Nineteenth-century Europe

Book excerpt: To better understand our own times, we must often take an in-depth look at an earlier one. In this insightful volume, the author covers the period of 1814-1914 Europe, revealing the major trends characterising this "age of progress," including economic and demographic expansion, urbanization, the rise of the middle and working classes, greater individual freedom, changing conditions of women and family, and increasing secularization of thought.