1. North American, French, Latin American and Haitian
The Age of Revolutions
North American, French, Latin American and Haitian

2. Comparing Atlantic Revolutions
Revolutions of North America, Latin America, Haiti and France all influenced each other - all grew out of enlightenment ideas
Locke and Rousseau – social contract
“popular sovereignty” - the authority to govern comes from the people, not from God or tradition

3. Example of Popular Sovereignty

4. North American Revolution
The facts are well-known But the question is “what changed?”
Until 18th century, colonists had autonomy - they saw it as a birthright - aimed at preserving their liberties than gaining new ones
Pre-revolution North America already had a quasi-egalitarian society

5. Britain in the 1760’s
Britain needed money for its global war with France
- imposed a number of new taxes and tariffs
- colonists were not represented in parliament
- denied the colonists’ identity as true Englishmen
- challenged colonial economic interests
- attacked established traditions of local autonomy British North America was revolutionary for the society that had already emerged, not for the revolution itself

6. Impact of the American Revolution
No significant social transformation came with independence
Accelerated democratic tendencies that were already established - political power remained in the hands of existing elites - property requirements for voting were lowered - property rights remained intact
Many Americans thought they were creating a new world order - some acclaimed the United States as “the hope and model of the human  race” - declaration of the “right to revolution” inspired other colonies around the world - the U.S. Constitution was one of the first lasting efforts to put Enlightenment political ideas into practice

7. The French Revolution, 1789–1815
1000’s of French soldiers fought for the Americans
France going bankrupt - estates general called to address the taille - 3rd estate calls themselves national assembly - tennis court oath - declaration of rights of man and citizen - storming of the Bastille

8. French Revolution

9. Birth of Revolution
The French Revolution was born out of social conflict (unlike the American Revolution) - titled nobility resisted monarchic efforts to tax them - middle class resented aristocratic privileges
- urban poor suffered from inflation and unemployment - the peasants were oppressed

10. The French Revolution
French Revolution was violent, far-reaching, and radical - ended hereditary privilege - even abolished slavery (for a time) - the Church was subjected to government authority - king and queen were executed (1793) - the Terror and Robespierre (1793–1794)

11. The New Society
1792 became Year I of a new calendar - briefly passed a law for universal male suffrage - France was divided into 83 territorial departments - created a massive army (some 800,000 men) to fight threatening neighbors - all adult males were required to serve - officers came from middle and lower classes

12. Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (r. 1799–1814) seized power in preserved many moderate elements of the revolution - kept social equality, but got rid of liberty - imposed revolutionary practices on conquered regions - resentment of French domination stimulated national consciousness throughout Europe - national resistance brought down Napoleon’s empire by 1815

13. Napoleon Bonaparte

14. Haitian Revolution
 Saint Dominique (later named Haiti) - regarded as the richest colony in the world - vast majority of population were slaves - around 500,000 slaves, 40,000 whites, 30,000  “free people of color”
French Revolution sparked a spiral of violence - but revolution meant different things to different people - massive slave revolt began in became a war between a number of factions - power gradually shifted to the slaves, who were led by former slave Toussaint Louverture

15. Success!!!
This was the only successful slave revolt in history - declared equality for all races - divided up plantations among small farmers - subsistence farming, Haiti pulls away from global commerce
Effects of Revolution - inspired other  slave rebellions - scared whites, led to social conservatism - increased slavery elsewhere
Napoleon’s defeat in Haiti convinced him to sell Louisiana Territory to the United States

16. Toussiant L’Overture

17. Spanish American Revolutions
Latin American revolutions were inspired by earlier revolutionary movements
native-born elites (creoles) in Spanish colonies of Latin America were offended at the Spanish monarchy’s efforts to control them in the eighteenth century - but there were only scattered and uncoordinated protests initially
Latin American movements were originally limited - little tradition of local self-government - society was more authoritarian - with stricter class divisions - whites were vastly outnumbered

18. Latin American Revolutions
Creole elites had revolution thrust upon them by events in Europe : Napoleon invaded Spain and Portugal, put royal authority in disarray - Latin Americans were forced to take action - most of Latin America was independent by 1826
Longer process than in North America - Latin American societies were torn by class, race, and regional divisions - fear of social rebellion from below - most people in society were exploited and oppressed

19. A Delicate Balancing Act
Leaders of independence movements appealed to the lower classes in terms of nativism: all free people born in the Americas were Americanos - in reality, natives and blacks did not benefit much
It proved impossible to unite the various Spanish colonies, unlike the United States
After Latin American Independence - United States grew wealthier and more democratic, - Latin American countries became increasingly underdeveloped, impoverished, undemocratic, and unstable

20. Simon Bolivar – The Liberator
Bolivar liberated most of South America.

21. Echoes of Revolution
Smaller revolutions took place in Europe in 1800’s - led to greater social equality and liberation from foreign rule - by 1914, major states of Western Europe, the United States, and Argentina had universal male suffrage - even in Russia, there was a constitutional movement in abolitionist, nationalist, and feminist movements arose to question other patterns of exclusion and oppression

22. Abolition of Slavery
Largely ended between Enlightenment thinkers – critical of slavery - Religious groups – Protestants, Quakers also critical
Brazil – last Latin American country to abolish in 1888
Emancipation usually did not lead to improved conditions. i.e. sharecropping in US

23. Abolitionist Movements

24. Nationalism
These movements brought the idea of a “nation” - humans are divided into separate nations, each with a distinct culture and territory and deserving an independent political life - foreign rule is now regarded as heinous - loyalty shifted from clans, villages and regions to nations - science weakened religion
Napoleon’s conquests brought about national resistance

25. Types of Nationalism Political unification in 1800’s, Germany, Italy
“civic nationalism” identified the “nation” with a particular territory, encouraged assimilation
some defined the nation in racial terms (e.g., Germany)
nationalism was not limited to Europe

26. German Racial Purity Chart

27. Feminist Beginnings
Feminist movements in Europe/USA in 19th century - changed the relationship between women/men - during the French Revolution, some women argued that liberty  and equality must include women - more educational opportunities and less household drudgery for middle-class women - women increasingly joined temperance movements, charities, abolitionist movements, missionary work, etc.

28. Women’s Movement by 1900 Some women had been admitted to universities
Women’s literacy rates were rising
Some U.S. states passed laws allowing women to control their property and wages
Some areas liberalized divorce laws
Some women made their way into new professions - teaching - nursing (professionalized by Florence Nightingale) - social work (Jane Addams)
1893: New Zealand was the first to grant universal female suffrage

29. Florence Nightengale