Age of Revolutions
Overview
In the late 1700s and early
1800s revolutions shook Europe
and the Americas. Inspired by
Enlightenment ideals Britain’s 13
colonies declared their
independence in 1776, and
fought the American revolution
to throw off British rule.
Overview
In France, economic misery and
social discontent led to a revolt
against the absolute monarchy
in 1789. Periods of chaos and
reform were followed by the rise
of Napoleon. Napoleon’s empire
was short-lived, but it inspired
nationalism who spread the
revolution’s ideals. Latin America
also experienced revolutions that
threw off Spanish rule.
The American Revolution
By 1750 the British empire included 13
colonies along the eastern coast of North
America. In 1776 the colonies declared
their independence from Britain, and were
given help by the French, Dutch, and
Spanish to defeat the British troops.
Inspired by Enlightenment ideals, the
colonists established a new nation based
on representative government and a
guarantee of rights and freedoms.
Influence of British Traditions
1. Magna Carta and Parliament
The Magna Carta limited the power of the English
monarchs, and stated that kings could not tax the
people without consulting Parliament. The American
colonists interpreted this to mean that taxation without
representation was unjust. Since colonists were heavily
taxed but did not have a voice in Britain’s Parliament,
the slogan of “No taxation without representation”
arose among the colonists.
Influence of British Traditions
2. English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights
inspired the colonists to fight
for the creation of their own
Bill of Rights.
Influence of the Enlightenment
1. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
Thomas Paine wrote in his
pamphlet Common Sense that
colonists should no longer be
the subjects of a distant
monarch. Pain appealed to
reason and natural law in his
arguments for breaking away
from Britain, and his ideas were
very popular in the colonies in
1776.
Influence of the Enlightenment
2. The Declaration of Independence
Inspired by John Locke and other
Enlightenment thinkers, Thomas Jefferson
drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Key points taken from
the Enlightenment:
1. Government rules by the consent of the governed.
2. Government should protect citizens’ rights.
3. People have a right to overthrow a bad government.
Influence of the Enlightenment
3. The Constitution
The Constitution set up a government by social contract
and begins with the words “We the people of the United
States…” This idea was taken from Hobbes and Rousseau.
Influence of the Enlightenment
3. The Constitution
The Constitution also created a republic in which power
was divided into three branches, to ensure checks and
balances. This idea was taken from Montesquieu.
Impact of the American Revolution
• The American republic stood as a symbol of freedom to both
Europe and Latin America.
• The US Constitution created the most liberal government of
its time, and would be copied my other countries.
• The success of the American Revolution would inspire other
nations to throw off their absolute monarchs.
The French Revolution
Causes of the French Revolution
Shortly after the American
Revolution, the French decided to
have a revolution of their own.
There were many causes for the
French Revolution, such as:
1. Absolute Monarchy – most
people hated their monarch,
Louis XVI, because they were
denied basic rights and any
say in government.
Causes of the French Revolution
Shortly after the American
Revolution, the French decided to
have a revolution of their own.
There were many causes for the
French Revolution, such as:
2. Social Inequality – Since the
Middle Ages there had been
three classes, or Estates, in
France.
First Estate: the clergy
Second Estate: the nobles
Third Estate: middle class, poor
city workers, and rural peasants
(largest group).
Causes of the French Revolution
Shortly after the American
Revolution, the French decided to
have a revolution of their own.
There were many causes for the
French Revolution, such as:
3. Economic Injustices – the
government spent more
money than it earned, and
the tax burden was on the
Third Estate. Bad harvests in
1789 caused food prices to
rise and caused peasants to
go hungry and start riots.
Causes of the French Revolution
Shortly after the American
Revolution, the French decided to
have a revolution of their own.
There were many causes for the
French Revolution, such as:
4. The Enlightenment – the
Enlightenment thinkers were
especially critical of France’s
absolute monarchy and called
for democratic reforms. Most
French people felt that it was
unreasonable for the First
and Second Estates to have
such privilege.
Causes of the French Revolution
Shortly after the American
Revolution, the French decided to
have a revolution of their own.
There were many causes for the
French Revolution, such as:
5. English and American
Examples – the Glorious
Revolution and the American
Revolution proved to the
French that existing
absolutist authorities could
be successfully challenged.
Stages of the Revolution
The Revolution Begins
As conditions grew worse in France, demands for reforms
increased. In 1789 King Louis XVI finally called the Estates
General, which were representatives of all three estates.
After this, change came swiftly.
Stages of the Revolution
The Revolution Begins
As conditions grew worse in France, demands for reforms
increased. In 1789 King Louis XVI finally called the Estates
General, which were representatives of all three estates.
After this, change came swiftly.
1. National Assembly – The Third Estate, the only elected
group in the Estates General, declared itself the National
Assembly and vowed to write a new constitution.
Stages of the Revolution
The Revolution Begins
As conditions grew worse in France, demands for reforms
increased. In 1789 King Louis XVI finally called the Estates
General, which were representatives of all three estates.
After this, change came swiftly.
2. Seizure of the Bastille –
Working class people stormed
a prison called the Bastille on
July 14, 1789. Fighting broke
out in the city and
countryside between peasants
and nobles, in a time known
as the Great Fear.
Stages of the Revolution
The Revolution Begins
As conditions grew worse in France, demands for reforms
increased. In 1789 King Louis XVI finally called the Estates
General, which were representatives of all three estates.
After this, change came swiftly.
3. Declaration of the Rights of Man – The National Assembly
abolished the privileges of the First and Second Estates and
adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen,
which contained many Enlightenment ideas.
Stages of the Revolution
A Limited Monarchy
By 1791 the Assembly had written a constitution which
defined the role and purpose of a new government.
Under the new constitution France:
1. Set up a limited monarchy and a representative
assembly.
2. Declared that people had natural rights and that it was
the job of the government to protect those rights.
3. Put the Church under state control.
Many other European rulers and nobles feared revolutionary
ideas would spread to their countries, so they threatened to
intervene to save the French monarchy. To spread the
revolution and end tyranny, France declared war on Austria,
Prussia, Britain, and several other states.
Stages of the Revolution
Radicals in Power and the Reign of Terror
The war went badly for France. In 1792 radicals took control
of the Assembly, ended the monarchy and declared France a
republic. Their slogan was “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”
In 1793 the king
was executed for
treason.
Stages of the Revolution
Radicals in Power and the Reign of Terror
The execution of the king ushered in the
Reign of Terror, which was led by
Maximilien Robespierre, a radical
revolutionary. During the Reign of Terror
over 40,000 people were put to death, and
thousands more were put in prison.
Within a year the violence turned back on
itself, and Robespierre himself was
executed and the Reign of Terror ended.
Stages of the Revolution
Moderates Return
Beginning in 1795, a five-man “Directory” supported by a
legislature held power in France. However, this
government was weak and inefficient, which led to the
rise of the ambitious military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Napoleon in Power
His Rise to Power
When the revolution started
Napoleon was a low level military
officer with dreams of glory. He
gained popularity for his victories
against the British and Austrians.
In 1799 Napoleon used his
popularity to orchestrate a coup d’
etat, or revolt by military leaders to
overthrow a government. Three
years later he took the title of
“Emperor of the French” and gained
absolute power. Hoping for stability,
the French supported Napoleon.
Napoleon in Power
Napoleon’s Achievements
Napoleon was a very effective ruler
in many aspects such as:
1. Economy – Napoleon controlled
prices, supported new industry, and
built roads and canals.
2. Education – Napoleon
established a government supervised public school system.
3. Napoleonic Code – Napoleon
established a legal code that
included many Enlightenment
ideas, such as the legal equality
of citizens and religious toleration.
Napoleon in Power
Napoleon’s Empire
From 1804 to 1814 Napoleon
conquered much of Europe and
ruled an empire. He often
replaced the monarchs of
defeated nations with his friends
and relatives.
Of the European powers, only
Britain and Russia remained out
of Napoleon’s reach. Britain was
shielded from French troops by a
powerful navy and the English
Channel.
Napoleon in Power
Napoleon in Power
Napoleon’s Fall
Napoleon’s empire began to crumble
for several reasons:
1. Nationalism - most people in
conquered states looked upon
Napoleon’s armies as foreign
oppressors. Inspired by nationalism,
people across Europe revolted against
French rule.
Napoleon in Power
Napoleon’s Fall
Napoleon’s empire began to crumble
for several reasons:
2. Failed Russian Invasion (1812) – As
Napoleon’s armies invaded from the
west, Russian armies retreated
eastward and burned crops and
villages to leave nothing behind for
the ensuing French, which is called a
“scorched earth” policy. French troops
became hungry and cold, and most of
Napoleon’s army was lost during the
winter.
Napoleon in Power
Napoleon’s Fall
A year after Napoleon’s loss in Russia,
an alliance between Russia, Britain,
Austria, and Prussia defeated
Napoleon, forcing him to step down in
1814.
Napoleon would return to power in
1815, but the British and Prussians
decisively defeated him at the battle of
Waterloo, which ended his reign, and
he lived the rest of his life in exile.
Effects of the French Revolution
The French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon
transformed both France and Europe in many ways:
1. Democratic Ideals – Napoleon’s conquests spread the
ideals of democracy across Europe. Groups strived to
achieve the goals of the French republic: “Liberty, Equality,
Fraternity.” People wanted liberty from monarchs, social
equality, and fraternity, or brotherhood by working
together for a common cause.
Effects of the French Revolution
The French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon
transformed both France and Europe in many ways:
2. Nationalism – Napoleon’s conquests inspired feelings of
national pride among the French, as well as nationalistic
feelings in those nations that were oppressed by
Napoleon. His conquests had a part in the eventual
unification of both Italy and Germany, and his weakening
of Spain led to the Latin American independence
movements.
Summary
Enlightenment ideas about natural rights and rejection
of absolutist authority inspired major revolutions in the
late 1700s and early 1800s. Colonists in America
declared independence from Britain in 1776 and
created a government based on the ideas of Locke and
Montesquieu. Influenced by the American Revolution,
revolutionaries in France overturned the monarchy and
created a new social order. Napoleon helped spread
revolutionary ideals across Europe. Both the American
and French Revolutions contributed to revolutions in
Latin America in the early 1800s.