Revolution means the overthrow of a current government for a new system. The first age of revolutions in the past is important to history because of the way they shaped the western democracy as it is today, it helped established the governments and progress into a more inclusive democracy. They have also shaped the ideas of present governments. The difference between these revolts and previous ones is their success in forming the intended favorable new social order. Although, each revolt had positive effects, they also have negative results. No matter the negative aftermaths, these revolutions are invariably the most important to civilization.
The age of Enlightenment created the Age of Revolutions by giving the narrative of individual rights to a natural born citizen to most documents that declared “the universal rights of humanity and the general political rights of the—Nation and its citizens.” (Inventing Human Rights, 2007) The enlightenment (the age of reason) has given a different perspective about how everyone should be treated. The new discovery from the philosophers has constructed the idea on whether the kings should be praised and followed, such questions are raised because the kings claimed that they should be in charge since they are “the next best thing since God.” The uprising against monarchy had one challenge in mind which is “Man were born free—This man believes that he is the master of others,” (Declaration of the Rights of Man and of The Citizen, 1789) Which leads to a major issue that ‘if all men are equal, what is it to say that this person should be in charge?” A lot of the age of reason was a detachment from religion but in fact the finding of what is good without the influence of a higher power. This age has encouraged the use of science, that contributed to the use of manufacturing which plays a major role in the Industrial revolution, one of the subjects that I will be in contact on later.
Prior revolutions did not make the same impact due to the failure of not being able to conquer their current government such as the famous first age revolutions. For example, the revolution of the Jacobins, this revolution was to bring a catholic king back to England. However, majority of the people were against Catholicism at the time and were on their way to rejecting monarchy. The reason they failed is because they could not gather enough followers and did not have enough influence to gain the momentum to revolt. This is what happens to most failed coups against the government, whether they did not have enough man power, will power, or lost the momentum to grow in a better reputation with their community.
The French Revolution (1787-1799) began because the nobles were getting away with not paying taxes, and there was a shortage of food but, it was not affecting King louis XVI and the nobles. The people wanted to remove themselves from the monarch government. The parliament which consisted of the nobility, clergy, and the wealthy commoners (bourgeoisie) tried to find a solution for the famine that was rapidly growing. They could not find a solution and this made the impoverished mad so they created the national assembly. While the national assembly was figuring out some way to end the current administration. At the same time, there was some people who were not too happy about losing the monarchy and tried to help King Louis XVI stay in charge however it did not work out. By 1790 the nation had overthrown the King and abolished the previous regime which includes; unfair taxes and privileges for nobles. After the Declaration of Natural Rights (1789) was written this document was written by the national assembly. Such document written because the National Assembly of France wanted to establish foundation for the new and upcoming Government. The document includes similar ideals from the Declaration of Independence, also most of the concept comes from the enlightenment era. For example, most of the rights are about how every “citizen” should be protected and punished equally. “The aim of political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.” (1789) The quote represents the acclamation of the equal rights of everyone. Afterwards, the National Assembly started to develop into a radical republic and betray its people by still advocating for a monarchy regime. Therefore, it leads to war between the citizens and the republic and then it caused the national assembly to take a break on the pursuit of a monarch reign. Later, King Louis XVI execution by the guillotine and so is many supporters of the monarch dynasty. By 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte is declared as the council of France and in which he proclaimed the revolution is over.
The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) is the first and most successful slave rebellion. Haiti (at the time known as the Saint Domingue) was colonized by the French and was one of the largest most valuable colonies that the French owned creating most of the sugar for Europe. Haiti was one of the most slave filled nations. However, before the revolution there was a lot of freed slaves also, most of them were mixed from the white plantation owners having relations with some of the slaves. Around 1789 there was a rumor that the slaves would become free and when it was proven to be false the slaves were on edge. The slaves anxious and the whites around them were not making it any better, the poor whites were angry at the rich whites because they were not able to own a slave. About 1791 Toussaint Overture led the slave revolt to abolish slavery and by 1793 the emancipation of slaves was granted and the citizenship for every slave. “Abolitionists in France followed the English lead by setting up a sister society in 1788 modeled on the British Society for the abolition of The Slave Trade.” (Inventing Human Rights, 2007)
. After a great success with freeing of slaves, Toussaint decides to lead a fight for independence with the help of Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Furthermore, this leads to a civil war of some sort and at the same time Napoleon proclaims that he wants Haiti to return to a slave nation and sends in his troops to Haiti with one of his relatives who was the head general. The general captures L’Overture and sends him to prison in which he dies there. This enrages the slaves and they start to get very violent and end up killing most of the troops including Leclerc (the general). Afterwards, Dessalines encourages the revolt with a very moving, but violent speech where he claims, “In the end we must live independent or die.” (Dessalines, 1804) and this scares Napoleon and he gives up on re-enslaving Haiti. In 1804 Haiti has declared independence, they were the strongest slave revolt in history and fought to never back down and they reinstated the enlightenment ideal of that everyone should be free, there should be no slaves.
The American Revolution (1765-1783) before America is where it is today it used to be made up of 13 colonies from Britain. The colonies already started run their own independent political ideals and having legislatures. The revolution started with the Stamp Act when the colonies were upset with the taxation with representation, which means that the colonies were taxed for the use of printed paper. Then came along the tea tax which further infuriated the colonies because they were not getting the same treatments as the British locals. This led to violence in which the British soldiers killed five men (known as the Boston massacre). In 1773, a couple of Boston protestors take about 300 cases of tea and dump it in the Boston harbor. Therefore, causes the British parliament to try and regain the control of the colonies but, by then a couple of the colonies’ leaders are meeting each other creating the Continental Congress. In 1775, the Revolutionary War has started. In 1776, the colonies started to come to terms that they wanted to become an independent country and that is when the declaration of independence was signed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Declaration of Independence, 1776) The declaration of independence was not created for all the people but for white male property owners (aka rich white men), the main idea of the document was to make sure that everyone had property rights. By the time it 1781, the colonists started to gain advance on the British, by getting the French and Spain to join them in winning the battles. Finally, in 1783 the treaty was signed and now they are named The United States of America. Then in 1789 the constitution was written, which established a more republican form of government, elections, and representatives; and gave the power to create economic policies, taxes, and military. Additionally, organized the bill of rights, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Bill of Rights, 1789)
The Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) is one of the gamest changing revolutions out of all of them, because everything that people own/use is an outcome of the industrial revolution. This revolution is not particularly a government overthrow but it had an impact on the government in the past and in the present. The industrial revolution was an increase in production using machines and energy sources. The revolution started in Great Britain (GB) because they were in competition with India and needed to weave yarn faster; they invented the flying shuttle which dramatically increased the speed of weaving. The energy sources by the machines changed from being water powered to steam engines powered by coal and with all that has been invented they are also finding out about chemicals. Many other countries were also a part of the industrial revolution stage but, Great Britain was the most advanced due their large amounts of coal. The reason the industrial Rev. grew so rapidly was because the manufacturer owners wanted to save money, and machines was the cheapest way since in GB the wages were so high. However, the laborers were not so happy with the new development and tried their best to stop it from happening. They protested the evolution of machines and the fact that they were taking their jobs, “We therefore hope, that the feelings of humanity will lead those who l, have it in their power to prevent the use of those machines, to give every discouragement they can to what has a tendency so prejudicial to their fellow-creatures.” (Leeds Woolen Workers Petition, 1786) They saw it as an insult to their hard work and a threat to their economic stability. Despite, the complaints of the workers the business owners saw the progression of the machines as an economical blessing, “where they have for Competitors the Manufacturers of other Nations, whose Taxes are few, and whose manual Labour is only Half the Price it bears here, should have Occasion to defend a Conduct, which has for its Aim the Advantage of the Kingdom in general, and of the Cloth Trade in particular; yet anxious to prevent Misrepresentations, which have usually attended the Introduction of the most useful Machines, they wish to remind the Inhabitants of this Town, of the Advantages derived to every flourishing Manufacture from the Application of Machinery.” (Letter from Leeds Cloth Merchants, 1791) The second stage to the industrial revolution is when the workers needed more protection, there was no safety net for the employees to count on if something went wrong. At the same time, there was the production if steel and the first telephone call was made, (1876) oil/petroleum was discovered and the cars assembly line method was created. (1880) The Industrial Revolution is as accurate today as it was in the past, machines are the most utilized in production.