Influence of Enlightenment ideals, such as early attempts at democracy.
John Locke and Montesquieu's influence on the American Revolution.
Start with how Enlightenment ideas arrived in the colonies.
Discuss the impact of the Declaration of Independence or Common Sense.
Economic, Political, or Social Causes:
Mercantilism: An economic system where the colonies were expected to provide raw materials to the mother country (Britain) and to purchase finished goods from Britain.
Navigation Acts: Laws that restricted colonial trade, requiring them to trade primarily with Britain.
Stamp Act: Tax on printed materials in the colonies.
Townshend Acts: Taxes on goods imported into the colonies, such as tea, glass, and paper.
How and why these acts angered the colonists: Colonists felt that these acts were a violation of their rights and an attempt to control their economy.
Boston Tea Party: A protest against the Tea Act, where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
Boston Massacre: A confrontation between British soldiers and colonists that resulted in several deaths.
"No Taxation without representation": James Otis, along with Patrick Henry (Give me liberty or give me death), argued this point.
Declaration, Early Democracy:
Virginia House of Burgesses: An early example of representative government in the colonies.
Town Halls: Local assemblies where colonists could discuss and make decisions about local issues.
Local Assemblies: Similar to town halls, but often at a larger geographic scale.
Quartering Act: Required colonists to house British soldiers, which was seen as an infringement on their rights.
Importance of Leaders:
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were key figures in the independence movement.
Actual Battles:
Trenton, Princeton, and Saratoga were significant battles won by Washington and the Continental Army.
Significance of Saratoga:
First clear victory for the colonies, located in Upstate New York.
US General Gates was in charge, but Benedict Arnold was an aggressive fighter.
Benedict Arnold defeated Gentleman John Burgoyne, a skilled British general, but later became a traitor.
The French decided to support the US colonial army because of this victory.
Causes of Latin American Revolution:
Economic inequality caused by Mercantilism.
Outcomes:
Monroe Doctrine:
Stated to Europe that they should stay out of Latin America because it is the United States' backyard.
Isolating Europe from the Americas.
Latin American Revolution
Enlightenment Influences:
John Locke and Natural Rights.
Rousseau and separation of powers.
Haiti:
Toussaint L’Ouverture led the slaves in a revolt.
Mexico:
Father Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Morales led revolts.
Central America:
Spanish ruled lands declared their independence in the early 1820s.
South America:
Native Americans revolted but to little avail.
Simon Bolivar, “the Liberator” and Jose de San Martin led uprisings and captured Bogota, Bolivia, and Peru.
Brazil:
Gained independence without bloodshed.
When Napoleon took over Portugal, King Joao and his family fled to Brazil.
In 1828, Portugal recognized Brazil’s independence.
Catholicism:
Official religion, church and government were tied.
Liberals advocated for secularism.
Separate unorganized protests occurred in the beginning.
There was no unifying group.
Hispanic (Chicano) American Revolution
Cesar Chavez fought for workers' rights through the UFW (United Farm Workers), which led to the Delano Grape Strikes.
First Successful revolution.
World War II was a catalyst for social change.
Women entered the workforce.
African and Mexican Americans fought primarily in World War II.