Chapter 1-7 Notes: 1750-1900

Revolutions and Social Change (1750-1900)

Big Ideas

  • Age of Revolutions: Significant political and social upheavals.
  • Social Changes: Reshaping of societies due to revolutions and other factors.
  • Colonial Expansion: Increased colonization and imperialism, especially in Africa and India.
  • Industrialization: Shift to factory jobs and increased production, leading to urbanization.
  • Globalization: Increasing interconnectedness of the world.

Map Changes (1750-1900)

  • 1750: Sparsely populated areas like Africa; some colonies in the Americas.
  • 1900: The Americas are mostly independent; increased colonization and imperialism in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Causes of Revolutions

  • The Enlightenment: Philosophical movement emphasizing reason, individual rights, and representative government.
    • Key Idea: Society can be improved through reason, discussion, and popular participation.
    • Opposition to Absolute Monarchies: Enlightenment thinkers advocated for alternatives to absolute monarchies.
  • Little Ice Age: A period of cooler temperatures leading to crop failures and food scarcity.
    • Impact: Reduced food supply increased prices, causing economic hardship and social unrest.
    • Supply and DemandSupply \text{ and } Demand: Reduction in supply increases prices.
    • Economic Hardship: More money spent on necessities, leading to discontent.

The Americas: 13 Colonies

  • Salutary Neglect: British policy of limited intervention in the 13 colonies.
    • Policy: Colonies allowed to self-govern as long as they paid taxes.
    • Prosperity: Colonies thrived due to minimal British intervention; New York and Boston became major trading hubs.
  • Enlightenment Ideas: Transmission of European ideas (e.g., opposition to absolute monarchies) to the colonies.

British vs. French

  • Seven Years' War (French and Indian War): Global conflict between Britain and France.
    • Alliances: Britain and its colonies vs. France, its colonies, and Native American allies.
    • Native American Preference: Native Americans favored the French due to trade relations and less violence.
  • British Reliance on Soldiers: British lacked Native American allies, leading to increased costs.

American Revolution

  • Causes:
    • Taxes: Imposition of taxes (e.g., Sugar Act, Stamp Act) to finance the war.
      • Sugar Act taxed sugar.
      • Stamp Act taxed paper.
    • No Taxation Without Representation: Colonists resented being taxed without representation in British Parliament.
    • Proclamation of 1763: Restricted colonial expansion beyond the Appalachian Mountains.
  • Key Events:
    • Battle of Lexington and Concord: Marked the beginning of the revolution.
    • George Washington: Appointed as commander, early losses were prevalent for 3 years.
    • Battle of Saratoga: Turning point; American victory led to French support.
    • French Support: Financial, military, and naval assistance from France.
    • Battle of Yorktown: Final battle; British surrender due to American and French forces.
  • Aftermath: Articles of Confederation (ineffective) replaced by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
    • The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

French Revolution

  • Causes:
    • American Revolution: French financial support led to bankruptcy; French soldiers exposed to ideas of liberty and equality.
    • French Society: France was an absolute monarchy with rigid social hierarchy.
  • Estates-General: Assembly of three estates (clergy, nobility, and everyone else).
  • National Assembly: Formed by the third estate; declared itself the sovereign power of France.
    • Tennis Court Oath: Vow to create a new constitution.
  • Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: Defined citizenship and natural rights (written by Marquis de Lafayette).
  • Radicalization: Execution of King Louis XVI; led to European monarchies fearing similar fates.
  • Maximilien Robespierre and the Reign of Terror:
    • Levée en Masse: Mass conscription for war effort; inspired nationalism.
    • French people are going to be joining up in this war to defend France which inspires a sense of nationalism because it's France against everybody else.
    • Reign of Terror: Mass executions via guillotine.

Napoleon

  • Moderation: Stabilized France after the Reign of Terror.
  • Sister Republics: Establishment of new governments in conquered territories.
  • Napoleonic Code: Comprehensive law code influenced by Roman law; reinstituted slavery and other bad stuff.
  • Wars of the Coalitions: Fought against various European coalitions for 15 years.
    • Invasion of Russia: A major turning point resulting in heavy losses for Napoleon.
  • Export of Revolution Ideals: Spread Enlightenment ideals and challenged absolute monarchies across Europe.

Haitian Revolution

  • Context: Haiti (Saint-Domingue) was a profitable French colony producing sugar and coffee with a large slave population.
  • Uprising: Inspired by the French Revolution, slaves revolted, burning plantations and killing slave owners.
  • Leaders:
    • Toussaint Louverture: Led the revolution; died in prison.
    • Dessalines: Declared Haiti independent; ordered the massacre of white residents.
  • Aftermath: Haiti achieved independence but suffered economic devastation.
    • Increased strictness of slavery in other places, such as the Southern United States.

Latin American Revolutions

  • Cause: Napoleon's invasion of Spain.
    • Napoleon kicks out the current king, Ferdinand, and institutes his brother Joseph to be king of Spain.
  • Military Juntas: Set up to resist French rule.
  • Key Leaders:
    • Simon Bolivar: Led revolutions in Venezuela, Colombia, and Northern South America; sought to create Gran Colombia.
      • Wanted to centralize all of Latin America into one huge country.
    • José de San Martin: Led revolutions in Southern South America.
  • Federalists vs. Centralists: Debate over the distribution of power between central and state governments; federalists favored decentralized power.

Nationalism

  • Origins: Inspired by the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.
  • Definition: Intense pride in one's nation.
  • Revolutions of 1848 (Springtime of the Peoples): Nationalist uprisings across Europe.
    • Affected Countries: France, Italy, Austria, Germany.
    • Unaffected Countries: Great Britain (due to voting rights) and Russia (due to increased absolutism).
  • Failure of 1848 Revolutions: Competing ideologies among liberals, radicals, and conservatives.

Feminism

  • Seneca Falls Convention: Meeting in the U.S. advocating for women's rights.
    • Declaration of Sentiments: Articulated women's rights, including the right to vote.
  • Key Figures:
    • Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Early feminist leader.
    • Frederick Douglass: Supporter of women's rights.
  • Maternal Feminism: Argument that women deserve rights because of their role as mothers.
  • Instrumental Roles: Women like Florence Nightingale and Jane Adams made themselves instrumental to society.

Industrial Revolution

  • Origins: Started in Great Britain.
  • Key Innovations:
    • Steam Engine: Used for power in factories and transportation (trains).
    • Bessemer Process: Enabled mass production of steel (invented by Henry Bessemer).
    • Assembly Line: Revolutionized manufacturing (Henry Ford).
  • Social Changes:
    • Cities: Shift from rural to urban living due to factory jobs.

Social Changes Due to Industrial Revolution

  • Decline of Skilled Craftsmen: Mass production diminished the need for skilled artisans.
  • Luddites: Protested against industrialization by destroying machines.
  • Karl Marx and Communism: Advocated for communal ownership of property.
  • Socialism: Advocated for workers' rights and reforms.
    • Led to labor parties and reforms like minimum wage and the eight-hour workday.

Russia

  • Late Industrialization: Russia was slow to industrialize compared to other European countries.
  • State-Sponsored Factories: The government controlled factory production, leading to inefficiencies.

Late European Imperialism

  • Motivations: Industrial Revolution provided means and markets (selling goods to their colonies) for colonization.
  • Key Areas:
    • India: Conquered by the British East India Company and then the British government.
    • Africa: Scramble for Africa; divided among European powers at the Berlin Conference (1884-1885).

China and the Ottoman Empire

  • China:
    • Century of Humiliation: Period of decline and foreign intervention.
    • Taiping Rebellion: A revolt led by a dude who said he was Jesus's brother that led to 20 million deaths.
    • Opium Wars: Forced opening to British trade; China got their stuff blown up for resisting.
    • Self-Strengthening Movement: Attempts at modernization.
    • Boxer Rebellion: Anti-foreign uprising suppressed by European powers.
  • Ottoman Empire:
    • Sick Man of Europe: Term for the declining empire.
    • Tanzimat Reforms: Attempts to modernize the empire.
    • Young Ottomans and Young Turks: Nationalist movements seeking to create a Turkish state.

Japan

  • Isolation: Japan was isolated and resistant to European influence.
  • Meiji Restoration: Modernization and industrialization program.
    • Emperor Meiji gained more authority.
  • Rapid Industrialization: Adoption of Western technologies and practices.
  • Imperial Expansion: Japan became an imperial power, defeating China (1894) and Russia (1904).