3.Revolutions.doc

American Revolution (In chronological order as much as possible)

 Seven Years’ War (and its aftermath) (1755-1763)  9 year war between France and Britain.  Britain falls into deep financial crisis.  Tried to levy taxes from the US colonies.

 Colonists grow discontent by the British Acts (Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Townshend Act, etc.).

 Foreign troops back colonists, in an attempt to weaken Britain.

 Continental Congress (est. 1774) - 13 colonies form their own congress.

 Declaration of Independence (1776) - Document which declared the 13 colonies’ independence.

 American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

 Washington’s Colonial Army surrounds Cornwallis’ British Army and they surrender. (1781)

 (continued below)

 Peace of Paris (1783)

 British, tired of fighting, conclude war with the colonies.

 Britain recognizes the US as an independent state, ending the Revolutionary War.

 Constitution (1787) – US form the Constitution, which still stands today.

French Revolution: Stage 1 - General Discontent

 Ancien Regime

 Society before the French Revolution.

 Also called “Old Regime” and “The Old Order”.

 King Louis XVI

 King with good intent, but could not make up his mind often.  Weak and incapable of being the monarch.

 Marie Antoinette

 Wife of Louis XVI, and also an Austrian Princess.  Considered spoiled and “a liability” to Louis XVI.

 Three Estates

 3 groups which formed the Estates General (assembly).

 Divided into (1) 100 Roman Catholic Clergies, (2) 400k nobles, and (3) 24mil commoners.

 Second Estate Classes

 Knights of the Sword (original hemogenitures for generations)  Knights of the Robe (obtained nobility in the past few generations).  Third Estate Classes (many social classes)

 Bourgeoisie (bankers, owners, merchants)  Petit Bourgeoisie (shopkeepers, artisans)  Proletariats (rural peasants, industrial workers)

French Revolution: Stage 2 - Overthrow of the Old Regime (In chronological order as much as possible)

 Tennis Court Oath (1789 June)

 Representatives (mainly of the Third Estate) who seceded from the Estates General and formed the National Assembly (1789 June – 1792 Summer).

 Promised not to disband until they achieved constitutional monarchy.

 Had the public support and undertook programs of political and social reforms.

 Storming of Bastille (1789 July 14)

 Revolutionaries storm Bastille, hanging the leader and seizing weapons.  Major public holiday in France today. (July 14)

 Great Fear (1789 Summer)

 Nobles invaded and their feudal records burned in an attempt to change French society.

 Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen (1789 August)

 National Assembly’s explanation of their principles for their program.  Inspired by the American Revolution.

 Proclaimed: All men are equal; Sovereignty resided in the people; Individual rights to liberty, property, and security.

 Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

 3 goals of the National Assembly that drove France towards a new society.  Abolished peasantry social orders.

 Civil Constitution of the Clergy – Weakened church’s role in French society. (Defined clergy as civilian, abolished first estate, seized church lands, clergy required to take an oath to the state)

 King named as chief executive, but given no legislative authority.  Men of property could vote. (about 50% of adult male population)  France became a constitutional monarchy under the National Assembly.

 Flight to Varennes (1791)

 Royal family tries to flee France to Austria.  Captured at the border and returned.

 September Massacres (1792 Summer)

French Revolution: Stage 3 – Revolutionaries fight amongst themselves (chronological as much as possible)

 Robespierre & The National Convention (1792 Sept – 1794)

 Robespierre and the radical Jacobin party dominated the National Convention.  Was ruthless, but popular.

 Believed France needed complete restructuring with a goal of riding religion. (Rid religious commitments by changing calendar and starting from Year 1, forced priests to marry)

 Used terror to promote their revolutionary ideas.

 Abolished Monarchy by executing King Louis XVI!!! (1793 Jan)  (continued in next two sections)

 Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

 Jacobins branded as “too radical”.  Killed political rivals.

 Directory (1795-1799 Nov)

 Robespierre and his allies executed for tyranny.

 Conservative men seize power from the National Convention and form the Directory.  Napoleon supported and defended the Directory, and joined the Directory in 1799.  Austria, Russia, and England form a coalition to end revolutionary France.

 Napoleon overthrows the Directory and rules the French Republic with almost unchecked power.

French Revolution: Stage 4A – Thirmidorean Reaction / Partial return of the Old Regime (Napoleon)

 Concordat

 An agreement with the Pope.

 France retain church lands seized in revolution, but recognize the RCC as the preferred faith.

 France pays salaries of the priests (putting France in control of the church).

 Won a great deal of support from his people who supported the revolution but went against the radicals’ idea of exterminating RCC from France.

 Napoleon’s Civil Code

 Revised body of law, which confirmed many revolutionary policies of the National Assembly.

 Retracted many measures of the National Convention.  Affirmed the legal equality of all adult men.

 Established merit based society. (based on talent, not rank)  Restored patriarchal authority in the family.

 Became the model civil code of Quebec, Canada, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, etc.

French Revolution: Stage 4B – Napoleon’s Dictatorship and a return to Monarchy

 Napoleon crowns himself Emperor.

 Waterloo

 Final battle for Napoleon.

 Lost to British Army at Waterloo, Belgium.

 Banished Napoleon to a remote island called St. Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died of natural causes.

 Louis XVII

 Louis XVII became leader after Napoleon.

 France returned to Monarchy, but changed from Absolute Monarchy to Constitutional Monarchy.

South American Revolutions (Brazilian Revolution separate in next section; chronological as much as possible)

 Peninsulares

 35k officials from Spain and Portugal who governed the colonies.

 Creoles

 Individuals born in the Americas of Spanish and Portuguese ancestry.  About 3.5mil in South America in 1800.

 Generally wealthy and powerful.

 Resented taxes and administrative control of the peninsulares.

 Simon Bolivar

 A creole elite in South America that led movements for independence.  Largely inspired by George Washington

 Struggled at first and sent to exile twice, but later surprised by defeating the Spanish.  Campaigned in Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru.

 1825 – Creole forces overthrow the Spanish armies and rulers throughout South America.

 Gran Colombia

 A confederation set up by Bolivar in an attempt to make a great confederation like the US.

 Included Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. (1820s)

 Strong political and regional differences led to the breakup of Gran Colombia. (1830s)

Brazilian and Mexican Independence

 Brazilian Independence

 1807 – Napoleon invades Brazil.

 1821 – King returns to Portugal and leaves son Pedro in charge.

 1822 – Creoles call for independence, and Pedro accepts, becoming Emperor Pedro I.

 Mexican Independence (Central American Independence)  Hidalgo – Leads rebellion and is executed. (1810)

 Creole general Iturbide declares independence (1821), and crowns himself emperor (1822),

 Iturbide is deposed and a republic is formed. (1823)

 Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica all break away from Mexico and form their own independent nations. (1838)

Haitian Revolution (Chronological order as much as possible)

 Saint Domingue Society

 One of the richest of all European colonies; French colony.

 In 1790, composed of 40k whites, 30k gens de couleur, and 500k slaves.  Led by wealthy planters; Whites were the highest class.

 Gens de couleur planted on small plots of land, artisans, etc.  Slaves worked in brutal conditions, and mortality rates were high.  Many slaves escaped into the mountains and formed “maroons”.  Planters would bring in even more slaves as they lost laborers.

 Civil War breaks out between the Whites and Gens de couleur. (1791 May)

 Slave Revolt (1791 August)

 Boukman, a voodoo priest, organized a slave revolt.

 12k slaves start killing the whites, and many other slaves join in the revolt as well.  Slave revolt leaders relied on experience from wars in Africa.

 Had reinforcements and recruits available from maroons.

 French (1792), Spanish, and British troops (1793) intervene.

 Toussaint L’ouverture

 Son of slaves; was a free black since 1776. (gens de couleur)  Learned to read and write from priests.

 Called him “louverture”, meaning “the opening”. (one who created openings in the enemy)

 Was a skilled organizer; built a strong, disciplined army while putting opposition forces against each other and still maintaining control.

 Slave forces defeated the Whites gens de couleur and foreign armies thanks to Toussaint’s leadership.

 Granted equality and citizenship to all residents of Saint Domingue. (1801)  Decided against seceding from France in fear of Napoleon invading.  Died in captivity as Napoleon eventually attacked anyway.

 Haitian Republic

 Napoleon invaded Saint Domingue. (1802)

 Yellow fever ravages the French troops, and black generals defeat the French forces. (1803)

 Revolt leaders declare independence. (1803)

 Haiti (the land of the mountains) became the 2nd _{republic in the Western Hemisphere.}