Connecting the Causes
Daniel Fairman
1.) How did the Enlightenment influence the Age of Revolutions?
The Enlightenment was a movement that inspired reason and logic amongst many thinkers. Some of those thinkers went on to lead revolutions against the tyranny held by colonial powers in the Rio de Plata region, the American colonies, and the Caribbean. San Martin and Bolivar were two men who, during their time in Europe, were shaped by the Enlightenment. Their different way of thinking was a crucial factor in the development of the Rio de Plata Revolution. The idea of a social contract, the one written by John Locke, was the primary source of inspiration behind the Declaration of Independence. John Locke is considered to be one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment, even Voltaire and Rousseau were influenced by his writing. The Haitian Revolution, similar to the Rio de Plata Revolution, had it’s leader, Toussaint L’Ouverture, who was the son of an educated slave actively use European philosophies to inspire the slaves to seek change and eventually revolt against their European captors. Not only did the Enlightenment demand revolution in that time period it also gave form to new governments in the newly formed independent countries.
2.) The french revolution was a major world event. Not only did it topple the French monarchy, it caused a ripple effect around the world How did the French revolution cause other revolutions?
The French Revolution was a stone skipping across a lake and the ripples it caused were the revolutions it ignited. Some of those ripples being the Mexican, Brazilian, and Haitian colonies. The French had an eventual success when the bourgeoisie triumphed over the nobility and the clergy. This among the reforms, such as the Declaration of the Rights of Man, gave hope to the Mexican people of change. The French Invasion of Spain, afterwards, had also given them reason to revolt after they noticed the weakness of Spain in Europe after they had been conquered. In Haiti there was a disgraceful amount of exploitation of the indigenous populace. Haiti, being a french colony, had undergone some change after the French Revolution giving the underpaid and overworked some rights which had been previously nonexistent. The French Invasion of Spain had frightened the royal family in Portugal. They fled to their colony in Brazil and soon thereafter had declared it’s independence. Many people may have died in the struggle to freedom, however mortal humans may be it is the idea that prospers. It is the idea of freedom that cannot die and the French revolution spread that idea amongst those who needed it.
3.) Inequality, social political, and economic, often causes revolutions. What role did inequality play in the age of revolutions?
John Locke once wrote that in order for people to revolt one of the requirements must be a “long train of abuses”. During the Age of Revolutions there was just that in colonies and colonial powers in france, Rio de la Plata, and Mexico. In France prices were blown out of proportion, people were arrested unjustly, and our basic human right of freedom of speech lead to the guillotine. No one could speak out against the government and those who did were punished. This long train of abuses was enough for the french and finally they revolted. In the Rio de Plata region there was an abundance of inequality, in all of the colonies really. THere had been a caste system in place and far away from their colonial power, the Peninsulares who were at the top of the caste system, they were able to exploit the system in order for them to be the beneficiary. The whole mercantilist system also evoked inequality amongst the classes. Primarily the separation between classes played a major role in the revolution. The Mexican revolution, similar to the Rio de la Plata, had a separation of classes. The Bourbon Reforms also had a role economically in the revolution. The increase of taxes and direct military control was one of the reasons behind the Revolution. There had been as Locke said “a long train of abuses” for this was going on for many years until finally the people had enough and revolted.
4.) Overall, what cause these populations to risk life and future by rebelling against the government? In other words: why did these revolutions take place, and why did so many of them take place during this period?
The Age of Revolutions was a result of the Enlightenment. The focus on logic, reason, and humanism paved the way for freedom to prosper. When your rights are taken away and dying is better than living under a regime that takes away what makes you human that is when revolutions happen. The French had enough of their land being taken and their people being killed for speaking their mind. The Americans wanted economic freedom, all across America, they were being exploited. In the United States they had their taxes raised exponentially. In Rio de Plata and Mexico they was a separation among the classes. In Haiti the natives were being exploited for wealth and riches. A lot of the world had been building up this anger of being oppressed until finally after a long train of abuses the people had risen with the help of the Enlightenment the world had birthed a new age, the Age of Revolutions.
Daniel Fairman
1.) How did the Enlightenment influence the Age of Revolutions?
The Enlightenment was a movement that inspired reason and logic amongst many thinkers. Some of those thinkers went on to lead revolutions against the tyranny held by colonial powers in the Rio de Plata region, the American colonies, and the Caribbean. San Martin and Bolivar were two men who, during their time in Europe, were shaped by the Enlightenment. Their different way of thinking was a crucial factor in the development of the Rio de Plata Revolution. The idea of a social contract, the one written by John Locke, was the primary source of inspiration behind the Declaration of Independence. John Locke is considered to be one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment, even Voltaire and Rousseau were influenced by his writing. The Haitian Revolution, similar to the Rio de Plata Revolution, had it’s leader, Toussaint L’Ouverture, who was the son of an educated slave actively use European philosophies to inspire the slaves to seek change and eventually revolt against their European captors. Not only did the Enlightenment demand revolution in that time period it also gave form to new governments in the newly formed independent countries.
2.) The french revolution was a major world event. Not only did it topple the French monarchy, it caused a ripple effect around the world How did the French revolution cause other revolutions?
The French Revolution was a stone skipping across a lake and the ripples it caused were the revolutions it ignited. Some of those ripples being the Mexican, Brazilian, and Haitian colonies. The French had an eventual success when the bourgeoisie triumphed over the nobility and the clergy. This among the reforms, such as the Declaration of the Rights of Man, gave hope to the Mexican people of change. The French Invasion of Spain, afterwards, had also given them reason to revolt after they noticed the weakness of Spain in Europe after they had been conquered. In Haiti there was a disgraceful amount of exploitation of the indigenous populace. Haiti, being a french colony, had undergone some change after the French Revolution giving the underpaid and overworked some rights which had been previously nonexistent. The French Invasion of Spain had frightened the royal family in Portugal. They fled to their colony in Brazil and soon thereafter had declared it’s independence. Many people may have died in the struggle to freedom, however mortal humans may be it is the idea that prospers. It is the idea of freedom that cannot die and the French revolution spread that idea amongst those who needed it.
3.) Inequality, social political, and economic, often causes revolutions. What role did inequality play in the age of revolutions?
John Locke once wrote that in order for people to revolt one of the requirements must be a “long train of abuses”. During the Age of Revolutions there was just that in colonies and colonial powers in france, Rio de la Plata, and Mexico. In France prices were blown out of proportion, people were arrested unjustly, and our basic human right of freedom of speech lead to the guillotine. No one could speak out against the government and those who did were punished. This long train of abuses was enough for the french and finally they revolted. In the Rio de Plata region there was an abundance of inequality, in all of the colonies really. THere had been a caste system in place and far away from their colonial power, the Peninsulares who were at the top of the caste system, they were able to exploit the system in order for them to be the beneficiary. The whole mercantilist system also evoked inequality amongst the classes. Primarily the separation between classes played a major role in the revolution. The Mexican revolution, similar to the Rio de la Plata, had a separation of classes. The Bourbon Reforms also had a role economically in the revolution. The increase of taxes and direct military control was one of the reasons behind the Revolution. There had been as Locke said “a long train of abuses” for this was going on for many years until finally the people had enough and revolted.
4.) Overall, what cause these populations to risk life and future by rebelling against the government? In other words: why did these revolutions take place, and why did so many of them take place during this period?
The Age of Revolutions was a result of the Enlightenment. The focus on logic, reason, and humanism paved the way for freedom to prosper. When your rights are taken away and dying is better than living under a regime that takes away what makes you human that is when revolutions happen. The French had enough of their land being taken and their people being killed for speaking their mind. The Americans wanted economic freedom, all across America, they were being exploited. In the United States they had their taxes raised exponentially. In Rio de Plata and Mexico they was a separation among the classes. In Haiti the natives were being exploited for wealth and riches. A lot of the world had been building up this anger of being oppressed until finally after a long train of abuses the people had risen with the help of the Enlightenment the world had birthed a new age, the Age of Revolutions.