The nineteenth century was an age of important advancements.  Matches, sewing machines, the assembly line, and tin cans all came from this century.  It also saw the rise of Socialism and Marxism.  The 19th century also gave rise to better ways to store and transmit information.  The telephone was patented in 1876 (the same year as the first practical four-stroke combustion engine) and soon afterwards telephone wires were finding their way across the nation.  Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and people were able to record sound.  Increase in technology often brings an increased ability to share ideas and technology.  The faster it moves and the longer it can be stored, the easier it is to use that information.

Throughout history it has been important to preserve and transfer information.  Failure to do so results in time periods such as Egypt after the invasion of the "Sea people", the Greeks after the Dorian invasion, and the Dark ages.  History is full of mysteries that are only mysteries because the information has been lost.