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5. Revolutions

1750-1900

5.1 The Enlightenment

Scientific Revolution

Intellectual transformation

knowledge acquired based on inquiry based on evidence
observation, deduction, experimentation (scientific method)
no longer relying on authority of Bible/Church
no divine revelations

Significance

challenged the Church’s teachings and authority
Earth/humanity no longer at the center of universe
challenged social hierarchies and the political system (Enlightenment)
used to legitimize gender and racial hierarchies (sexism/racism)
new technology led to Industrial Revolution and modern warfare

Why Europe?

universities had autonomy to pursue knowledge free from church and state
Old World knowledge met New World knowledge
Reformation: encouraged challenging authority, mass literacy

Scientific leaders

Copernicus: earth revolves around sun
Kepler: elliptical orbits; laws of planetary motion
Galileo: telescope showed unlimited universe; humankind tiny aspect
Newton: gravity; laws of physics; universe functions on scientific laws
almost no female scholars in Scientific Revolution
most women were excluded from universities
those who participated were wealthy or “assistants” to husbands
Margaret Cavendish (married to Duke): wrote six scientific texts
Maria Winkelmann: discovered a comet; husband took credit

Science and church

many scientists/mathematicians were Jesuits
focus on education; scientific missionaries to Asia
no scientist Christianity
believed science and religion could coexist
Catholic Church opposed new scientific ideas

Enlightenment

Age of Reason

universe is rational, runs by natural laws that can be understood using logic
rationalism: humans capable of using reason to gain knowledge
could make up own minds; did not need kings or church
progressivism: humans could improve society and eliminate problems

Enlightenment leaders

Adam Smith: laws of operation for the economy (i.e. capitalism)
John Locke: social contract (democracy) challenged divine right of kings
Montesquieu: separation of powers in government
Voltaire: religious tolerance challenges Church; freedom of speech
male Enlightenment thinkers unwilling to support feminism
Mary Wollstonecraft: women’s equality and women’s rights
Olympe de Gouges: women’s rights, abolition of slavery

Backlash

Romantic movement: emotion over reason; imagination over scientific learning
religious awakenings in Europe and North America

Influential ideas

opposition to absolute monarchy: no ruler should have unlimited power
separation of powers: power should be distributed across different branches of government
liberty and individual rights: all men possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property
equality: all men are created equal; no one should be born into more power than another
free-market capitalism: government should allow markets to operate with minimal regulations

Repercussions

Abolition movement

began in Britain
religious: slavery was crime in the eyes of God
secular: slavery violated ideas of Enlightenment
political: slave revolts in Haiti, Jamaica
economic: slavery no longer essential for economic progress
slave economies resisted
slave trade to Brazil/Cuba continued; African nations still sold slaves
USA: took highly destructive civil war to free slaves (1861-1865)
freedom didn’t mean equality
former slaves’ lives often did not improve
exploited, low-paid labor often replaced slave labor (e.g. sharecropping in US)
political rights usually denied; harsh segregation laws
Haiti: only country to redistribute land; gave full political power to former slaves

Feminism

Enlightenment: equality for all?
maternal feminism: mothers of citizens must be true citizens themselves
women in industrializing nations
growing economic success/middle-class allowed women more freedoms
sought educational opportunities
took part in social movements (temperance, abolition, social work)
first wave of feminism (mostly middle- and upper-class whites)
Women’s Rights Convention: Seneca Falls, NY 1848
Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Declaration of the Rights of Women
main issues:
access to education and professions
suffrage (right to vote)
spread globally
education of women seen as way to strengthen economy and nations
Kartini (Java, Indonesia) advocated for opening schools for girls
Empress Haruko (Japan) advocated for education of girls/family planning
Huda Sharawi (Egypt) fought for Egyptian independence and rights for women
reactions
feminists viewed as selfish, willing to sacrifice their families
often seen as against nationalism

Nationalism

development
people identified with their local village; no connection to larger empire/nation
independence movements focused on unifying a “nation” with distinct cultures
creation of new nations
unification of Italy (1870), Germany (1871)
Greeks (1829) and Serbs (1867) gained independence from Ottoman Empire
Czechs and Hungarians demanded more authority
Poles and Ukrainians began advocating for independence from Russia
Irish sought “home rule” and separation from Great Britain
Lola Rodríguez de Tió: called for Puerto Rican independence
created division
increased rivalries and competition between countries; led to war (World War I, Mexican-American War)
governments tried to create a “shared culture” that devalued diversity
national languages
cultural assimilation
racial ideals

5.2 Nationalism and revolutions

Comparisons

Common ideas

political, social arrangements could be engineered and improved
challenged long-established ways of thinking
divine right of kings
aristocratic privilege
authority of single church
supported Enlightenment ideas
liberty, equality, religious tolerance, republicanism
popular sovereignty: right to govern comes from people
social contract between ruler and people could be broken

Connections between leaders

Marquis de Lafayette (French) fought in American Revolution
Thomas Jefferson (American) was advisor to French in their revolution
Simón Bolívar (Latin American) got military aid from Haiti

Who benefited

chief beneficiaries were white men of property (exception: Haiti)
women, slaves, natives poor white men did not gain much
used Enlightenment ideas in future revolutions

American Revolution

Before

class distinctions; more open than in Britain
lots of available land (stolen from natives) for small population
no titled nobility or single established church
no legal distinctions between commoners and aristocrats
all free men had same legal status
less poverty, more economic opportunity than in Britain
good amount of political autonomy & self-government
colonists came to regard autonomy as their birthright
no one wanted to break away from British Empire
advantages: protection in war; access to British markets

Causes

Britain needed money after Seven Years’ War with France
raised taxes on colonies
colonies did not have representation in Parliament
colonists resented Britain trying to reestablish imperial power
popular sovereignty, natural rights, consent of the governed justified revolution
1776: Thomas Jefferson wrote Declaration of Independence
1781: victory against British Army (with help from the French)
1787: US Constitution is written but not ratified until 1789

Domestic impact

conservative movement; attempted to preserve liberties, not make new ones
accelerated pre-existing democratic ideas
no large social transformation
political authority remained in hands of white male elites
gradually eroded as suffrage expanded
land, possessions not seized from pro-British Loyalists
slavery remained in South; gradual abolition in North

Foreign impact

model for future revolutions
Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights copied by others
inspired future revolutions
1800: Simón Bolívar in Latin American Revolutions
early 1900s: Irish Home Rule
late 1900s: Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam
early 2000s: Arab Spring

French Revolution

Before

three estates (ancien régime)
First: clergy (0.5%; paid no taxes; owned 10% of land)
Second: nobles (1.5%; exempt from most taxes; owned 25% of land)
Third: else (98%; paid all taxes; owned 65% of land)

Causes

France needed money after Seven Years’ War with Britain
King Louis XVI called Estates General to raise taxes on Third Estate
Third Estate protested increase in taxes
organized National Assembly; claimed sole authority to make laws
Tennis Court Oath forced new constitution on king of France
wrote Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen: “men are born and remain free and equal in rights”

Domestic impact

huge social upheaval
constitutional monarchy → republic → military dictatorship
passed law for universal male suffrage (never implemented)
eliminated class distinctions; everyone is a citizen, no titles of nobility
religious freedom to Jews, Protestants
abolished slavery (temporarily)
women played significant role
Storming of the Bastille Prison (July 1789) with weapons and gunpowder
Women’s March on Versailles (Oct 1789) over bread shortages
made demands for political authority; not granted
Robespierre’s Reign of Terror (1793-1794)
enemies of the revolution were executed by guillotine
King Louis XVI
Queen Marie Antoinette
Robespierre executed for leading France into tyranny

Foreign impact

neighboring countries felt threatened by French Revolution
declared war on France to try to return monarchy
General Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in 1799
declared self emperor of France
campaign of conquest to spread revolution in Europe
placed relatives on thrones of European countries
created largest European empire since Romans
defeated after a failed invasion of Russia; exiled to Elba
monarch restored under Louis XVIII
Napoleon escaped Elba; ruled for another 100 days
defeated by coalition led by British, Prussian at Waterloo (1815)
Congress of Vienna
Russia, Austria, Britain, France met, led by Prussia (Klemens von Metternich)
France gave up lands conquered by Napoleon
nations around France strengthened; kings returned to thrones
Concert of Europe: series of alliances to prevent future revolutions
1848: massive wave of revolutions in Europe; most failed
France
Germany
Poland
Italy
Denmark
Austrian Empire

Haitian Revolution

Before

Saint Domingue was wealthiest colony in Caribbean (40% of world’s sugar, 50% of world’s coffee)
heavily-tiered social structure based on race
grands blancs: plantation owners, merchants, lawyers
petits blancs: poor whites (~40,000 grands and petits blancs)
gens de couleur libres: free people of color; usually mixed-race (~30,000)
African slaves (~500,000)

Causes

slavery conditions (worst in world; 50% death rate)
French planters learned of French Revolution
grands blancs: wanted greater autonomy, fewer economic restrictions
petits blancs: wanted equality of citizenship for all whites
gens de couleur libres: wanted equal treatment for all free people
slaves: saw French Revolution as a promise of personal freedom
1791: rumor that French king declared end of slavery
slaves burned 1000 plantations, killed hundreds of white and mixed-race people

Domestic impact

Toussant L’Ouverture; former slave, led slave army
organized military to fight French, Spanish, British
defeated Napoleon’s attempt to reestablish control
violent, bloody
end of slavery
slaves became equal, free, independent citizens
defined citizenship as “Black”; disallowed citizenship for most white
destroyed plantation-based economy
land redistributed among former slaves, free Black people

Foreign impact

only completely successful slave revolt in world history
slave owners in other colonies worried that revolts would spread
inspired Great Jamaica Revolt (1832)
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