Impact of Enlightenment on America€¦ · Impact of Enlightenment on America American Revolution- 1776 –Thomas Jefferson influenced by John Locke when writing the Declaration of

Impact of Enlightenment on America

▪ American Revolution- 1776– Thomas Jefferson influenced by John Locke when writing the Declaration of

Independence

– Montesquieu influences the Constitution with a system of checks and balances

– Voltaire, Locke and Rousseau the American Bill of Rights

– Taxation without Representation

▪ American Revolution motivates the French to revolt

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION(1789)

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

The Estate System

▪ Social class system – First Estate – Clergy (1%)

– Second Estate- Nobles (2%)

– Third Estate- Bourgeoisie, Workers and Peasants (97%)▪ Paid most of the taxes

▪ King Louise XVI and Marie Antoinette – Caused debt with war and extravagant spending

The Revolution Begins

▪ Estates General is called to figure out national debt– Third Estate is taxed more

– Creation of National Assemble

– Tennis Court Oath – 3rd Estate swore to write a new constitution

▪ Storming the Bastille – July 14th 1789

– Caused by rumors

– French citizens gathered weapons to defend the city

That Escalated Quickly

▪ National Assembly creates Declaration of the Rights of Man– Ends the Estate System

– Eventually leads to limits on the Kings power

– Louise tries to escape but gets caught

▪ France goes to War with Prussia and Austria – Royal family is imprisoned by the French people

– French citizens kill supporters of the King

– Abolish monarchy and create a Republic

It Gets Worse

▪ Jacobins take over the French government – Tried and executed King Louise XVI with the guillotine

▪ Maximillian Robespierre- Jacobin Leader and Leader of the Committee for public Safety – ruled as a dictator

– Reign of Terror – 40,000 people executed (No one was safe)

– Robespierre executed by guillotine

The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

▪ Napoleon- French general that restored order and peace to France.– Won key battles against France’s enemies

– Led a coup d'état to become dictator of France

– Established Napoleonic code- uniform set of laws

– Crowned himself emperor

– Conquered most of Europe

The Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte

▪ Napoleon made costly mistakes

– Continental System- used to make Europe self sufficient and destroy British economy.

– Invaded Russia and Russia used Scorched Earth Policy – Everything was destroyed

– Army became too weak and inexperienced and Napoleon was exiled.

The Comeback Kid

▪ Napoleon returns from exile to rule France again

▪ He is defeated at the Battle of Waterloo , ending isHundred Day return.

– Exiled again to St. Helena Island

▪ Congress of Vienna- wanted to restore order to post Napoleon Europe

– Klemens Von Metternich most influential

– No more Democracy

Revolt In The Americas

Haiti and Latin America

Haiti Revolts

▪ French island colony called Saint Domingue

▪ Slaves heavily outnumbered their masters

– 500,000 slaves on the island

▪ Toussaint L’Overture – led the first successful slave

rebellion in the Americas

Independent Latin America

▪ Simon Bolivar- Creole officer that freed Venezuela from Spanish rule

– Countries in South America combined into Gran Columbia

– Gran Columbia was later split up because of geography and cultural differences

▪ Miguel Hidalgo- Priest and early leader in gaining independence for Mexico

▪ Dom Pedro- gained independence for Brazil in a bloodless revolution

– Was Brazil’s first leader