Transcript Imperialism
Revolutions:
Industrial, American,
French
The American Revolution
Colonists from Britain, France, Holland
mostly settle Eastern U.S.
Conflicts between Britain and France over
territory lead to Seven Years War (17561763) – (French and Indian War).
Britain wins – gains all land between
Mississippi River and Appalachian Mts.
The American Revolution
Colonists believe they have a right to land
because they helped win it.
Conflicts with Native Americans cause
Britain to forbid settlement of new area.
In addition, Britain begins to tax settlers
to help pay for the war.
Stamp Act
Tea Act
The American Revolution
Inspired by Enlightenment ideas, colonists
begin to protest unjust laws.
Boston Massacre - 1770
Boston Tea Party - 1773
First Continental Congress – 1774
Many divided on how to deal with Britain –
intense loyalty to crown vs. revolutionaries
The American Revolution
Lexington and Concord
April 19, 1775 Britain decided to seize
stockpiles of weapons in Concord,
Massachusetts.
Confronted by Minutemen at Lexington
Colonists win first battles of the revolution
Second Continental Congress
Colonists decide to raise an army – appoint
General George Washington as head
The American Revolution
Declaration of Independence
The U.S. formally declares independence in
July 1776
Written by Thomas Jefferson – inspired by the
Enlightenment.
All people created equal
Unalienable rights
Governments derive powers from governed
The American Revolution
War lasts from 1775-1781.
Many battles – most important
Battle of Saratoga – French decide to join
Americans
Battle of Yorktown – General Cornwallis
surrenders to General Washington.
Americans begin to form new government.
The American Revolution
First government – Articles of
Confederation
Weak central – strong states
Many problems
By 1787 – everyone realizes the Articles
needs revision
Constitutional Convention – summer of 1787
Supposed to change Articles – eventually
created whole new government
The American Revolution
The Constitution
Inspired by Enlightenment philosophers – Voltaire,
Montesquieu, Locke
Strong central government
Two houses in Congress (Great Compromise)
Three branches of government (Leg, Ex, Jud)
Federal System
Senate, House of Representatives
Federal gov’t, State gov’t, Local gov’t
Bill of Rights – first 10 amendments to Constitution
Can change government when it needs it
Currently 27 amendments have been ratified
Feudal System
Ruler/collected fees
Lords
Land/fees/loyalty
Church – paid no
taxes
Knights
Protection/loyalty
Kings
Serfs
Poor masses (slaves)
Paid fees to
lords/king
France in 1789
Old Regime—system of division among the
three social classes called “Estates”
1st Estate—Clergy (church)
2nd –rich noble families
1st & 2nd estates - 2% of the pop.; owned 20% of the
land
Absolute monarchy - increasingly unpopular form
of government – increasingly ineffective
Nobility & clergy also had powers and prerogatives
– no taxation!!
3rd Estate
98% of population - included:
1) bourgeoisie- merchants/shopkeepers,
well educated—paid high taxes
2) workers—servants, cooks, etc.
3) peasants (80% of third estate)
These people were increasingly jealous of
the rights & privileges of the 1st & 2nd
estates
Louis XIV
Louis XIV (1638 – 1715)
King of France
Known as The Sun
King or Louis the Great
ruled France for seventytwo years—longest reign
of any European monarch
Louis XIV increased the
power and influence of
France in Europe through
three major wars
"L'État, c'est moi" ("I am
the State")
France under Louis XVI
France - cultural,
military, and political
leader of Europe
Model of an absolute
monarch
Loved by the French
at first, but his
indecisiveness &
conservatism led the
people to reject him
and hate the tyranny
of kings
Causes of French Rev
Bad Harvests
Debt
Weak leadership of Louis XVI
Division of classes
As conditions worsened, third estate was
taxed heavily
Spread of Enlightenment ideas
Spread of Enlightenment Ideas
Enlightenment ideas – Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire –
equality & freedom of the individual spread to:
Large & growing middle class
some of the nobility
working class
**American Revolution showed Enlightenment
ideas about governmental organization could
work
American revolutionaries - Benjamin Franklin - stayed
in Paris - frequent contact with the French intellectuals
French troops worked with American revolutionaries spread of revolutionary ideals to the French.
Result of new ideas Many
people in France attacked the
undemocratic nature of the
government, pushed for freedom of
speech, and challenged the Roman
Catholic Church and the privileges
of the nobles & clergy
AND Then
More
State Debt – King calls a meeting
of the Estates General
French Revolution
Meeting of Estates General 3rd Estate created National
Assembly & meet separately—beginning of representative
gov’t
3rd Estate broke down the door of indoor tennis court—
Takes “Tennis Court Oath”—pledged to stay until a new
constitution is drawn up
National Assembly creates “Declaration of Rights of Man”
Right to “liberty, property, security”; Freedom of speech, religion,
equal justice
Angry crowd captures Bastille (Paris prison)
Seize gunpowder, release some prisoners
Mob of Women marched to king’s palace in Versailles—
demanding that King and Queen return to Paris & give them
bread
King and Queen try to sneak out of Versailles – caught &
arrested
“Equality, Fraternity, Liberty”
Liberty leading the
People
National Assembly
took over church lands & sold to pay off France’s debt
Many peasants objected to this (devout Catholics)—some
objected to the idea of separation of church and state
1791- N.A. created a limited constitutional monarchy
Legislative Assembly -power to make law/declare war
King Louis - little power
food shortages/debt - Rev’s leaders split into 3 factions
Austria/Prussia wanted to restore Louis to power
Why did European monarchs want Louis restored to
power??
National Assembly declare war on Austria, April 1792
French – abroad – losing war
France – at home – in a state of chaos “Great Fear”
National Assembly could no longer keep power - dissolved
New government elected—National Convention
End of absolutist monarchy in France
King’s powers suspended in
August 1792.
Arrested & tried by the
National Convention, found
guilty of treason, and
executed - January 1793.
Louis XIV is reported to
have said on his death bed:
"Je m'en vais, mais l'État
demeurera toujours." ("I
am going away, but the
State will always remain").
Jacobins (radicals) San-coulottes
Radical group - wanted to remove king
permanently & establish a democratic govt
Led by Jean Paul Marat
France declared a republic – “liberalism”
N.C. drafts 300,000 citizens into army for war
against Prussia/Austria - Napoleon general
Robespierre leads “Reign of Terror”
Forms “Committee of Public Safety”
Tried and executed thousands of citizens who were
considered to be “enemies of the republic”
National Convention eventually turns on
Robespierre - guillotined in 1794
Directory Napoleon
Man of the Enlightenment
Military leader – rose through ranks
fighting abroad during French Revolution
1797 – returned to Paris a hero
Took part in the coup d’etat of 1799 that
overthrew the Directory & set up new
gov’t
THE CONSULATE – a republic on paper but
Napoleon had absolute power in reality
Napoleon became CONSUL
Napoleon crowns
himself Emperor
of France; also
Crowns his wife
Josephine Queen
What is the
Significance of this?
France under Napoleon
Church
1801 agreement with Catholic Church
Catholicism recognized as majority religion; church got no
lands back
Civil Code – Napoleonic Code
Before rev. France had approx 300 different legal systems
Equality for all citizens before the law
Right of individuals to choose a profession
Religious tolerance
Abolition of serfdom & feudal obligations
Napoleon created a strong central bureaucracy
Public officials/military leaders promoted not because of rank
or birth but because of ability- meritocracy
Created a new aristocracy – only 22% of public officials were
from noble families; 60% from middle class!!
Fr Rev ideals upheld or killed??
No free elections – plebiscite – an election w/a fixed
result
Civil Code – Napoleonic Code
New bureaucracy – more people gained gov’t powers
Censored press – restriction of liberty - 60 of 73
newspapers shut down
Gov’t police censored private mail – limited freedom of
speech
1803 – war broke out with Britain, Austria, Russia,
Sweden & Prussia
Sold French territory in America to the United States –
Louisiana Purchase – raise money for European wars
By 1807 - Napoleon - victorious
Napoleon rules Europe
--1807 to 1812
--Spread the principles of
the Fr. Rev. to continental
Europe– equality before the
law, religious tolerance,
economic freedom, opening
of public offices to talented
men instead of nobility
--Destroyed much of old
regime – nobility & clergy
lost privileges
Napoleon’s defeat
1. Britain – most
powerful Navy in
world
**Battle of
Trafalgar 1805 –
Napoleon’s navy
defeated
**Napoleon’s
Continental
System – stop
European
countries from
buying British
goods - failed
2. Nationalism in Europe undermined
Napoleon’s desire to build a European Empire
French started nationalism in Europe – decided
THE PEOPLE were the state; the ruler was not
Napoleon spread ideas of nationalism to people of
Europe & they united against Napoleon’s
occupation
3. Disaster in Russia
June, 1812 – Russia refused Continental System
Napoleon invaded w/600,000 troops
Russian troops retreated instead of engaging
Napoleon’s troops
Russians used SLASH & BURN strategy to keep
Napoleon’s troops from finding food
Moscow – cold!!
Napoleon’s troops finally
arrived in Moscow & find
capital city burning
Lacking food & supplies,
Napoleon begins retreat
in October
Winter began to set in –
thousands starved/froze
January 1813 – only
40,000 soldiers survived
French Army completely
devastated - European
armies join the Russians
March 1814 – Paris
captured by Eur. powers
Exile of Napoleon
Napoleon exiled to island of
Elba
Louis XVI’s brother restored to
the throne of France –
unpopular with French people
Napoleon returned from exile &
led a new army into battle at
Waterloo
June 1815 – Napoleon defeated
– exiled to St. Helena
Napoleon died there in 1821
Revolution Comparison
American Revolution – p. 515
French Revolution – 516
(20 pts)
Haitian Revolution – 565