1. Enlightenment and Revolutions: Europe and the Americas
A Time of Change
Enlightenment and Revolutions:
Europe and the Americas

2. The Enlightenment Europe 1720-1790
Changes in thinking led to reforms in government

3. Enlightenment Thinkers
Thomas Hobbes
Ideas of a social contract
Leviathan
Man is evil, must have a strong government
John Locke
Ideas regarding natural rights
Two Treatises on Government
Man has rights to life, liberty, property

4. The Philosophers advocate reason
Voltaire
Used satire
Wrote many essays
Defended tolerance, reason, freedom of speech and religion
Montesquieu
Political liberty
Admired Britain’s balanced government
Separation of powers
Rousseau
Committed to individual freedom
Social contract
Government by consent of the governed

5. Impact of the Enlightenment
Salons
Secular outlook on life
Importance of the individual
Ideas of freedom and rights
Enlightened despots
Democracy

6. The Road to Revolution People were dissatisfied with governments.
Citizens often did not have a voice in government.
People decided to fight for their freedom.
Wars for freedom were called revolutions.

7. Most of the revolutions occurred between 1775 and 1826.
= American Revolution
= French Revolution
(1799 – 1815) = Napoleon’s rule
= Latin American Revolution

8. The American Revolution 1775-1781
Great Britain’s King George III ruled the American colonies
The 13 colonies paid taxes to England but had no representation in Parliament
Colonists were angry
Wrote the Declaration of Independence
Broke ties with Great Britain
George Washington led the American troops to victory!

9. The French Revolution 1789-1799
French people were angry over high taxes, unfair class systems (3 estates), and poor standard of living
Influenced by ideas of Enlightenment and American independence, the French people revolt!

10. Revolution!
The Third Estate creates a series of new, unsuccessful governments
Many innocent people died in the bloody violence
Both King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were guillotined during the reign of terror
“Liberty, Equality and Fraternity!” was the slogan of the revolution

11. Napoleon’s new government 1799-1815
Napoleon Bonaparte, a national hero, leads the new government and appoints himself Emperor of France.
Napoleon wants to conquer the world.
Becomes very powerful and makes his brother king of Spain.
After a series of wars with Europe, Napoleon is defeated and exiled.

12. Latin American Revolutions 1810-1826
Spain had colonies in Latin America.
Latin America includes the countries south of the United States.
The people of Latin America wanted their freedom from Spain.
Napoleon lost power in Europe.
The people of Latin America chose this time to revolt.

13. Latin American colonies win independence
Haiti was the first colony to win independence in 1804
Father Miguel Hidalgo helped Mexico win its freedom from Spain
Simon Bolivar fought for the freedom of Venezuela and many other colonies
Jose de San Martin fought for Argentina’s freedom
Peru was the last colony to gain independence in 1826

14. Congress of Vienna:
European countries needed to restore stability and restructure pre-Napoleonic boundaries
Austria’s conservative foreign minister Metternich, led a meeting in Vienna
His goals were to:
Restore legitimacy of the monarchs
Restore the balance of power
Weaken France
Compensate severely damaged countries (reparations)

15. New political philosophies were born
The Congress of Vienna was successful; however, democratic ideas could not be erased
New political philosophies were born
Conservatism: keep the old ways
Radicalism: violent changes
Liberalism: small reforms, no violence
Nationalism: love of one’s country