This article explores how the events of the 19th century influenced the development of Polish society and the organization of the separate independent state later on. The presented theme is of current interest, since the heritage of the 19th century is fundamental to the development of Polish statehood after gaining independence in 1918, which was preceded by 123 years of absence of Poland on the world political map. The objectives of this work are to analyze the historical context of the 19th century and to identify the causes of further difficulties for the Polish society in the formation of the Second Polish Republic. Analyzing the Russian, Austrian, Prussian "parts of Poland", it is possible to see various differences in the economic, political, social and cultural spheres, which are caused by the inequality of development of the considered regions of the Russian, Prussian and Austro-Hungarian Empires.