1. Age of Revolution Essay Outline

2. Prompt: Compare the causes and success of two revolutions from the 18th and early 19th centuries.
1)American Revolution
2) French Revolution
3) Haitian Revolution
4) Latin American Revolutions (can pick Mexican, Brazilian, or South American)

3. Rule of Three Pick 2 similarities and 1 difference OR
2 differences and 1 similarity
Example: A similar cause (Body paragraph 1), a different cause (body paragraph 2) and a different outcome/success (body paragraph 3)

4. Context
Enlightenment-najority rule (Rousseau) freedom of thought, speech (Voltaire), equal rights (Locke) education (Roussea, Locke) BASED ON REASON not religion, democracy representation
Absolute monarchies like Spain, France, Russia

5. American Revolution
French
Revolution
Haitian Revolution
Latin American
Revolutions
Causes
-No tax w/out rep.
-Taxes b/c of Seven Yrs War
-colonial identity
-Enlightenment
Ideals
-middle class
-unfair treatment as colonies
-Estates-General representation
-absolute monarchy
-financial problems
-bad harvests
Enlightenment ideals
-slavery and conditions
-French Revolution and Enlightenment ideals
-racial hierarchy
-Napoleon takes over Spain + Portugal
-Enlightenment ideals
-creole-middle class
Outcomes/
Success
-independent
-representative republic
-social status stayed the same (old, white landowners on top, slavery remained)
-First killed Louis XVI, Reign of Terror then Napoleon, then a king again
-spread Enlightenment ideas and law
-nationalism
-nobility lost most privileges
-slavery abolished
dictators/
presidents run the country for decades
-almost no racial-based hierarchy
-Most colonies gain independence
-Catholic Church remains powerful
-liberals vs. conservatives
-slavery mostly abolished, but creoles in power

6. Thesis
From late 18th to early 19th centuries, America and France both broke out in revolution due to newly found Enlightenment ideals and a lack of political representation for the middle and lower classes. However, the two revolutions resulted in an American representative republic and French monarchy with contrasting social pyramids.

7. Similarity Cause #1-political representation
Evidence 3rd estate pays all taxes-97% of population, 1st and 2nd both get 1 vote
Raise taxes on nobles and church 2-1 voted down
REASON-absolute monarchy, nobles in power,
Evidence American Rev- taxation w/out representation in Parliament-> angry, high taxes, French and Indian War
REASON-> colonies exist to provide for mother country, Great Britain

8. Similarity/Difference #2 Cause Sim.
Evidence: Enlightenment Ideals-books-equal rights, rule by majority (Rousseau) freedom, education, Locke, cultural diffusion DEMOCRACY-> educated middle classes (bourgesie and white rich land owners, lawyers, doctors, plantation owners) CITE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS OF MAN AND INDEPENDENCE AS PROOF OF ENLIGHTEMENT INFLUENCE
Reason->idea of reason from Scientific Revolution, wars of religion (people start to question society)

9. Similarity/Difference #3 Outcome Diff.
Evidence: representative republic, gain our independence. SOCIAL PYRAMID EXACTLY THE SAME
France->monarchy to republic to dictatorship to monarchy (not absolute), church and nobles lose significant power
REASON: internal vs. external struggle, 3rd estate wants to have all the power, US-rich, white men stay in power
Congress of Vienna-restore balance to Europe, stability through a king