The Great Exhibition of 1851 sought to provide the world with hope of a better future. After two decades of political and social upheaval experienced by Europe, the Exhibition hoped to demonstrate that technology was the key to a better future. Europeans were excited to showcase their innovative new technology and showcase their progress in industrialization and economic changes. The most popular exhibit was the Crystal Palace; the first monumental structure in Britain built exclusively of metal and glass (93). The Palace's promoters say it will be known and remembered for centuries throughout Europe. Just as the Liberals thought that Liberalism would remain forever thanks to their breakthrough, so the promoters thought the same thing would happen with the Crystal Palace. However, both ideas were illusions and within a few centuries both would fall. The promoters also thought that nothing would ever be bigger than the Palace (94), as the liberals thought of other non-liberal groups, and as the Palace fell, so did the liberals who would be replaced without hesitation. They viewed the world as if it were in the palm of their hands, across Europe societies were becoming increasingly progressive and industrialized leaving behind the turbulences of the past they had encountered. There was widespread celebration of liberal achievements and in both articles Liberalism is always articulated with a positive connotation behind it. Liberals constantly boast about the Crystal Palace and its greatness due to its contribution to advancing the history of industry. They were so certain that it would be a success that they predicted that not only the wealthy would soon begin to embrace the style... middle of paper... the material and industrial developments of the time period were the most rapid and powerful changes that Europeans they had never seen. Liberals seemed to believe that they could and would change Europe to make it the Europe they had fought for. They looked back with respect for all the progress that had been made and what it had taken to get there, but the detestable attitude towards non-liberals that caused them all their problems did not easily go unnoticed. All the improvements and progress they have made have sometimes been overlooked. It's only once they got out of that period of time that they could look back and see what they had really been through, that's when they had to stop and look at where they were and where they were going to make sure that was the future for them, and for liberals it era. Works Cited The Economist (London) 9 (1851) 4-6, 57-58, 92- 100