GOVERNMENT REVOLUTIONSAmerican

French

Latin American

Recap: • Spain and Portual colonized in 1500’s• English and French colonized in North America• Spain colonized in Caribbean, Mexico, and South America• Portugal - Brazil

English Settlements

• Jamestown• Named after King James I• First town in Virginia• Started by Virginia

Company – English joint-stock company

• Survived by tobacco farming

• Plymouth• Pilgrims – group of English

Puritans seeking religious freedom

• Founded Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, And New Hampshire.

Self Government

• By 1700’s English had 13 Colonies• Wanted to self-govern

• Virginia allowed Burgesses-representatives • House of Burgesses-

voted on laws for the colony

• Colonies began writing constitutions – plans of gov’t

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

• British tried to control trade and impose taxes on the colonies

• Navigation Acts- colonists had to sell raw materials to Britain (even if a better price was available somewhere else)• Didn’t mind at first…later resorted to smuggling

Intolerable Acts• British needed money

• Taxing colonists would tighten up trade rules

• Stamp Act- tax on all printed material• Needed a stamp to show tax was paid• Taxed glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea• Led to the Boston Massacre

• Tea Act- allowed British to ship tea without paying taxes the colonists had to pay• Almost put colonial tea merchants out of

business• Led to Boston Tea Party

Continental Congress

• First Continental Congress (1774) – Delegates from 12 colonies• Met in Philly to speak out

against Acts

• Fighting started 1775• Lexington – “Shot heard

around the world”

• Second Continental Congress (1775) • Named George Washington

head of colonial army• Tried to settle difference with

King George III

Independence

• Thomas Pain – Common Sense• Pamphlet used to condemn

the king and urge for separation

• Thomas Jefferson – Declaration of Independence.• 1776• Ideas from John Locke – “all

men are created equal” • Have a right to rebel

American Revolutionary War

• Long...expensive• First major victory for Colonists

didn’t come until 1777• Battle of Saratoga (NY)

• French agree to help the Colonists • Realized the US might win

• 1781 = French navy block British escape• Yorktown• British trapped – surrender

• Treaty of Paris ended war in 1783

Constitution

• 1787 – 55 Delegates met in Philly• Set up federal system dividing

powers between national and state gov’t• Followed ideas of Montesquieu

• Republic with an elected president instead of King• George Washington

• Shaped by Enlightenment principles• Popular sovereignty – gov’t

receives power from the people• Limited Gov’t – gov’t may use

only power given by the people

• Bill of rights: First 10 amendments to the Constitution• Freedom of Press,

Speech, Religion, Assembly

Motivation for France

• American Revolution gave hope to many countries seeking change

• French kings = Absolutism• Nobles had privileges

and wealth• Most people were poor

Why Revolt? • People divided into 3 estates- classes• First Estate – Catholic clergy (church

officials)• No taxes; paid from taxes on church land

• Second Estate – Nobles• No taxes; lived in luxury; high in Gov’t and military

• Third Estate – common people• Bourgeoisie – middle class

• Bankers, Dr.’s, Lawyers, teachers

• City workers• Artisans, laborers, servants

• Peasants• 80% of the population

Why Revolt?

• King Louis XVI asked nobles and clergy to pay taxes• Refused

• Third Estate met separately • National Assembly –

began working on a constitution

• 1789 Stormed Bastille- royal fortress and prison

The Fight is ON• 1791 – National Assembly

vote for Constitutional Monarchy• Ended 1st and 2nd Estate

privileges• King Louis not on board

• King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette tried to flee• Captured

• Declared War on Austria• Lost….bad• Radicals took over Paris and

set up new Gov’t • National Convention

Reign of Terror• King Louis found guilty of helping Austria• Beheaded on the guillotine –

machine designed to quickly execute people

• National Convention set up the Committee of Public Safety• Run by Maximilien Robespierre

• Lawyer

• Executed ANYONE believed to be disloyal to the revolution• Anywhere between 16,000 and

40,000 people

End of Terror

• People tired of Robespierre killing everyone• When he refused, leaders

had him executed

• New gov’t created• Directory – focused on

food shortages, inflation, bankruptcy

• Failing….looking for a strong leader

Napoleon• Supported Revolution

• General by the age of 24

• Took part in French coup d’etat – sudden gov’t overthrow by force

• Napoleonic Code-organization of gov’t based on enlightenment ideas• Created schools• Organized tax system• New legal system• Made peace with Catholic

church

The Empire• Napolean became emperor in

1804• Crowned himself• Wanted to build empire

• Controlled most of Europe

• Tried to conquer British: Failed• Refused trade with Britain

• Impossible to enforce

• Tried to conquer Russia• Grand Army – 600,000 soldiers• Russia refused to fight drawing

Napoleon deeper into the country

• Harsh winter killed more than 500,000

Out, then in, then out

• Enemies caught Napoleon • Sent to Elba

• He escaped• Soldiers flocked back to

him

• Fought Duke of Wellington at Waterloo (Belgium)• Defeated, sent to Island of

St. Helena where he died

To where they started….

• Monarch reinstated in France• Revolutions start again in 1848• King replaced with republic

• People had strong sense of nationalism – desire of people for self-rule

• Napoleon III became emperor• Civil war led to republic once again

Nationalism in Latin America

• First revolt: 1791 – Haiti• Toussaint-Louverture led

slaves against French• Grandson of African King• Born into slavery

• Not accepted by Napoleon• Tricked T-L into giving

himself up• Taken to France

• Died in 1803

• Haiti free in 1803

• Hidalgo and Morelos led Mexicans against Spanish in Mexico • Defeated and executed

• Won independence in 1821

• Mexico became a republic • Soon people in other

Central America areas broke free

South America

• Simon Bolivar led most South America freedom fights• Venezuela• Colombia• Panama• Ecuador• Bolivia

• Named after Bolivar

• Bolivar and San Martin defeated Spanish in Peru

Growing Latin America

• Most countries free by the end of the 1820’s

• Brazil free from Portugal without war

• US protected Latin America under President Monroe• “Monroe Doctrine”

Problems

• Political conflict• Religion• Boundary lines• Rich vs. Poor

• Caudillos – strong leaders supported by the upper class• Usually rich men• Ruled like dictators

• Rich became richer• Did nothing to help the poor • Unequal distribution of income

still a major problem today