Chapter 16
The Atlantic Revolutions did not just affect the Americas, although the North American Revolution certainly shaped our country into what it is today. I think that some of the biggest changes was the lack of legal class differentiation and having more than one church. Both allowed everyday people to be land owners, and flush out their theological ideas in different ways.
The French Revolution, assisted by Thomas Jefferson, was driving by the commoners revolt against the high taxes imposed on them. The execution of King Louis XVI and his queen was a point of violence that other European countries were shocked by. Women's rights were more prominent in the French Revolution than the American Revolution as well.
The Haitian Revolution was spurned by the French Revolution, and was also predominantly about class structure and position between the well off plantation owners, merchants and lawyers, the poor whites and the free colored people.
The Spanish American Revolution took place to bring independence but little social or political opportunities came from it for the majority of the countries involved, with the exception of Haiti.
European enlightenment thinkers had become critical of slavery from 1780-1890 and eventually slave uprisings made it clear that it was no longer going to be tolerated. It's interesting to note that the only place there was marked improvement of previous slaves was in Haiti. Such a small country making larger steps toward reparation vs. the US which still treated slaves as property and denied civil rights well into the 21st century, despite being considered an advanced country.
The emergence of a feminist movement from the revolutions isn't surprising. women were still considered property to many, and were denied basic rights such as the right to vote that we take for granted today. Women began participating in political events in greater numbers. As with most revolutions, the rich white males of the time did their best to squash any feminist movements.
Chapter 17
The industrial revolutions in both America and Europe brought unimaginable leaps forward in technology and manufacturing, but with those changes also brought the challenges of lack of sanitation, more unrest between the classes and the systematic destruction of the natural environment. Socialist theory, brought forth by Robert Owen and Karl Marx, outlined a utopian society where freedom and community were the cornerstones of human interaction. While Socialism took root in Europe, the Americas never adopted it as a way of government.
Chapter 18
Europeans began to find more profit in exporting textiles abroad, which portrayed the British Empire as having many interests in other countries, and again spread Christianity to societies they felt were heathens or savages. Agricultural need created conflict in the Congo, and other countries. For some minorities, a Western education became available and led to their ability to read and write, and the more educated a culture is, the less oppression they will tolerate.
I liked the saying that winners may write history - but they do not make history alone. As we progress as a society, we acknowledge the contributions and hardships of the 'losing' side in battles and in genocides, and i think that work needs to continue.
The French Revolution, assisted by Thomas Jefferson, was driving by the commoners revolt against the high taxes imposed on them. The execution of King Louis XVI and his queen was a point of violence that other European countries were shocked by. Women's rights were more prominent in the French Revolution than the American Revolution as well.
The Haitian Revolution was spurned by the French Revolution, and was also predominantly about class structure and position between the well off plantation owners, merchants and lawyers, the poor whites and the free colored people.
The Spanish American Revolution took place to bring independence but little social or political opportunities came from it for the majority of the countries involved, with the exception of Haiti.
European enlightenment thinkers had become critical of slavery from 1780-1890 and eventually slave uprisings made it clear that it was no longer going to be tolerated. It's interesting to note that the only place there was marked improvement of previous slaves was in Haiti. Such a small country making larger steps toward reparation vs. the US which still treated slaves as property and denied civil rights well into the 21st century, despite being considered an advanced country.
The emergence of a feminist movement from the revolutions isn't surprising. women were still considered property to many, and were denied basic rights such as the right to vote that we take for granted today. Women began participating in political events in greater numbers. As with most revolutions, the rich white males of the time did their best to squash any feminist movements.
Chapter 17
The industrial revolutions in both America and Europe brought unimaginable leaps forward in technology and manufacturing, but with those changes also brought the challenges of lack of sanitation, more unrest between the classes and the systematic destruction of the natural environment. Socialist theory, brought forth by Robert Owen and Karl Marx, outlined a utopian society where freedom and community were the cornerstones of human interaction. While Socialism took root in Europe, the Americas never adopted it as a way of government.
Chapter 18
Europeans began to find more profit in exporting textiles abroad, which portrayed the British Empire as having many interests in other countries, and again spread Christianity to societies they felt were heathens or savages. Agricultural need created conflict in the Congo, and other countries. For some minorities, a Western education became available and led to their ability to read and write, and the more educated a culture is, the less oppression they will tolerate.
I liked the saying that winners may write history - but they do not make history alone. As we progress as a society, we acknowledge the contributions and hardships of the 'losing' side in battles and in genocides, and i think that work needs to continue.
