalism became the vogue term in European politics by the 1830's. The term referred to many different elements of European society that interrelated. Politically, liberalism worked to promote class equality when it came to the selection of a representative in government. It promoted human rights within all social contexts. Economically, liberalism empowered the laissez-faire mode of economic theory, which encouraged the government to stay out of mercantile affairs in order to allow the economy to flourish best.
5. Romanticism in 19th century Europe heavily influenced literature, art, and music. The Romantic period emphasised glorified emotion and feeling through images of nature and heroism. The Romantic period also focused on inner development and improvement similar to Renaissance humanism as it retrospectively looked at classical antiquity. Perhaps the rise of Romanticism came also with the rise of liberalism and the empowerment of the individual despite social or economic disadvantage.
6. The Liberal Revolts across Europe often included very similar and parallel trends. Each of the revolts held those who supported the Congress System and worked to reestablish a monarch under with an emphasis on the Church's role in government. These people worked to bring European government back to [what the French would refer to as] an ancien regime. The other side, or those who revolted, promoted liberalism and a distinction between Church and government responsibilities within the local revolutionary history of Europe.
7. Belgium's independence was nearly a direct consequence of liberalism revolts. Catholics in southern Dutch Netherlands, which was called Belgium, were tired of the amount of Protestantism throughout their collective government. The Dutch king remained intolerant of Catholic demands of neutralisation and sent violent attacks on any protestors. Fortunately for the Belgians, these actions only brought more Catholic-sympathising Belgians. Eventually, in 1830, a provisional government declared Belgium an independent nation, set with a precomposed bicameral legislature.
8. Nationalism became directly linked with liberalism in 19th century Europe. The protection of citizens' rights and voice by a set governmental institution became the poster-child of European liberals. Nationalism seeks the trust and pride within one's own nation for the fulfilment of their ethical rights and patriotic foundations. Within a monarchs connotation, Nationalism became embodied in a monarch, and would not be possible if the monarch was disliked by his or her nation.
9. The highly segregated and loosely connected states of Europe were radically motivated through nationalism to make changes. Nationalism encouraged trust in a unified nation with a national and universal government. The efficiency of this was quite apparent in the Empires of Europe and perhaps inspired the loosely strung states to do the same. In revolts and uprising of these states, they worked to promote nationalism by the collaboration of local states in the formation of a national government.
10. The Reform Bill of 1832 was passed in order to expand the legibility of voters beyond the upper middle class. The electorate was doubled in the single passing of this bill, which allowed people who owned "not enough land" in prior standards to now vote. Now, the electorate was composed of businessmen, directors of industry and enterprises, alongside those who were already established there. This better portrayed the construct of British society during this time, being the Industrial Revolution.
11. The Chartist movement was a reflection and demonstration of the socio-political changes that occurred in Britain in the 19th century. Chartist worked to affirm their obtained rights and social equality through the dispersion of wealth and power among all classes. Chartists also supported democratic voices coming from all parts of society. They saw women as important members in society: supporting their presence in the workplace and opposing their abusive treatment. Corn Laws in Britain were taxes on imported grain. Prime Minister Peel sought to repeal these laws temporarily to alleviate the Potato Famine in Ireland. The repeal received much discontent as conservatives saw it as self-destructive to Britain. The result was a division of parties: the Whigs and the Peelites.
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