Chapter 16: Attempts at
Liberty
I. American Struggle to
Preserve Liberty
Colonial Liberties
• Why they settled in America
– Freedom
• Most of the early settlers came
to escape religious persecution
– Adventure
– Wealth
Colonial Liberties
• Pilgrims
– Plymouth Colony
– Mayflower Compact
Colonial Liberties
• Puritans
– Settled near Boston
– John Winthrop
– View of government and the
state
• Other settlers
British Restrictions
• Until 1763, colonies enjoyed
freedom and prosperity
• Between 1763-1774, new
laws restricted colonial
trade
– Objections and resentment
British Restrictions
• Boston Tea Party
– Response of Parliament
– George III sent more troops
• Quebec Act
• Lexington and Concord
American
Independence
• Attitude Toward War
– Resistance
• Colonists did not seek a
rebellion or a war
– Some colonists remained
loyal to Britain
American
Independence
• Attitude Toward War
– Perspectives of Christians
– Declaration of Independence
• July 4, 1776
American
Independence
• Course of the War
– George Washington
– Saratoga
• French support for colonists
– Yorktown
– Treaty of Paris
Constitutional
Republic
• Articles of Confederation
– Ineffective
• New Constitution
– Republic
– Three branches
– Federalism
Constitutional
Republic
• Popular sovereignty
• Bill of Rights
• Constitution formally
adopted in 1789
Chapter 16: Attempts at
Liberty
II. French Destruction of
the Old Regime
Reasons for Discontent
• Old Regime
• Social Inequality
– First Estate
• Roman Catholic clergy
• About ½%
– Second Estate
• Nobility
• About 1½%
Reasons for Discontent
• Social Inequality
– Third Estate
• About 98%
• Lawyers, doctors, bankers,
businessmen
• Workers in cities and towns
• Peasants
Reasons for Discontent
• Social Inequality
– Peasants still had feudal
obligations
Reasons for Discontent
• Political Inefficiency
– King Louis XV
– King Louis XVI
– Indifferent and
irresponsible
Reasons for Discontent
• Economic
Irresponsibility
– Unbalanced tax system
• taille
• capitation
• vingtième
– Some were able to avoid
paying taxes
Reasons for Discontent
• Economic
Irresponsibility
– Virtual bankruptcy
• Participation in wars
• Extravagant spending
• Attempts to reduce national
debt made matters worse
Beginning of the
Revolution
• Calling of the EstatesGeneral
– Dismissal of finance
ministers
– First meeting of EstatesGeneral since 1614
• Representatives chosen
• Cahiers
Beginning of the
Revolution
• Convening of the
Estates-General
– Third Estate quickly
disillusioned
– Instructed to vote as
estates
• Put Third Estate at
disadvantage
Beginning of the
Revolution
• Forming of the National
Assembly
– Third Estate proclaimed
themselves the National
Assembly
– Tennis Court Oath
– Louis ordered First and
Second Estates to join
them
Beginning of the
Revolution
• Storming of the Bastille
– Rioting and looting by
mobs
– Search for weapons
– Hôtel des Invalides and
Bastille stormed by mobs
Phases of the
Revolution
• Destruction of the Old
Regime
– Feudalism abolished
– Declaration of the
Rights of Man
– Responses of Louis
Phases of the
Revolution
• Destruction of the Old
Regime
– Confiscation of Roman
Catholic Church land
– Assignats
– Civil Constitution of
the Clergy
• Juring & nonjuring
Phases of the
Revolution
• Overthrow of the
Monarchy
– Louis and his family
tried to flee France
– Constitution
Phases of the
Revolution
• Overthrow of the
Monarchy
– Problems of the
Legislative Assembly
• Conservatives
• Radicals
• Moderates
• Little public support
Phases of the
Revolution
• Overthrow of the
Monarchy
– Problems of the
Legislative Assembly
• Jacobins
• Jean-Paul Marat
• George-Jacques Danton
• Maximilien de
Robespierre
Phases of the
Revolution
• Overthrow of the
Monarchy
– Problems of the
Legislative Assembly
• Sans-culottes
Phases of the
Revolution
• Overthrow of the
Monarchy
– War with Austria and
Prussia
• Various reasons for war
• Brunswick Manifesto
Phases of the
Revolution
• Overthrow of the
Monarchy
– Execution of the King
• Danton became a virtual
dictator
• Widespread mobs
• Louis XVI tried and
found guilty of treason
Phases of the
Revolution
• The Reign of Terror
– The Committee of
Public Safety
• Twelve men
• Led by Robespierre
• Revolutionary Tribunal
• Thousand of executions
Phases of the
Revolution
• The Reign of Terror
– The Committee of
Public Safety
• Levée en masse
• Successes against
European coalition
• Robespierre has Danton
arrested and guillotined
Phases of the
Revolution
• The Reign of Terror
– The End of the National
Convention
• Directory
• Council of Five Hundred
• Council of Ancients
• Inherited problems
• Napoleon Bonaparte
Chapter 16: Attempts at
Liberty
III. The Napoleonic Era
Napoleon Bonaparte
•
•
•
•
Chosen by Directory
“New rules”
Peace with Austria
Invasion of Egypt
– Blockaded by Lord Nelson
– Abandoned his army
Overthrow of the Directory
• Coup d’état
• Three-man Consulate
– First consul
• Peace treaties with Austria
and Britain
• Domestic reforms
• Code Napoleon
Overthrow of the Directory
• Agreements with the
Catholic church
Creation of Napoleon’s
Empire
• Napoleon’s Crowning
– Made First Consul for life
– Proclaimed emperor of France
• Crowned by the pope
• Official end of the Republic
Creation of Napoleon’s
Empire
• Napoleon’s Conquests
– Could not defeat British navy
– Defeated Austria and Russia
at Austerlitz
– Dissolved Holy Roman Empire
– Defeated Prussia
– Continental System
Napoleon’s Downfall
• Treatment of defeated
nations
– Nationalistic pride
• Guerrillas
Napoleon’s Downfall
• Disaster in Russia
– Napoleon declared war
– Grand Army of 600,000
– Invasion
• Scorched-earth policy
• Reached Moscow
– Decimated as they retreated
Napoleon’s Downfall
• Defeat and Exile
– Defeat at the Battle of Nations
– Napoleon forced to abdicate
• Sent to Elba
– Escaped from Elba and
returned to Paris
Napoleon’s Downfall
• Defeat and Exile
– Battle of Waterloo
• Duke of Wellington
– Banished to St. Helena
• Died there six years later