People Are Sharing Rare Pieces Of History From 200 Years Ago, And These 82 Are Truly Captivating
Every day, we come across little pieces of history without really thinking about how different the world looked a few generations ago. A building might still stand where it did centuries ago, a book may survive on a library shelf, or a painting might preserve a moment that would otherwise have been forgotten.
But seeing something that dates back exactly 200 years can make the past feel surprisingly close. Suddenly, people, places, events, and everyday objects from another era are right in front of us, offering a glimpse into a world that looked very different from our own.
That is exactly what the Reddit page 200 Years Ago is all about. Each day, people share a painting, print, letter, book, event, or another piece of history from that exact date 200 years earlier. Here are some of the most fascinating examples shared on the page, and they offer plenty of reasons to pause and take a closer look.
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21st Of June 1826. The Battle Of Diros - The Elderly And Women (‘Amazons Of Diros’) Defend Themselves Against An Ottoman Offensive In Greece
"Portrait Of Lady Maria Conyngham" By Sir Thomas Lawrence, Painted In 1825
26th Of December 1825. The Decembrist Revolt - Liberal Russian Soldiers And Nobles Attempt To Overthrow The New Tsar Nicholas I And Create A Constitutional Monarchy
5th Of October 1825. Dublin: The City Is Lit By Gas Light For The First Time
25th Of 1824. French King Louis XVIII's Funeral Ceremony Is Held (Pictured: His Funeral Chariot)
22nd Of June 1826. The Panama Congress Opens In Panama City, Calling For A League Of American Republics, With A Common Military And Parliament
Thomas Lawrence- "The Red Boy", A Portrait Of Master Lambton, Eldest Son Of John Lambton, 1st Earl Of Durham, C. 1825
A Woman In A Walking Dress For November 1822
12th Of September 1826. "Sketch For An Al-Bum-"
20th Of March 1823. "A Gallic Beauty"
"Moonrise By The Sea" By Caspar David Friedrich, Completed "Before November 1822"
1826. Berlin's Unter Den Linden Is Illuminated With Gas Lamps
1822. Milliner's Shop In Paris Depicted By Chalon
1st Of December 1825. 29-Year-Old Nicholas Becomes The New Russian Tsar, Sparking Fears In Europe Due To His Expansionist Views
6th Of August 1825. Bolivia Declares Its Independence From Spain
1822. John Martin – "The Destruction Of Pompeii And Herculaneum"
18th Of July 1822. The Body Of English Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley Is Washed Up On The Beach Near Viareggio. His Boat, The "Don Juan", Had Sunk In A Storm. His Body Is Cremated On The Beach In The Presence Of Lord Byron And Edward John Trelawny (Painting By Louis Édouard Fournier, 1889)
Day Dress Made Of Cotton, Belonging To Josephine Of Leuchtenberg, Circa 1825
4th Of March 1826. The Massachusetts Legislature Granted A Charter For The Granite Railway, Widely Recognized As The First Commercial Railroad In The United States
September 27, 1821. A Rebel Army, LED By Agustín De Iturbide, Enters Mexico City To Declare Mexico's Independence From Spain
27th Of September 1825. England Launches The First Public Steam Railway - Carrying Passengers And Freight Between Stockton And Darlington
1823. "A Collision At The Halpoort In Brussels (Alcohol Smuggling)" Painting By Constantinus Fidelio Coene
[30 January 1826] The Menai Suspension Bridge Between Mainland Wales And Anglesey Opens. It's One Of The World's First Major Suspension Bridges
1822. Charles Willson Peale – "The Artist In His Museum"
September 1826. The First Issue Of Lydia Maria Child's "The Juvenile Miscellany", A Magazine For Children, Is Published In Boston. Becoming "So Popular That Children Used To Sit On Their Doorsteps Waiting For The Mail Carrier To Deliver It," It Lasts Until 1834
3rd Of September 1826. The Uss "Vincennes", Commanded By William Finch, Leaves New York City To Become The First U.S. Warship To Circumnavigate The Globe
1822. Portuguese-Brazilian Troops (From Sao Paulo) Hunting Jaguars In Brazil
1822. Pierre Révoil – "Mary, Queen Of Scots, Separated From Her Followers"
1826. The World's First Permanent Photograph, View From The Window At Le Gras, Was Captured By Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Due To The Extremely Long Exposure Time, Likely Lasting At Least Eight Hours Or Even Several Days, No Specific Month Or Day Was Recorded
18th Of August 1825. Upon Simón Bolívar's Arrival To La Paz, There Was A Demonstration Of Popular Rejoicing. Such A Fervent Demonstration By The People Touched Bolívar, Who Called The New Nation His "Predilect Daughter" And Was Called By The Peoples Of The New Republic Their "Favorite Son"
23rd Of April 1823. London: Twelve Fully-Licensed "Cabriolets", Built By Mr. David Davies, Were Placed On The Streets. They Were Announced As Being "Introduced To The Public In Honour Of His Majesty's Birthday." (London Cab Of 1823, With Curtain Drawn)
1st Of November 1822. Sydney, Australia: The Wearing Of A Log And Chain Is Introduced As Punishment For Convicts In Work Gangs
Wow! I wasn't expecting one on this list from Australia in the 1820s.
