 Revolutions and National States in the Atlantic World

 Ancient and medieval notions of kingship: “mandate of heaven,” “divine right of kings” were challenged.  Impact of Enlightenment ideas  Kings to be made responsible to subject populations  John Locke ( ) o Second Treatise of Civil Government (1609) o Argues that rulers derive power from consent of ruled o Individuals retain personal rights, give political rights to rulers 2

 Voltaire (pen name of François-Marie Arouet, ) o Criticized of Roman Catholic Church o Championed religious tolerance  Jean-Jacques Rousseau ( ) o Argues for equality of all individuals, regardless of class, before the law o The Social Contract (1762), argues that society is collectively the sovereign 3

 Thomas Paine’s Common Sense appealed to reason and natural law in his arguments for breaking away from Britain.

 Little indication of forthcoming revolution in mid-18 th century  13 colonies regarded themselves as British subjects  Long cultural and personal connections with England  Mutually profitable military and economic relationship 5

 Expensive, extensive  Overlapped with Seven Years’ War ( ) o Conflict in Europe, India o British victory ensured global dominance, North American prosperity 6

 Bills come due from the Seven Years’ War  Tax burden falls to the colonies o Sugar Act (1764) o Stamp Act (1765) o Quartering Act (1765) (Housing British Troops) o Tea Act (1773) 7

 British products boycotted, officials attacked  Protests o Boston Tea Party (1773), tea dumped into Boston harbor in protest against Tea Act o “no taxation without representation”  Continental Congress formed (1774), coordinates colonists’ resistance to British policies o July 4, 1776, adopts Declaration of Independence o Influence of Locke: retention of individual rights, sovereignty based on consent of the ruled 8

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 Thomas Jefferson drafted The Declaration of Independence after being inspired by Locke and the other enlightenment thinkers.  Jefferson wrote: o Governments rule only with the consent of the people and that they protect the natural rights of their citizens. o People have the right to overthrow unjust governments that do not protect its people, which justified an independent America.

 The Constitution of the United States set up a government by social contract. o “We the people of the United States…” o Influenced by Montesquieu, the Constitution created a republic in which power was divided between the federal government and the states. Those powers were then divided between 3 branches creating a system of checks and balances. o The Bill of Rights was to protect these individual rights.

 Other nations would copy the ideas presented in the United States Constitution, which created the most liberal government at the time.  Inspired other challenges of absolute power.

 Serious fiscal problems in France o War debts, 1780s (American Revolution connection) 50% of tax revenues to war debts o 25% of tax revenues to military  Leads to revolution more radical than the American 14

 By A.F. Callet ( ) #1: Absolute Monarchy

The First Estate 1% of the Population (Clergy) The Second Estate 1.5% - 2% of the Population (Titled Nobility) The Third Estate % of the Population (Bourgeoisie & Working Lower Class) #2: Social Inequality

 Three Estates o 1 st Estate: Roman Catholic Clergy 100,000 o 2 nd Estate: Nobles 400,000 o 3 rd Estate: Everyone else (Pays almost all taxes) 24,000,000 serfs, free peasants, urban residents  Estates General founded 1303, had not met since 1614  One vote per estate 17

 The cost of maintaining Versailles and expensive wars had the government spending more than it earned. Led to a greater tax burden on the Third Estate.  Bad harvests in 1789 led to widespread starvation.  Inflation.

Versailles Chapel

One of the cottages built in Marie Antoinette's private village

 The Enlightenment thinkers, especially those from France, led many to question France’s absolute monarchy and led to demands for democracy.

 England’s Glorious Revolution  The successful fight for liberty and equality in the American Revolution

 Protest of nobility forces King Louis to call Estates General for new taxes, May 1789  3 rd Estate demands greater social change  June, 3 rd Estate secedes o Renamed “National Assembly”  July, mob attacks Bastille, bloody battle won by mob 27

Third Estate National Assembly National Constitution Assembly

Written in 1789 Uses American D.O.I. as model States that all men have natural rights Declares the job of the gov’t to protect the natural rights of the people Guarantees all male citizens equality States freedom of religion Promises to tax based on how much is affordable