| Role | Spreading revolutionary sentiment and challenging the established order during major upheavals like the French Revolution |
| Origin | 18th century |
| Definition | Viral, replicable cultural ideas or images used for political satire and social commentary |
| Prominence | |
| Early Forms | Illustrated broadsides • Political cartoons |
| Significance | Presaged the role of viral internet culture in the modern era |
In this alternate timeline, the concept of "memes" - viral, replicable cultural ideas or images - emerged much earlier than in our world, tracing its origins to the political and social upheavals of the late 18th and 19th centuries. While fundamentally similar to their modern internet counterparts, these proto-memes played a crucial role in spreading revolutionary sentiment and challenging established authorities during major historical events like the French Revolution.
The first recognizable "memes" appeared in the form of illustrated broadsides, political caricatures, and satirical publications produced by educated elites in Europe starting in the late 1700s. These visual-textual hybrids, often printed and distributed rapidly, were used to mock, critique, and undermine the institutions of monarchy, aristocracy, and the Catholic Church.
Early meme-like artifacts included scathing caricatures of unpopular monarchs like King Louis XVI of France, allegorical illustrations representing broader political movements, and viral pamphlets that spread radical new ideas. Unlike today's internet memes, these proto-memes were almost exclusively the domain of the literate and privileged classes, reflecting their origins in the Age of Enlightenment.
The rise of meme culture coincided with the great political upheavals of the late 18th and 19th centuries, and memes themselves played a crucial role in fueling revolutionary sentiment and spreading new ideologies. During the French Revolution, for example, memes depicting the excesses of the monarchy and the suffering of the peasantry helped catalyze popular anger and support for the revolutionary cause.
Similarly, memes were central to the spread of nationalism and the idea of self-determination that inspired independence movements across Europe and the Americas. Satirical cartoons ridiculing colonial rule or exalting the noble "common man" became ubiquitous, and many revolutionary leaders actively used meme-like imagery to galvanize their followers.
The power of memes to rapidly disseminate ideas, foment unrest, and undermine traditional authority made them a target of suppression by threatened governments. Meme-makers and publishers were frequently censored, imprisoned or executed, especially during the more radical phases of revolutionary upheaval.
Even as memes became a tool of popular political expression, they remained primarily the domain of the educated, literate classes throughout the 19th century. Meme-making required artistic skill, access to printing presses, and familiarity with high culture and current affairs - all of which excluded the vast majority of the illiterate working class and peasantry.
Memes thus became a marker of status and cultural capital among the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie, and the intelligentsia. Satirical memes were passed around in gentlemen's clubs, coffee houses, and exclusive social circles, contributing to the development of a shared "meme language" and sensibility among the European elite.
This elite culture of meme-making and circulation began to wane in the late 19th century as new mass media like photography, motion pictures, and radio reached wider segments of society. Memes were gradually supplanted by these newer, more accessible forms of cultural expression and political commentary.
While meme culture itself faded from prominence by the early 20th century, its influence can be seen as presaging many aspects of modern internet culture. The ability of memes to quickly spread and mutate viral ideas, to mock and undermine authority figures, and to unite subversive communities around shared imagery and language all anticipate the role of memes in the digital age.
Scholars also argue that the revolutionary potential of 18th and 19th century meme culture laid important groundwork for the development of mass media propaganda, protest art, and the use of visual rhetoric in political discourse. The origins of memes thus highlight how technological change and cultural upheaval have long intersected to shape the flow of information and the dynamics of power.
