An Age of Atlantic Revolutions
American Colonies
The revolutionary era in America,
1776-1826.
1. British North America: The American
Revolution,1776-83.
2. French St. Domingue: The Haitian Revolution,
1790-1804: the end of slavery and the first
black republic.
3. Spanish America: Rebellions, War and
Independence in Mexico and South America,
1810-1825.
Meanings
• Linkages and associations? The concepts of
‘Democratic’ and ‘Atlantic Revolution’: Palmer and
Godechot.
• Repercussions? Turning point in Americas’ history
– Dissolution of empires from California to Cape Horn by
separation from European rule: few remnants left.
– Political independence and economic freedom
– Americas as the new political and economic frontier
International Contexts
• Origins of Revolutions in Americas: crisis in colonial
relations with European wars, related to international
wars.
• Decline of Spain and growth of French and British
empires in America: trade and population expansion in
the West.
• Character of international wars in 18th century: coupled
with competition for overseas empire, esp. France, Spain
and Britain.
• Atlantic expansion and tendency of European Wars to
‘globalise’. Americas became major theatre.
• Impact of inter-imperialist competition in Americas:
economic growth; more communication and exchange;
increase in political tensions.
The American Revolution
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Origins of conflict: the Seven
Years’ War and expulsion of
France,
‘no taxation without
representation’ and
Parliamentary despotism
Source of ideas: defence of
traditional British ‘liberties’ +
Tom Paine.
Comitees of correspondence
Nationalism? Provincial
identities.
Unity? from Continental
Congress to United States of
America.
Democracy? From republican
monarchy to monarchical
republic.
New rights for everybody?
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The laboratory of republicanism
Native Americans
Women
Slaves
The federal constitution of 1787
The French Colony of
Saint-Domingue
France in America post-1763: the
Caribbean minus Canada
War of American Revolution and
Crisis in Paris in 1789: onset of
French Revolution
Slave colony: Saint Domingue
The wealthiest in the world
The Haitian Revolution
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Repercussions of French Revolution:
escalation of crisis from divisions in
elite to slave insurgency
French abolitionism
1789: the revolt of white elites
1790: the revolt of free people of
colour
1791: the slave insurrection
Foreign intervention exacerbates crisis
Slave revolution? Toussaint’s
compromise and Napoleon’s
Response.
From social rebellion to revolution for
independence
Political transformation and social
revolution: the end of slavery
Reception in the United States
Spanish American Revolutions:
Contexts
• Spain’s revival under the Bourbons
• Reform and rebellion: Quito (1765), Comuneros
(1781), Túpac Amaru (1780-2)
• American critiques of Spain: ‘Creole patriotism’
and the Enlightenment.
• Impact of American French, and Haitian
Revolutions: 1790s conspiracies and their
significance
• The French Revolution and Spain: ‘decapitation’
of the state 1808-1810 and political revolution in
Spain: towards constitutional monarchy.
Spanish America: revolutions and
independence
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Imitating Spain:1810
Restive elites and delegated
sovereignty: the juntas, autonomy
and independence.
Cadiz Constitution and the defeat
of insurgency
Revolution from above, 1821.
Defining the patria: Regional
conflicts and confederations
Revolution defeated: Spanish
restoration and re-conquest 18141825
Militarization of the revolution:
Wars of liberation under Bolívar
and San Martin.
• Simon Bolivar
Comparisons
• International Contexts: revolutions all related to
international wars.
• Ideological Contexts and Linkages: Democratic
revolutions? Influence of Enlightenment attack on
privilege, and growth of anti-monarchical and republican
sentiments?
• Ambiguities of pre-revolutionary Enlightenment;
enlightened ideas for revolutionary legitimation.
• Importance of distinctive political cultures: American
Revolution ‘born democratic’ in British political culture;
Haitian Revolution drew on French Revolution; Spanish
American revolutions combine modern doctrines of rights
of man from both, but also draw on Spanish traditions of
political thought.
Circulations and connections
Circulation of ideas : sovereignty,
republicanism, citizenship
Circulations and connections
Circulation of people: diplomats, refugees,
merchants, privateers, runaway slaves
Thomas Paine
(1737-1809)
Francisco de Miranda
(1750-1816)
Outcomes
• Nationalist Revolutions? Expressions of nascent national
identities? First nationalist revolutions or ‘imagined
communities’? (role of print in North American and
Spanish America).
• Social revolutions driven by class and ethnic conflicts? –
popular grievances drawn in and drove revolutions
forward.
• Revolutions share origins in erosion of political
legitimacy of old regimes: in British America, driven by
metropolitan aggression; in French and Spanish America
based on collapse at the centre.
• Outcomes: US Republic; Haitian ‘republic of bayonets’;
Spanish American tendency towards oligarchies and
limited participation in politics.