Chapter 29: Industrialization and Global Integration

Introduction to Unit 5

• Focus on major revolutions in Europe and the Americas.
  • French Revolution
  • American Revolution
  • Influence on smaller revolutions (e.g., Haiti, South America led by Simon Bolivar)
• Challenge to long-held beliefs about individual rights and liberties.
• Division of content for lectures:
  • Video 1: Enlightenment and American Revolution
  • Video 2: French Revolution

The Enlightenment

• Intellectual and philosophical movement in late 17th to early 18th centuries.
• Key philosophers:
  • John Locke
  • Voltaire
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Challenges to old systems:
  • Monarchical power based on divine right viewed as outdated.
  • Emergence of popular sovereignty.

John Locke's Contributions

• Wrote "Second Treatise of Civil Government."
• Introduced the idea of inalienable rights derived from the consent of the governed.
• Shift in sovereignty from rulers to the people.

Voltaire's Advocacy

• Strong proponent of:
  • Freedom of speech
  • Ending religious persecution.

Legal Equality Advocacy

• Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome.
• Key idea: all individuals should be equal before the law.
• Rousseau's view:
  • In "The Social Contract," argued against natural authority over individuals.
  • Advocated for collective sovereignty where members of society participate in law-making.

The American Revolution

• Brief overview necessary for understanding connections to the Enlightenment.
• Roots in:
  • Seven Years War (French and Indian War).
• Post-war North America in 1763:
  • Dominated by British colonies along the Atlantic coast.
• British response to war debt:
  • Imposition of taxes (e.g., Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Tea Act).
  • Colonists' response: "No taxation without representation."
  • Methods of protest included boycotts and violent actions (e.g., Boston Tea Party).

Declaration of Independence

• Drafted after conflict escalated.
• Written by Thomas Jefferson, heavily inspired by Enlightenment ideals (e.g., John Locke).
• Key phrase: "All men are created equal" with unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

War and Its Aftermath

• Advantages in the conflict:
  • British: larger and better-trained military.
  • American: home-field advantage and European support (notably France).
• Conclusion of the war:
  • Ends in 1781, Peace of Paris signed in 1783.

Establishing a New Republic

• New Constitution reflects Enlightenment principles:
  • Sovereignty vested in the people.
  • Separation of powers among three government branches.
  • Bill of Rights included civil liberties (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly).
• Limitations on rights:
  • Slavery continued, voting limited to land-owning men, Native Americans marginalized.

Conclusion

• Enlightenment ideas played a crucial role in shaping revolutionary movements.
• The struggle for equality continues into modern times.