The Meiji Era begins in Japan in 1867, which makes Japanese culture more easily available to western Europe and increases the West's cultural influence in Japan.

Much of the American late-19th-century writing that demonstrates racist ideas against Asians was written in the context of general cultural discussion over immigration patterns of Asians into the United States. People from Asia were immigrating into the United States in unprecedented numbers, and the country reacted to exclude them and slow down the rate of immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act, to reduce immigration of Chinese, was passed in 1882. "By 1909, nearly half (45 percent) of California's total farm labor force was Japanese," and California reacted predicatably (Schlereth 43).

The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885 "[m]ade sexual acts between males an offense [but not between females]; made white slave trafficking an offence; raised the age of consent of women from 13 to 16" (Cook and Keith 154).

"Grover Cleveland is unaugurated as the twenty-second President of the United States" (New York City Opera).

"King Alfonso XII of Spain dies, and Queen Maria Christina becomes regent" (New York City Opera).

"Volume two of Karl Marx' Das Kapital is published posthumously" (New York City Opera).

"The Mormons split into polygamous and monogamous factions" (New York City Opera).

"Pasteur devises a rabies vaccine to cure hydrophobia" (New York City Opera).

"Karl Benz builds a single-cylinder engine for the motor car, while the first English electrical tram car is in operation in Blackpool" (New York City Opera).

"John M. Fox imports the game of golf to America from Scotland" (New York City Opera).

To Act I or Act II of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado.

To the homepage of this Mikado website.

Suggestions, contributions, criticisms, questions? Email Sharon Cogdill.