Comprehensive Notes on Revolutions, Industrialization, Absolutism, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment

Causes of Latin American Revolutions

• Peninsulares Domination: Peninsulares (those born in Spain and Portugal) controlled Latin American governments and treated the people poorly.
• Social Discontent: Creoles (Europeans born in Latin America), Mestizos (mixed European/Native American), Native Americans, and African slaves demanded more rights.
• Enlightenment Ideas: The ideas of the Enlightenment inspired Latin Americans to fight for independence.
• Inspiration from the French Revolution: The French Revolution served as an inspiration for Latin Americans to fight for their independence.

Key Leaders and Effects of Latin American Revolutions

• Simon Bolivar
  • Liberated many nations in South America.
  • Considered a nationalist.
  • Aimed to unite all South American countries into a single nation, which was hindered by geographic features like the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Rainforest.
• Jose de San Martin
  • Fought alongside Bolivar for independence.
  • Considered a nationalist.
• Miguel Hidalgo
  • Led a revolt in Mexico against Spain.
  • Considered a nationalist.
• Toussaint L'Ouverture
  • Former slave who led a slave revolt in Haiti, creating an independent republic.
  • Considered a nationalist.

The Industrial Revolution (1750-1890s)

• Introduction
  • The Industrial Revolution marked a shift from producing goods by hand to producing goods with machines in factories.

Causes of the Industrial Revolution

• Agrarian Revolution: Changes in farming methods.
  • Enclosure Movement: Farmers closed off land, leading to the displacement of small farmers.
  • Crop Rotation: Replaced the 3-field system of the Middle Ages, using all fields with new crops to maintain land productivity.
  • Seed Drill: Planted seeds evenly in rows, increasing crop yields.
• Urbanization: Small farmers, having lost their jobs due to these changes, were forced to move to cities to find work. This movement to cities and the growth of cities is known as urbanization.
• Favorable Geography in Great Britain: The Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain (England) because it possessed many natural resources (coal, iron, waterways) necessary for producing and transporting goods.

Effects of the Industrial Revolution

• Industrialization: Machines were used to produce goods in factories.
• Urbanization: The growth of cities as people migrated to urban areas for factory jobs.
• Pollution: Many cities experienced severe pollution from factory smoke.

Latin American Revolutions (1800-1830)

• Introduction
  • The Latin American Revolutions were events where colonies in Latin America (Central America, South America, and the Caribbean) fought to gain independence from Spain, Portugal, and France.

Timelines

• Timeline: A line that shows the passage of time and certain events.
• Chronological: Ordering historical events, starting with the earliest and ending with the latest.

Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources

• Primary Source: A document, speech, or other evidence written, created, or produced during the period of study.
  • Examples include diaries, journals, personal letters, autobiographies, and driver's licenses.
  • The writing of a traveler such as Mansa Musa of Mali is an example of a primary source.
• Secondary Source: Accounts written after the event occurred; the person was not present during the event.
  • Textbooks and encyclopedias are secondary sources.

Political, Social, Economic

• Political: Issues around government and laws.
• Social: Issues concerning people, groups of people, institutions, and religion.
• Economic: Money, business, and the production of goods and services.

The Age of Absolutism (1500s-1700s)

• What is Absolutism?
  • Absolutism: Nations were governed by one person with total control.
• Key Characteristics of Absolute Monarchs
  • Centralized Political Control: Absolute monarchs did not share power with anyone else.
  • Divine Right: Absolute monarchs believed in Divine Right, the idea that kings received their power to rule directly from God.
  • Unlimited Power: Absolute monarchs believed that their power was unlimited and made laws without the consent of the people.
• Important Absolute Monarchs
  • Peter the Great: Absolute monarch of Russia who westernized Russia (imitated Western European customs and traditions to strengthen Russia) and expanded Russia's size to gain access to warm water ports.
  • Louis XIV (the Sun King): Absolute monarch of France who centralized political power and built the Palace at Versailles.
  • Philip II: Absolute monarch of Spain.
  • Henry VIII: Absolute monarch of England.
  • Suleiman the Magnificent: Absolute monarch of the Ottoman Empire who believed in religious tolerance (acceptance of all religions).
  • Akbar the Great: Absolute monarch of the Mughal Empire in India who believed in religious tolerance.
  • NOTE: Peter the Great, Louis XIV, and Suleiman the Magnificent helped expand the territory of their nations by taking over neighboring lands.

The Scientific Revolution (1500s-1600s)

• Introduction
  • The Scientific Revolution: Changed how people viewed the world based on new scientific discoveries and ideas.
• Causes of the Scientific Revolution
  • Caused by the questioning of religion that took place during the Renaissance and the Reformation.
  • Science and reason (logic) were used to explain how the world worked, and people no longer turned only to the Bible and the Catholic Church for answers.
• Key People of the Scientific Revolution
  • Copernicus: Astronomer who developed the Heliocentric Theory (the idea that the planets revolve around the sun).
  • Galileo Galilei: Astronomer who proved that Copernicus was correct and was put on trial by the Catholic Church because his ideas contradicted its teachings.
  • Sir Isaac Newton: Mathematician and astronomer who developed calculus and the theory of gravity.
  • Johannes Kepler: Astronomer who helped discover how planets move.
  • Bacon and Descartes: Developed the Scientific Method and other philosophies.
• Key Effects of the Scientific Revolution
  • It resulted in the spread of new ideas throughout Europe.
  • It challenged the authority (power) of the Catholic Church since European scientists proved that many Church teachings were incorrect.
  • The new ideas of this period directly led to the Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment (1700s)

• Introduction to the Enlightenment
  • The Enlightenment was also known as "The Age of Reason", when reason (logic) was used to make political reforms.
• Causes of the Enlightenment
  • The questioning spirit of the Scientific Revolution led people to also question their government (absolutism).
  • Enlightenment philosophers believed that rulers received the right to rule from the people, NOT from God.
• Key People of the Enlightenment
  • John Locke: Believed that all people have natural rights (the right to life, liberty, and property) and that people have the right to overthrow governments that fail to protect these rights.
  • Baron de Montesquieu: Believed that power in government should be divided into three branches (executive, legislative, judicial) to prevent kings from being too strong, creating a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances.
  • Voltaire: Believed that everyone is entitled to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
  • Rousseau: Believed that society is a social contract (an agreement in which all people agree to work for the common good of society) and advocated for minimal government control that works for the people.
  • Mary Wollstonecraft: Believed that women should be equal to men.
• Key Effects of the Enlightenment
  • Since Enlightenment philosophers believed that people can overthrow unfair governments, the Enlightenment helped cause political revolutions in France, Latin America, and the United States.
  • Enlightened Despots: European kings and queens who ruled using Enlightenment ideas.

The French Revolution and Napoleon (1789-1815)

• Introduction to the French Revolution
  • The French Revolution was the event in which the people of France overthrew their king (Louis XVI) and fought for more rights.
• Causes of the French Revolution
  • Social Inequality: French society was divided into three estates (social classes).
    • First Estate - Clergy (church people).
    • Second Estate - Nobles (rich landowners).
    • Third Estate - Everyone else, 97% of the population (commoners and bourgeoisie, or middle class), who were furious that they had very few rights and paid the highest taxes (even though they had the least money).
  • Absolute Monarchy: France was ruled by absolute monarchs who abused their power and denied (took away) the rights of the people.
  • Enlightenment Ideas: The ideas of the Enlightenment inspired the French people to overthrow their unfair kings and to create a new government that protected their rights.
  • Economic Crisis: France was in an economic crisis because the kings spent too much money and put France in debt.
  • Bad Harvests: Left little food for the people in France.
• Key Events of the French Revolution
  • Estates General Meeting: Representatives from the three estates met to raise taxes, with each estate receiving one vote. The third estate, enraged by this voting system, began to revolt, sparking the French Revolution.
  • National Assembly: New government formed by the third estate.
  • Tennis Court Oath: The third estate met at an indoor tennis court and refused to leave until they had created a new constitution.
  • Storming of the Bastille: The third estate took to the streets to revolt and stormed an infamous prison called the Bastille, releasing the prisoners and taking weapons.
  • The Declaration of the Rights of Man: A document written during the French Revolution that gave equal rights to the men of France.
  • Reign of Terror: An event where the leaders of the French Revolution executed thousands of people that they believed were loyal to the king with a device called the guillotine. The Jacobins were the radical (extreme) group leading this event, and Robespierre was the leader of the Jacobins and the Reign of Terror.
• Key Effects of the French Revolution
  • King Louis XVI of France was executed (killed) by Robespierre and the Jacobins.
  • The middle class (bourgeoisie) of France gained more rights and political influence.
  • Nationalism grew in France as people had pride in France and wanted it to be a great country.
  • The unstable times in France led to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
  • The French Revolution inspired other revolutions around the world, such as the Haitian Revolution and the Latin American Revolutions.

Napoleon Bonaparte

• Napoleon Bonaparte was the ruler who came to power at the end of the French Revolution.
• He expanded (enlarged) French territory by conquering neighboring lands in Europe.
• He created the Napoleonic Code, a set of laws that spread the ideals of the French Revolution.
• Napoleon was finally defeated in 1812 because he invaded Russia during the winter, and the freezing climate (weather) of Russia killed thousands of his soldiers. Hitler later made the same mistake during WWII.

The Congress of Vienna (1815)

• After the fall of Napoleon's empire, the old monarchs of European countries got together to put kings and queens back in power in Europe, seeking to restore the pre-French Revolution order.