Early prophet born at pivotal time in history
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Joseph Smith's lifetime came during a pivotal time in history. In the United States, the population nearly quadrupled in size and Americans living on farms fell to fewer than 70 percent, said Church archivists/historians Chad M. Orton and William W. Slaughter. Other major events that took place between the Prophet's birth in 1805 and death in 1844 include:
- The Second Great Awakening (a time of religious originality and
transformation that refocused America's perception of religion in the early
1800s).
- The War of 1812.
- Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.
- The development of American canals, roads and railways.
- The 50th anniversary of American independence.
- The abolition of slavery in Mexico and the British Empire.
- The volatile rise of the anti-slavery movement in the United States.
- The first settlers traveling the Oregon Trail.
- The battle of the Alamo.
- The crowning of England's Queen Victoria.
- The independence of most Central and South American countries.
- The uniting of Lower and Upper Canada.
portrays scene at Carthage Jail.
In Joseph Smith's lifetime, several inventions also changed the world:
- The stethoscope in France (1816).
- England introduced both the passenger railway and the railway tunnel
(1825-1826).
- The first U.S. savings bank was opened in Boston (1816).
- Louis Braille introduced his reading system for the blind (1829).
- An Italian synthesized salicylic acid, the basic ingredient in aspirin
(1838).
- The rules of baseball were created (1839).
- A Scot produced the first bicycle (1839).
- The daguerreotype, the first usable photographic process, was
introduced (1839).
- The first Christmas card was created (1843).
Source: Joseph Smith's America, His Life and Times
