Ideologies

                Our Vine represents conservatism in the 19^th century.  Conservatives in the 19^th century wanted to keep a traditional government which they thought would help stop revolting and prevent social change.  They believed that when ordinary or lower class citizens have power it just creates chaos and violence.  In our Vine, two lower class citizens are trying to revolt.  They are each holding weapons (a fork and pens) to represent the violence, and they are jumping around to represent the chaos.  Two upper class citizens in charge of a country say “no” to the social revolt, and say they are keeping tradition which reflects the views of conservatives.  One of the upper class citizens is also holding a poster with a social pyramid.  The top is highlighted to represent them and show the hierarchical class system conservatives believed in.  The poster says “US!  We are better”, which also reflects the view that the upper class was the only group of people who knew how to properly rule.

                Conservatism influenced political and social action in the 19^th century.  It pushed to preserve an absolute monarchy.  In the 19^th century, conservatives pushed to keep people in lower classes with no power.  It also tried to stop political and social revolts and stop violence and chaos as seen during the French Revolution; a time when lower class citizens gained power and caused a lot of violence including beheading of people.  Conservatism always pushed against liberalism, and the conservatism minority tried to not let the majority have any sort of political influence.  Social action was also influenced by conservatism.  Again, conservatism tried to preserve a hierarchical class system, where only a few people were at the top of the social class and the majority were at the bottom and were considered powerless and lower class.  By keeping the majority powerless, social revolts, chaos, and violence tried to be stopped.  Conservatives tried to influence political and social action to benefit the upper class.

                Liberalism and Nationalism also influenced political and social action in the 19^th century.  Liberalism pushed for political change such as dissolving absolute monarchy (and absolutism) and having a constitutional monarchy (a monarchy with a written constitution).  They wanted middle class citizens to have some political power.  Liberalism pushed for meritocracy so upper class rulers and the Church would have less political power and middle class citizens would have some more.  Liberalism tried to get rid of old traditions and caused people to revolt for political and social change.  Socially, it influenced many enlightenment thinkers and enlightenment ideals.  Liberalism believed that people should have liberty, freedom, and certain rights which one is born with.  Locke, believing in the ideology of liberalism, believed that the government should protect people’s rights.  Nationalism also had an influence in the 19^th century.  One major influence of nationalism on political action was the expulsion of foreign rulers.  Nationalists felt that people living together sharing similar culture were meant to be united.  They did not want foreigners who did not share in their culture and lives to rule them.  Some nationalistic countries like Italy and Germany tried to get rid of foreign rulers.  Socially, nationalism tried to unite people within a country.  Like liberalism, nationalists were hopeful.  They were more liberal than conservative and believed they should all become as united as possible.  In the 19^th century, political and social action was influenced by liberalism and nationalism.