1838 | Political Events
Political Events
French statesman Charles M. de Talleyrand-Périgord, Prince de Bénévet, dies at his native Paris May 17 at age 84, having helped to restore the Bourbons to power and organize the Quadruple Alliance of 1834 before retiring into private life. Bavarian statesman Maximilian, graf von Montgelas de Garnerin, dies at at his native Munich June 14 at age 78.
Queen Victoria is crowned at Westminster June 24 amidst national rejoicing. A "People's Charter" published at London May 8 has called for universal suffrage without property qualifications; drafted chiefly by William Lovett of the London Working Men's Association (see 1836), the charter contains Six Points that include payment for Members of Parliament, equal electoral areas, and other reforms, it wins approval at a great meeting held on Newhall Hill August 8, and although Parliament rejects the charter it will eventually adopt some of its ideas (see O'Connor, Frost, 1839).
London and Washington exchange diplomatic notes with regard to last year's seizure and burning of the U.S. steamboat Caroline in late December, the British insist that their troops acted in self defense, U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster insists that a nation can justify such a hostile preemptive action only in the event of a necessity "instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means and no moment for deliberation" (his dictum will come to be regarded as a basic principle of international law). Canada's British governor general and lord high commissioner John George Lambton, 46, 1st earl of Durham, arrives at Quebec in May, finds that French-Canadian hostility has created virtual anarchy in Lower Canada, is given almost dictatorial powers, organizes a new executive council that is more conciliatory, and placates the rebels June 28 by proclaiming an amnesty that excepts only 24 rebel leaders. Britain's prime minister Lord Melbourne disavows Durham's actions, and Durham resigns (see 1839).
Carlist forces in Spain triumph over monarchist forces in the Battle of Morella (see 1834). Progresistas (Liberals) shot the mother of insurgent leader Ramón Cabrera 2 years ago, he leads the Carlists to victory, and he is created count de Morella. One of the regent Maria Cristina de Borbón's supporters leads an uprising at Seville against General Baldomero Espartero's Progresistas, but Ramón Maria Narváez, 38, fails in his effort and is forced into exile (see 1839; Narváez, 1843).
France's Louis Philippe demands 600,000 pesos in compensation from the Mexican republic for damage sustained by French nationals (Mexican soldiers have allegedly looted a French pastry shop). French naval forces take a fortress near Veracruz, and General Antonio López de Santa Anna comes out of retirement to join the fighting (but without authority). The "Pastry War" ends when President Anastasio Bustamante agrees to meet the French demand, but a cannonball from a departing French ship severs the lower part of Santa Anna's left leg, and he has the lower limb entombed with great ceremony at Mexico City, exaggerating his role in the skirmish at Veracruz in an effort to restore his image (he has actually done no more than fire at the departing ships) (see 1839).
The Federal Republic of Central America begins to break up following a cholera epidemic (see Morazán, 1829); Nicaragua and Costa Rica withdraw, and the charismatic mestizo leader Rafael Carrera leads a native uprising in Guatemala, where the 7-year-old government of Mariano Galvez falls after having introduced liberal reforms. Honduras secedes from the confederation and will remain Central America's poorest nation (see 1839).
Former Brazilian prime minister José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva dies at Niterói, Brazil, April 6 at age 74 (approximate) and is mourned as the "patriarch of independence."
Georgia-born Texas vice president Mirabeau B. (Buonaparte) Lamar, 40, succeeds Sam Houston December 10 to become the republic's third president. Houston's opponents have supported him in the election, his two opposing candidates have both committed suicide, and in his inaugural address he proposes a system of public education supported by land endowments (see education, 1839). Lamar will serve until December 1841.
Russian forces capture the Chechen stronghold of Ahulgo in the north Caucasus, but the Sufi leader Shamil escapes (see 1834). He has led extensive raids against the Russian positions in Dagestan, and St. Petersburg has sent a fresh expedition to subdue him; the Russians will capture many of his fortresses and towns, but Shamil will continue to elude them (see 1845).
British troops invade Afghanistan and advance to Kandahar. The governor-general of India George Eden, earl of Auckland, has sent in the troops out of exaggerated fears that Russian influence on the Afghans threatens Britain's control of India. The British move on to Ghazni and Kabul, depose the Barakzai emir Dost Mohammed, who took power in 1834, and take him to India as a prisoner (see 1839).
The nabob of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa Humayun Jah dies at Murshidabad October 3 at age 28 after a 14-year reign and is succeeded by his 8-year-old son, who will reign until his retirement in 1880 as Mansur Ali Khan Feradun Jah—the 10th (and last) of the nabobs.
Boer leader Piet Retief is executed as a witch February 6 by the Zulu chief Dingane after trying to trick the tribe into ceding land. Zulu tribesmen in Lesotho fight off land-seeking Afrikaners (Boers) by hurling boulders down on the invaders (see 1824; 1868). The Battle of Blood River December 16 in Natal gives Afrikaner forces a victory over Zulu natives; the Boers kill more than 3,000 Zulu and eliminate the main threat to their settlements.