1.) How did the Enlightenment influence the Age of Revolution?
During and after the Enlightenment period, many thinkers published new ideas that inspired others to use acts of rebellion against their governments. For example, Charles Montesquieu, who studied Parliament in England, believed that government should be separated into groups, which helps ensure that one group can't become more powerful than the other. John Locke, another enlightenment thinker, published the idea that the main role of the government is to protect peoples' lives, liberty, and property. As governments throughout the world began to become oppressive, people sought to imply many of the enlightened ideas in revolting. For example, Thomas Jefferson and other colonists in the Americas felt they were being oppressed by the British and decided that publish a declaration, using the idea that the British had not met their goal of protecting peoples' lives, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, therefore they were going to rebel. Some even published their own ideas. Take Abigail Adams and Olympe de Gouges, women seeking a push for more women's rights. Abigail Adams, wife to John Adams who was founding father for the United States, wrote her husband a letter asking him " I wish that you would remember the ladies..." (Letter from Abigail Adams to her husband, John Adams) (American Revolution). Basically, she was asking him to include more women's rights in the declaration. Olympe de Gouges, a woman who lived in France during the mid-1700s, published her own ideas of women's rights, laying down her ideas a little harsher than Abigail's. One of the the most important things that she said was "Woman is born free and lives equal to man in her rights. (The Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen). She basically took the previously written French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and had added in women's rights as well (French Revolution). Looking back at the main question, evidence of worldwide revolutions and declarations reflects the idea that the Enlightenment period provided enlightened thinkers who published ideas that inspired and influenced the Age of Revolution.
2.) How did the French Revolution cause other revolutions?
Although the French Revolution reformed the French government, it also caused other countries around the world to be affected (French Revolution). In the Saint Domingue colony, which is now known as Haiti, the mixed race (which included blacks and "colored people) began to push for more civil rights (Haiti Revolution). When France fell into societies hands, the royal family fled to Brazil to escape any punishment they could have received. In their arrival, Brazil began to evolve into an individual state politically, economically, and socially (Brazil Revolution). Finally, the French Revolution affected New Granada (Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador) by giving the liberadores, or liberators, a better chance at gaining their independence (New Granada Revolution). In conclusion, the French Revolution caused a spark in worldwide revolutions that helped shape many current governments that are in place at this very day.
3.) What role did inequality play in the age of revolutions?
As a result of inequality, citizens of previous abusive rule felt the need to rebel. In France, women were restricted many rights that the men in society had (French Revolution). Specifically, when a woman named Olympe de Gouges published a document declaring women's rights, she was guillotined by the government. In Haiti, slaves were deprived of their human rights by the many white plantation owners. As more and more land needed to be tended to, more and more slaves were exported from Africa (Haiti Revolution). In the colonies, the British were enforcing many high taxes on colonists for no reason other than to gain more money for the British crown, creating an in-equal economic balance between Britain and the colonies (American Revolution). In conclusion, inequality between two or more groups causes balance to be broken and leads to problems and, in some cases, revolutions.
4.) Overall, why did these revolutions take place, and why did so many of them take place during this period?
As a result of unfair treatment, failure to protect natural human rights, and abusive rule of society, many governments were overthrown during the Enlightenment period by their populations. As governments began to build and strengthen, they began to take more control. Throughout the world during the Enlightenment, many governments were on the rise at the same time. As they gained more popularity and control, they began to abuse their power and use it for their own benefit. In many societies, governments were supposed to protect everybody's rights, but instead decided that that wasn't what they had in mind. In others, the government would use unfair dominion and would not teat its' people fairly. All of these revolutions, which always were sparked by a certain problem, took place to overthrow and establish new governments so that the problem could be resolved. In the long run, these governments that failed to meet societies standards for them ended up being a force for the greater good because they were overthrown and their examples were used as the model for how a government should not be run.
During and after the Enlightenment period, many thinkers published new ideas that inspired others to use acts of rebellion against their governments. For example, Charles Montesquieu, who studied Parliament in England, believed that government should be separated into groups, which helps ensure that one group can't become more powerful than the other. John Locke, another enlightenment thinker, published the idea that the main role of the government is to protect peoples' lives, liberty, and property. As governments throughout the world began to become oppressive, people sought to imply many of the enlightened ideas in revolting. For example, Thomas Jefferson and other colonists in the Americas felt they were being oppressed by the British and decided that publish a declaration, using the idea that the British had not met their goal of protecting peoples' lives, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, therefore they were going to rebel. Some even published their own ideas. Take Abigail Adams and Olympe de Gouges, women seeking a push for more women's rights. Abigail Adams, wife to John Adams who was founding father for the United States, wrote her husband a letter asking him " I wish that you would remember the ladies..." (Letter from Abigail Adams to her husband, John Adams) (American Revolution). Basically, she was asking him to include more women's rights in the declaration. Olympe de Gouges, a woman who lived in France during the mid-1700s, published her own ideas of women's rights, laying down her ideas a little harsher than Abigail's. One of the the most important things that she said was "Woman is born free and lives equal to man in her rights. (The Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen). She basically took the previously written French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and had added in women's rights as well (French Revolution). Looking back at the main question, evidence of worldwide revolutions and declarations reflects the idea that the Enlightenment period provided enlightened thinkers who published ideas that inspired and influenced the Age of Revolution.
2.) How did the French Revolution cause other revolutions?
Although the French Revolution reformed the French government, it also caused other countries around the world to be affected (French Revolution). In the Saint Domingue colony, which is now known as Haiti, the mixed race (which included blacks and "colored people) began to push for more civil rights (Haiti Revolution). When France fell into societies hands, the royal family fled to Brazil to escape any punishment they could have received. In their arrival, Brazil began to evolve into an individual state politically, economically, and socially (Brazil Revolution). Finally, the French Revolution affected New Granada (Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador) by giving the liberadores, or liberators, a better chance at gaining their independence (New Granada Revolution). In conclusion, the French Revolution caused a spark in worldwide revolutions that helped shape many current governments that are in place at this very day.
3.) What role did inequality play in the age of revolutions?
As a result of inequality, citizens of previous abusive rule felt the need to rebel. In France, women were restricted many rights that the men in society had (French Revolution). Specifically, when a woman named Olympe de Gouges published a document declaring women's rights, she was guillotined by the government. In Haiti, slaves were deprived of their human rights by the many white plantation owners. As more and more land needed to be tended to, more and more slaves were exported from Africa (Haiti Revolution). In the colonies, the British were enforcing many high taxes on colonists for no reason other than to gain more money for the British crown, creating an in-equal economic balance between Britain and the colonies (American Revolution). In conclusion, inequality between two or more groups causes balance to be broken and leads to problems and, in some cases, revolutions.
4.) Overall, why did these revolutions take place, and why did so many of them take place during this period?
As a result of unfair treatment, failure to protect natural human rights, and abusive rule of society, many governments were overthrown during the Enlightenment period by their populations. As governments began to build and strengthen, they began to take more control. Throughout the world during the Enlightenment, many governments were on the rise at the same time. As they gained more popularity and control, they began to abuse their power and use it for their own benefit. In many societies, governments were supposed to protect everybody's rights, but instead decided that that wasn't what they had in mind. In others, the government would use unfair dominion and would not teat its' people fairly. All of these revolutions, which always were sparked by a certain problem, took place to overthrow and establish new governments so that the problem could be resolved. In the long run, these governments that failed to meet societies standards for them ended up being a force for the greater good because they were overthrown and their examples were used as the model for how a government should not be run.