The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 38, July 29, 1897: A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

In Short

Published on July 29, 1897, by William Beverley Harison in New York, this issue of The Great Round World serves as a weekly current-events digest designed to educate young readers on global news. Written primarily by G. H. Rosenfeld, the magazine unpacks complex international conflicts, domestic policy debates, and technological advances with direct, straightforward prose. It endures as an extraordinary historical capsule, capturing the anxieties, prejudices, and imperial geopolitics of the late nineteenth century alongside early American consumer culture and promotional marketing.

The Story

The issue opens not with news, but with the material rewards of Gilded Age commerce. A dense promotional catalogue offers premium rewards—ranging from pocket Kodak cameras and gold-plated watches to golf clubs and classic literature—for readers who secure new subscriptions. This commercial backdrop sets the stage for a world defined by industrial expansion, colonial ambition, and rapid technological change.

Moving into the core news reportage, the narrative spans multiple continents, beginning in Northeast Africa. Great Britain prepares a military expedition to reconquer the Soudan province of Dongola, lost during the Mahdist revolt of the 1880s. The issue traces the history of the region, explaining the construction of the Suez Canal, the joint Anglo-French financial interest in Egypt, the rise of the Mahdi as a religious leader, and the tragic siege of Khartoum that cost General "Chinese" Gordon his life. With the Mahdist forces now divided by internal tribal revolts, British-led Egyptian troops prepare to reclaim the territory.

In Asia, the news turns to violent civil unrest in British-ruled India. Strikes among silk mill workers on the Hoogly River escalate into riots near Calcutta. The report explains that while religious disputes over mosques sparked the immediate violence, the underlying anger stems from British anti-plague health measures. Ignorant of native customs and the rigid rules of the caste system, European officials forced sick Indians into non-segregated hospitals and obliged them to eat food prepared by foreigners, provoking deep resentment that educated anti-colonial agitators quickly exploited.

In Europe, the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish War reaches a deadlock. Sultan Abdul Hamid II defies the European Powers, insisting on retaining Thessaly and shifting the Turkish frontier south. Despite firm collective warnings from Russia, Austria, and France, the Sultan remains obstinate, while Turkish troops resume hostilities by besieging and burning the town of Kalabaka. Meanwhile, the Powers establish a self-governing framework for Crete under a Christian governor, leaving Greece's fate hanging in the balance.

In the Americas, the Cuban War of Independence gains momentum as Spanish General Weyler faces rumored recall after failing to pacify the island. Insurgent leaders General Gomez and Avelino Rosas use the rainy season and intricate swamp hideouts to launch surprise attacks, forcing Spanish troops out of outlying towns. Back in the United States, Congress passes the Dingley Tariff Bill, Japanese-American tensions rise over the proposed annexation of Hawaii, national coal miners launch a massive strike for living wages, and engineers in London strike for an eight-hour day. The issue closes with short notes on window-shelf inventions, relief practice maps, and educational nature books.

How It Unfolds

The trade rewards The magazine begins by enticing young readers with premium offerings, promising leather-bound Kodak cameras, gold watches, and classic novels by Dickens, Stevenson, and Conan Doyle in exchange for collecting new paid subscriptions.

The African campaign The report detail Britain's planned military reconquest of the Soudan, reviewing the historical rise of the Mahdi, the tragic fall of Khartoum, and the death of General Gordon.

The Indian uprisings Unrest erupts near Calcutta as mill workers strike, driven by native outrage over British plague-control policies that unwittingly violate deeply ingrained religious traditions and caste customs.

The Mediterranean deadlock The Ottoman Sultan defies the joint diplomatic notes of the European Powers regarding the borders of Greece, while European diplomats finalize a self-governing constitution for the island of Crete.

The Cuban insurgency Cuban rebels outmaneuver disease-plagued Spanish forces during the rainy season, using secret swamp bases and captured supplies to press toward Havana as General Weyler faces potential recall.

The American floor The U.S. Senate passes the landmark Tariff Bill after fierce debate, while American diplomats navigate escalating friction with Japan over the possible annexation of the Hawaiian Islands.

The labor strikes Coal miners across the United States strike against severe wage cuts, threatening a national fuel shortage, while British engineers in London lay down tools to demand an eight-hour workday standard.

The People

• General "Chinese" Gordon: The legendary British military officer whose death at the siege of Khartoum in 1885 left a lingering mark on British imperial history. His legacy drives the new 1897 campaign to retake the Soudan.
• The Sultan (Abdul Hamid II): The wily ruler of the Ottoman Empire who deliberately delays peace negotiations with the European Powers. He seeks to retain conquered Greek territory in Thessaly, betting that the Powers will not unite to use force against him.
• General Gomez: The chief military strategist of the Cuban insurgents. He cleverly leverages the tropical rainy season and guerrilla tactics to wear down the far larger Spanish army without engaging in costly pitched battles.
• Avelino Rosas: A South American officer who joins the Cuban rebels and masterminds the navigation of an impassable swamp in Matanzas province. He unlocks its hidden pathways to establish safe rebel strongholds and field hospitals.
• General Weyler: The Spanish commander in Cuba whose harsh tactics fail to quell the revolution. Desperate for 200,000 additional troops and $200,000,000, he faces imminent recall to Spain as corruption scandals break out among his officers.

In Its Own Voice

"The story of the stand he made against the forces of the Mahdi at Khartoum, and of the long-delayed expedition which was sent to his relief, are among the saddest annals of modern history."

This line frames the fall of Khartoum as a pivotal tragedy that still haunts British imperial policy twelve years later.

"Imagine, then, how the ignorant Indian natives must have felt, when, for reasons that they could not be made to understand, their sick were carried away by Europeans, and put into hospitals with people of every tribe and caste..."

Here the text illustrates the cultural disconnect between British health authorities and the native population during the Indian plague crisis.

"It took just forty hours to change the Teutonic from a merchantman into a war-vessel."

This brief observation captures the astounding speed of late-nineteenth-century naval mobilization and industrial engineering.

What It's Really About

Beneath its accessible surface, this issue explores the complex mechanisms of late-nineteenth-century global empire and the friction generated by rapid modernization. It examines how Western powers rely on technological dominance, naval power, and financial investments—such as the Suez Canal—to exert control over foreign territories. Yet, the narrative consistently reveals the limits of imperial authority: cultural misunderstandings ignite violent revolts in India, guerrilla warfare frustrates Spanish forces in Cuba, and economic inequality sparks massive industrial labor strikes in both Britain and the United States. The text implicitly asks how modern nations maintain order, manage trade, and balance progress against human cost, offering young readers an unvarnished look at a world reshaping itself through conflict, labor agitation, and diplomacy.

Why Read It Today

The Great Round World offers a fascinating historical window into how late-nineteenth-century readers processed world events as they happened. Rather than reading history through a modern lens, the reader experiences the world of 1897 in real time: the Klondike gold rush era, the eve of the Spanish-American War, and the height of Victorian industrial expansion. The prose is clean, lucid, and surprisingly modern in its pacing, making dense geopolitical disputes easy to follow.

Modern readers will find the period attitudes and casual colonial vocabulary striking, as the text frequently reflects nineteenth-century Western biases when discussing non-European cultures. Terms like "ignorant Indian natives" or patronizing references to "brave little Greece" clearly reveal the period's cultural hierarchy and imperial worldview. However, these elements make the text all the more valuable as an authentic primary document. Anyone interested in military history, global diplomacy, historical journalism, or the everyday consumer culture of the 1890s will find this issue a rich, compelling, and illuminating brief read.