How Enlightenment Influenced Political Revolutions
I. The American Revolution
Prior to the 1760s - the people of the American Colonies considered themselves citizens of England. They had the same rights as British citizens. G.B. used a policy of Salutary Neglect. This means that England let the colonies rule themselves as long as they received raw materials.
This Changed after the French and Indian War. England got in severe debt defending the colonies from the French and looked to the colonies to get them out of debt.
Great Britain taxed the colonies severely. The colonists argued that the taxes were unfair because they did not get to vote for representatives in Parliament. (1765)
For the next 10 years colonists protested but England kept on passing new taxes. Violence broke out and a revolution began in 1775.
The Colonists based their revolution on the Enlightenment ideas of John Locke (social contract theory). The Patriots felt they had the right to overthrow a government that broke the social contract.
The Declaration of Independence – written by Thomas Jefferson and signed on July 4th, 1776.
Main Ideas:
1. Stated natural rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness) of all people. Stated the social contract.
2. Listed grievances against the KING and parliament
3. Declared themselves an independent country free from England
The United States of America was born!
(sort of)
The USA still had to win the revolution. They created a new government called the Articles of Confederation. They finally won with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1781. This revolution was the first of its kind.
II. The French Revolution
In the late 1700s France was ruled by an absolute monarch, King Louis XVI.
French Social Classes
- First Estate – members included clergy of the Catholic church. Church owned 15% of the land. The higher - ranking clergy were rich and powerful. Most members of the clergy were poor. Did not have to pay taxes.
- Second Estate – consisted of wealthy and powerful nobles. Owned 20% of the land. Did not have to pay taxes. The first two estates consisted of 2% of the population. The King owned about 20% of the land.
- Third Estate – consisted of 98% of the population. Most were peasants who did not own land. Few were wealthy, some were middle class. Owned 50% of the land. Had to pay all of taxes. The tax money was given to the first two estates.
Outbreak of the Revolution
- the Enlightenment ideas of natural rights and the social contract appealed to the third estate. The revolution began when the government voted for more taxes. This was unfair to the third estate b/c they had little voting power. They withdrew from the government and started a new one called the National Assembly. When the new government was not recognized by the old one, violence broke out and the people stormed the Bastille. The revolution spread all over.
- The National Assembly wrote a document called The Declaration of the Rights of Man took over and overthrew the monarch.
III. Revolutions in Latin America
Countries in Central America, the Caribbean, and South America were once colonies of Spain, France, and Portugal. The colonists in these areas were influenced by the U.S. and enlightenment thinkers and declared their independence.
Haiti won theirs from France 1803.
Mexico and countries in Central America won theirs from Spain.
Brazil won theirs from Portugal