Important Topics (on the test)

French Revolution: Assign 10

Estates system:

• First estate: Clergy (Roman Catholics)

• Second estate: Nobles

• Third estate: Commoners

• Louis XVI: Attempted to tax the nobility which led to the summoning of the estates general after not convening for a long time

  • The Third estate demanded reform but faced opposition from the first 2

  • Unfair voting because the majority of the population was in the third estate but the only got one vote

Formation of the National Assembly:

• Representatives of the Third Estate proclaimed themselves as the National Assembly and vowed to meet until a new constitution was established

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen:

• Influenced by Enlightenment thought and Thomas Jefferson.

  • All men are born free and equal in rights

  • Political associations aim to preserve the natural rights

  • Sovereignty resides with the nation

  • Law reflects the general will

Revolutionary Events:

Storming of the Bastille:

• Commoners stormed the Bastille, an old dungeon that stored gunpowder, in search of gunpowder for their weapons

• Symbolized the common people’s uprising against tyranny and igniting further revolutions across France.

Rallying Cry:

• Liberty, equality, and fraternity

Important People:

• Jacobin Leaders: The radical Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, instigated the Reign of Terror, executing thousands and imprisoning suspected counter-revolutionaries. Olympe de Gouges was a feminist who was executed, showcasing the revolution’s failure to extend rights to women.

Enlightenment: Assign 11

Key Principles and Influence:

• Inspired revolutionary movements globally

• Freedom, equality, and popular sovereignty

• Changes traditional power hierarchies

• Leaders justified actions using Enlightenment ideas

Issue of Slavery:

• Slavery discussed in the context of freedom and equality during revolutions

The American Revolution:

• Colonial discontent grew after the Seven Years’ War

• Protests against taxation without representation

• Declaration of Independence

Advocacy for Women’s Rights:

• Olympe de Gouges advocated for women’s rights

• Published Declaration of the Rights of Woman

• Her efforts led to her execution in 1793

Napoleon: Assign 12

Early Life:

• Born into a Minor Noble family in Corsica

• Became an army officer

Military Success:

• Gained prominence through his military victories against Austria and in Egypt

Political Ascendancy:

• Overthrew the Directory

• Established the Consulate and crowned himself emperor

Reforms:

• Introduced the Concordat to reconcile with the Catholic Church and the Civil code which emphasized legal equality and property rights

Censorship:

• His administration was characterized by censorship and the suppression of individual freedoms

Expansion:

• Conducted military campaigns across Europe, placing family members in leadership roles over conquered regions

• Encountered significant challenges following the failed invasion of Russia

Downfall:

• Defeated by coalition forces

• Led to the restoration of the monarchy in France

• Experienced a brief return in 1815 until losing at the battle of Waterloo, and ultimately exiled to St. Helena

Haiti: Assign 12

Background:

• Haiti was a major Sugar producing colony known as Saint Domingue

• Complex social structure made up of white colonials, gens de couleur and enslaved individuals

Geopolitical Tensions:

• Escalating tensions among different social classes led to a civil war

• Significant revolt was ignited by Boukman, a Vodou priest who rallied many enslaved people to join the uprising

Leadership of Toussaint Louverture:

• Former slave and skilled military leader

• Emerged in command promoting a constitution that granted citizenship

• Withheld full independence from France to avoid conflict with Napoleon

Establishment of Independence:

• After the decline of French military presence and following Louverture’s arrest and death, Haiti claimed its independence

Latin America: Assign 13

Haitian Revolution:

• Haiti declared independence, becoming the second independent republic in the Western Hemisphere

Influence of Enlightenment on Latin America:

• Revolutionary ideas spread from the Haitian revolution to Spanish and Portuguese colonies

• Creoles resented Iberian control and sought independence similar to the U.S. model

Wars of Independence:

• Creoles led uprisings against Spanish rule, influenced by the fear stirred by the slave rebellion in Saint Domingue

Simon Bolivars Campaign:

• Key leader in South American independence, defeating Spanish forces in several countries including Colombia and Venezuela

• Established Gran Colombia, a federation that disintegrated due to regional disputes

• Bolivars vision for unity ended tragically as he viewed the chaos post-revolution as ungovernable before his death

Brazilian Independence:

• Different from other Latin American movements

• Influenced by the Portuguese royal court’s departure during the Napoleonic Wars

• Established a monarchy under Emperor Pedro I, resulting in minimal social change from colonial structures

Rise of Liberalism:

• Shift Towards a more democratic society emphasizing individual rights for all, including marginalized groups

Industrialization: Assign 16

Betty Harris:

• Worked in coal pits under harsh conditions

• Brought light to horrible working conditions

Work Conditions:

• Shift from unskilled labor for low wages to a more structured labor system that supported industrial production

Exploitation of Workers:

• Many workers endured long hours in dangerous environment, facing physical abuse and exploitation

Social Issues:

• Broader social challenges like poor labor rights and unsafe working conditions, resulting from rapid industrial growth