World History, Chapter 23
Reforms, Revolutions,
and War
23.1 Reforms in the British Empire
 In 1800, landowning aristocrats made up most of
Parliament
 Some industrial cities had no representatives at
all
 Only wealthy male property owners could vote;
public office restricted to men of wealth
Changes in the British Empire
 Beyond Britain, people living in other parts of
the British Empire were also moved by the spirit
of reform.
 In the mid-1800s people in Ireland, Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand took steps to rule
themselves.
Ireland
 Policies created to help British industry hurt Irish
agriculture
 Mid-1800s, potato crop failed several times, left
many with no food, no income, evicted from homes
 During the years of the famine, about 1 million
people starved, about 1.5 million others
emigrated—many to the United States.
 Irish began to fight for change. Some wanted
independence, others home rule within United
Kingdom
 Ireland did not receive limited self-government until
1920
Canada
 Britain’s colonies in Canada very different
 Some mainly French-speaking, others mainly
English-speaking
 Diversity created lack of unity, led to calls for
reform
 1837, rebellions in Canadian colonies convinced
British reform necessary
 1867, Parliament granted colonies power to
govern selves
 Canada become dominion, self-governing
colony; continued to expand westward
Australia
 Since 1700s, Britain had used Australia as place
to send criminals
 Mid-1800s, other colonists began to settle there,
attracted by copper, gold deposits
 1901, Britain granted self-rule to
Commonwealth of Australia; established own
parliament but remained part of British empire
New Zealand
British government made agreement with local
Maori people, land in exchange for self-rule
New Zealand became a dominion of Great Britain
1893, New Zealand became first country to give
women the vote
23.2 Revolution and Change in France
 During the 1800s opposing groups in France
struggled to determine what kind of government
France would have—a republic, a constitutional
monarchy, or an absolute monarchy.
 At the end of the Napoleonic era, the Congress
of Vienna restored Louis XVIII to the French
throne.
 The French had a constitution and a legislature,
but most power remained with the king.
The Revolution of 1830
 Charles X inherited throne with death of brother,
Louis XVIII
• Tried to rule as absolute monarch
• Citizens revolted, Revolution of 1830
• Charles abdicated, fled to England
 Moderate liberals formed constitutional
monarchy
 Chose Louis Philippe new king
• Popular with middle class
Louis Philippe
 Increased number of voters, but only extended
vote to more wealthy citizens
 Limited freedom of press
 rule became increasingly repressive
 silenced most who opposed him
 working people grew poorer
 middle class and aristocracy became more
prosperous
 Popularity deteriorated rapidly with economic
depression of 1846
The Revolution of 1848
 The economic troubles and general unhappiness
simmered until 1848.
 Middle- and working- class protesters took to
streets
 Louis Philippe abdicated
 New government formed, a republic headed by a
president
 Voters elected Napoleon’s nephew, Louis
Napoleon
Second Republic
 Era known as Second Republic; First Republic
existed between French Revolution, reign of
Napoleon
 Revolution of 1848 had far-reaching effects:
• ensured all adult men had right to vote
• fueled new women’s rights movement
• inspired other European revolutions
New Constitution
 French constitution allowed president to serve
four years
 Louis Napoleon wanted to remain in office
• 1851, sent troops to Paris, arrested members of
National Assembly who opposed him
• Called for national vote on drafting new
constitution
 1852, French elected him Emperor Napoleon III
Period became known as Second Empire
 Napoleon III made reforms such as increasing
voting rights but always kept absolute power as
emperor
 Ruled during time of economic prosperity
 Built many miles of railroads, helped increase
trade and improved communications in France
The Third Republic
 War with Prussia
• 1870, Napoleon III drew France into war with Prussia
• Napoleon III captured, surrendered to Prussians
 Deposed
• Defeat led French Assembly to depose Napoleon III
• Proclaimed Third Republic
 Siege of Paris
• New republic immediately faced crisis
• Prussians invaded France, began siege of Paris
 Important Reforms
• Primary education available for children 6 - 13
• Trade unions legalized, working hours reduced,
workers got one day off per week
The Dreyfus Affair
 Divisions continued to split French society
 1894, divisions came to head over the Dreyfus
Affair, revealing extent of French anti-Semitism
(prejudice toward Jews)
• Alfred Dreyfus, captain in French army, Jewish
• Falsely accused of betraying military secrets to
Germany
• Anti-Semitic officers knew he was not guilty, let
Dreyfus take blame
• Evidence suggested another, non-Jewish, officer may
have been spy, but found not guilty in court
 Zionism movement began, called for re-creation of a
Jewish state in original homeland
23.3 Latin America
 The Enlightenment and the American and French
revolutions inspired some in Latin America to
seek greater freedom.
Haiti
 Saint Domingue was the first Latin American
territory to break ties with Europe
 Sugar exports made Saint Domingue one of France’s
richest possessions. Prosperity built on slave labor
 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
gave vote to all free men, including mulattoes
 French settlers on Saint Domingue resisted new law
 Toussaint L’Ouverture led bloody revolt against
settlers
 Revolutionaries declared independence from France;
named new country Haiti
Mexico
 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo called for the
peasants to revolt against the peninsulares, not
against Spain
• began the revolution
 After death of Hidalgo, Jose Maria Morelos,
became leader of revolutionary movement
• Morelos wanted independence from Spain and
an "American" identity to unify all people
born in Mexico
Mexico (cont.) Agustin de Iturbide
 Asked by Spanish authorities to lead final battle against
revolutionaries. They believed he could end Mexican
independence movement
 Iturbide believed liberal revolution underway in Spain
might take away some of his power so he decided to
switch sides, fight for Mexican revolutionaries
 Iturbide wanted to create an independent monarchy, give
creoles and peninsulares equal rights, make the Roman
Catholic Church the official church of Mexico
 Brokered a compromise which brought together many
different groups; creoles and peninsulares,
revolutionaries and royalists
 In 1821, Mexico declared independence from Spain
Simon Bolivar
 Bolivar had dream for newly independent South
America
 Wanted to form one large, united country called
Federation of the Andes
• Dream never became reality
• Bolivar set up state of Gran Colombia, included
what are now Venezuela, Colombia, Panama,
Ecuador
 Other leaders set up separate countries in Peru,
Bolivia, other places
José de San Martin
 Had fought against Napoleon in Spain
 Born in Argentina, returned home when he
learned country rising up against Spanish rule
 Eventually led independence movement in
Argentina and most of southern South America
John VI in Brazil
 1807, Portuguese king John VI, family, fled to
Brazil when Napoleon invaded Portugal
 Status of colony raised having Portuguese
monarch there
 John VI named Rio de Janeiro capital of
Portuguese empire
 Allowed Brazil to trade directly with world,
rather than through Portugal
Pedro I
 John VI returned to Portugal after revolution,
1820
 Left son Pedro to rule Brazil
 Brazilian-born colonists began to protest colonial
status
 Transition happened smoothly, little violence
 1822, Prince Pedro declared Brazil independent,
was crowned Emperor Pedro I