Just three days before the United States and Spain signed the armistice agreement, the Portuguese expeditionary force was embroiled in a fierce battle in El Picacho in western Venezuela.
The vanguard of the Portuguese Army, Silvira’s 4,000 soldiers, were repeatedly harassed by the New Granada National Army, which was twice their size, and suffered greatly.
Silvira couldn’t even retreat—he chose a "Y"-shaped estuary to build a defensive position, barely holding off the enemy forces. If he left here, he would likely be surrounded immediately.
More than ten days after sending out a call for help, Viscount Laguna finally arrived with 6,000 reinforcements.
However, it was at this time that the 1,300 soldiers of the Spanish Royal Army suddenly joined the battle—the Spanish army in New Granada had previously been busy suppressing rebellion, but after the implementation of the "Executive Officer System," the Creoles quickly turned their focus onto the foreign invaders.
The former rebels swapped their flags and became the National Army, which is why New Granada could quickly muster an army of 50,000 troops.
The Royal Army, which had previously been responsible for quelling the rebellion, now turned to fight alongside the rebels.
Although the combat effectiveness of the Spanish South American regular army was mediocre, it was far stronger than the National Army, which originated from miscellaneous troops, and also superior to the Portuguese regular army, as many of the officers had fought with the French in Europe.
Thus, after the end of the war on the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish and Portuguese armies began their second half by the Orinoco River.
Initially, the fighting between the two sides was evenly matched, but not even a month later, the Portuguese army started experiencing logistical problems.
Their supply line, which stretched 800 kilometers away from Manaus via river routes, was continuously attacked by New Granada militia along the way.
Under the call of several Mulato executive officers, New Granada’s Mulato people and Indians joined the war, and not a single kilometer of the Portuguese supply line was safe.
By the end of 1801, Viscount Laguna had less than a week’s worth of ammunition and was on the verge of exhausting food supplies.
His proposal for retreat was sent to Regent King Noan.
...
November 10, 1801.
The interior and exterior of the Palace of Versailles were illuminated by gas lamps, as if it were daylight.
From four-thirty in the afternoon, the chief steward ordered the closing of all side doors leading to the royal suites; only those with a golden pass could enter and leave under the guidance of attendants.
But the palace square was still crowded with people, craning their necks to look towards the direction of the Grand Trianon Palace.
The candles held in people’s hands flickered like countless fireflies inside and outside the square, and the wealthy set were holding honey jars—this item was several times more expensive than cane sugar, yet it was the best gift to bless the newborn with sweetness in life.
Indeed, the Crown Princess of France was close to giving birth, and almost the entire Paris was concerned about the Grand Trianon Palace.
Chief obstetrician Bodlock inhaled the strong scent of incense in the air and frowned, saying: "What is this?"
"It’s incense, Mr. Bodlock," a court official hurriedly said. "It can help soothe the emotions of the laboring woman, and cover possible blood smells."
"Remove them immediately," Bodlock waved him away. "Fresh air is what the laboring woman needs most. You really should read the paper about ’the relationship between blood, oxygen, and muscle movement.’"
Yes, the paper was written by his student based on the Regent’s casual remarks and caused a great stir, which made him very proud.
In fact, just a year ago, he also often used Iberian imported incense to assist with childbirth.
Outside the delivery room, Count Saigul stared at the tightly closed oak door, which was carved with the image of the Holy Mother and Holy Child. He instinctively reached for his pipe but immediately retracted his hand upon hearing Bodlock’s words.
Baron Breti glanced at his pocket watch beside him and whispered to Duke of Broglie: "It’s been two hours already, and there seems to be no movement yet..."
The latter stood straight, his face calm: "You must be patient; it’s usually around three or four in the morning when you see the heir. Last time the Queen was in labor for a whole night."
——————
From the early days of American independence, there were debates over whether to abolish slavery. With the international market’s skyrocketing demand for cotton, the expansion of plantation slavery in the South was at odds with the development of industrial capitalism in the North and the bourgeois democratic nature of the nation.
The second wave of the abolitionist movement swept through the thirty years before the Civil War, with the slogan "Immediate Abolition," constituting the most mobilizing and radical phase of the movement; in 1833, a national anti-slavery association was founded in Philadelphia, establishing over 2,000 local organizations, and William Garrison founded "The Liberator" weekly to advocate "Immediate Abolition"; in 1835, the abolitionist association launched a "mail campaign," sending a large amount of propaganda to the South, making the issue of slavery a national political topic; the movement organized the "Underground Railroad" to help enslaved people escape and used the "George Latimer Case" to promote the enactment of personal liberty laws in northern states.
In the 1830s, abolitionists constructed the theory of "slaveholder sovereignty"; by the 1840s, through the activities of the Free Party and the "Wilmot Proviso" dispute, the concept of "slaveholder sovereignty" finally entered mainstream political discourse.
John Brown’s raid in 1859 pushed the abolitionist movement to its peak; after the outbreak of the Civil War, abolitionists devoted themselves to the war, ultimately driving the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery. Modern scholars trace the roots of the abolitionist movement back to the colonial period in North America, with its endpoint extending to 1865 and even the Reconstruction period (1860-1920).
The first wave of abolition resonated with the libertarian ideas of the American Revolution, continuing until the late 1820s; during this phase, the Quaker group established the first abolitionist organizations, and the uprisings and escapes of enslaved people were important drivers that stimulated and shaped the early abolitionist movement.
The second wave of abolition swept through the thirty years before the Civil War, with the slogan "Immediate Abolition," constituting the most mobilizing and radical phase of the movement; in 1833, a national anti-slavery association was founded in Philadelphia, establishing over 2,000 local organizations, and William Garrison founded "The Liberator" weekly to advocate "Immediate Abolition"; in 1835, the abolitionist association launched a "mail campaign," sending a large amount of propaganda to the South, making the issue of slavery a national political topic; the movement organized the "Underground Railroad" to help enslaved people escape and used the "George Latimer Case" to promote the enactment of personal liberty laws in northern states.
In the 1830s, abolitionists constructed the theory of "slaveholder sovereignty"; by the 1840s, through the activities of the Free Party and the "Wilmot Proviso" dispute, the concept of "slaveholder sovereignty" finally entered mainstream political discourse.
John Brown’s raid in 1859 pushed the abolitionist movement to its peak; after the outbreak of the Civil War, abolitionists devoted themselves to the war, ultimately driving the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.