APWH Unit 5&6

Unit 5: Revolutions

Enlightenment (1700s)

• Key Ideas:

  • Emphasized reason, natural rights, and skepticism of authority (particularly monarchies and the church).

  • Advocated for individual freedoms, equality, democracy, and scientific inquiry.

• Important Thinkers:

  • John Locke: Advocated for the natural rights of life, liberty, and property. He argued that governments should be formed by consent of the governed and have limited powers.

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Wrote The Social Contract, proposing that government legitimacy comes from the general will of the people.

  • Voltaire: Championed freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and separation of church and state.

  • Baron de Montesquieu: Advocated for separation of powers in government (executive, legislative, judicial).

  • Denis Diderot: Edited the Encyclopédie, which spread Enlightenment ideas across Europe.

Revolutions (Late 18th - Early 19th Century)

• American Revolution (1776):

  • Colonies in North America sought independence from British rule due to taxation without representation and Enlightenment-inspired ideas of natural rights and self-governance.

  • The Declaration of Independence (1776) articulated these principles, leading to the formation of a republic.

• French Revolution (1789):

  • French citizens revolted against the monarchy, inspired by Enlightenment principles and dissatisfaction with social inequality.

  • Led to the rise of radical political groups, the Reign of Terror, and eventually Napoleon's rise to power.

  • Key documents: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.

• Haitian Revolution (1791-1804):

  • Led by enslaved Africans in Haiti, this was the only successful slave rebellion, overthrowing French colonial rule.

  • It was inspired by the French Revolution and led to the creation of the first independent black republic.

• Latin American Revolutions (Early 19th Century):

  • Revolutions against Spanish and Portuguese rule were inspired by Enlightenment ideas and the success of the American and French Revolutions.

  • Leaders such as Simón Bolívar, José de San Martín, and Miguel Hidalgo played key roles in the independence movements across the Americas.

Industrialization (18th - 19th Century)

• Industrial Revolution (began in Britain in the late 18th century):

  • Transition from agrarian economies to industrial economies marked by technological advancements, urbanization, and the rise of factory systems.

  • Technological Innovations:

    • Steam Engine (James Watt): Transformed manufacturing, transportation (railroads, steamboats), and mining.

    • Spinning Jenny and Power Loom: Revolutionized textile production.

    • Cotton Gin (Eli Whitney): Increased cotton production and the demand for slave labor in the U.S.

    • Railroads: Expanded transportation networks, enabling faster movement of goods and people.

• Social and Economic Effects:

  • Urbanization: People moved from rural areas to cities in search of factory work, leading to overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions.

  • Rise of the working class and expansion of the middle class.

  • Formation of trade unions to advocate for workers’ rights (wages, working hours, and conditions).

  • Laissez-faire economics (Adam Smith): Promoted free-market capitalism with minimal government interference.

  • Karl Marx: In The Communist Manifesto, argued for class struggle and the overthrow of capitalist systems by the proletariat (working class), advocating for socialism.

Unit 6: Industrialization and Imperialism

Imperialism (Late 19th - Early 20th Century)

• Causes of Imperialism:

  • Economic: Need for raw materials, markets for manufactured goods, and investment opportunities.

  • Political: Nationalism and competition among European powers.

  • Social: Desire to spread European culture, religion (Christianity), and "civilization" to non-Western societies.

  • Technological: Advances in transportation (steamships, railroads) and military technology (maxim gun).

• Scramble for Africa:

  • European powers divided Africa at the Berlin Conference (1884-1885), carving out colonies without regard for ethnic or cultural boundaries.

  • Colonies were exploited for their resources, with local populations often subjected to forced labor and harsh treatment.

• Imperialism in Asia:

  • Britain in India: The British East India Company began dominating India, eventually leading to direct British rule (the Raj) after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.

  • Opium Wars (1839-42, 1856-60): Conflicts between China and Britain over the opium trade, which led to China being forced to open up ports and cede Hong Kong to Britain under the Treaty of Nanjing.

  • Japan: Japan industrialized rapidly during the Meiji Restoration (1868), and after modernizing, Japan began its own imperial expansion in Asia (e.g., the annexation of Korea, the invasion of Manchuria).

• Imperialism in Australia:

  • The British established Australia as a penal colony in the late 18th century.

  • Eventually, Australia developed into a self-governing colony, but the expansion of European settlers led to the displacement of Indigenous peoples.

Indian National Congress (INC) and Indian Independence Movement

• Indian National Congress (INC):

  • Formed in 1885 to demand reforms and representation for Indians under British colonial rule.

  • Initially moderate but became more radical over time, calling for full independence, especially after the influence of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi.

• Indian Independence Movement:

  • Led by Gandhi, who promoted nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience (Salt March, Quit India Movement).

  • The INC and Gandhi's tactics gained widespread support, culminating in India’s independence in 1947.

Industrialization in Japan and Russia

• Japan:

  • The Meiji Restoration (1868) marked Japan's rapid industrialization, aiming to strengthen the country to resist Western imperialism.

  • Zaibatsu (conglomerates) played a major role in Japan’s economic growth, and Japan began imperial expansion in the late 19th century, annexing Korea and Taiwan.

• Russia:

  • Serfdom was abolished in 1861, but industrialization was slow under Tsar Nicholas II. The development of railroads (Trans-Siberian Railway) was a significant part of industrial efforts.

  • Industrialization led to growing discontent among workers and peasants, contributing to the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Technological Innovations and Their Impact

• Steam Engine: Powered machinery in factories, locomotives, and ships, revolutionizing transportation and industrial output.

• Electricity: Advances such as the light bulb and telegraph (by Samuel Morse) led to major changes in communication and daily life.

• Telegraph: Allowed for instant long-distance communication, facilitating global business and political coordination.

• Chemical Industry: Innovations in chemicals, such as fertilizers and dyes, helped further industrial growth.

Trade Unions

• Formed as a response to poor working conditions in factories, unions advocated for better wages, working hours, and safer work environments.

• They were often met with resistance from factory owners and governments, but they played a key role in improving labor conditions.

Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations

• In The Wealth of Nations (1776), Adam Smith argued that economies function best when individuals are free to pursue their own self-interest in a competitive market.

• Smith’s ideas laid the groundwork for capitalism and laissez-faire economics.

Summary of Key Terms

• Laissez-faire Economics: Advocates for minimal government intervention in economic affairs.

• Social Darwinism: Applied the theory of natural selection to justify imperialism, claiming that stronger nations had the right to dominate weaker ones.

• Scramble for Africa: European colonization of Africa in the late 19th century.

• Industrialization: The shift from agrarian economies to industrial economies, with significant social and technological changes.

Imperialism: The policy of extending a nation’s power through colonization and military force.