HISA04 Nov. 19, 2012
The Atlantic Revolutions (1776 – 1800s)
American (1776)
French (1789)
Haitian (1790s)
Spanish American (1810s and 1820s)
Before Nation States
Identification with the local
Peoples‟ identities was associated with their guild/religion/region
This changed to identification with the country „British‟, „French‟
Corporate bodies
membership was foundation of their work and social life, identity
o Examples: guilds
Assumption of Inequality
Before the revolutions, there was an assumption of natural and social inequality
This began to change: there was the start of human rights
o There was less difference between social classes
o There may be „natural inequalities‟ (strength, intelligence) but there should
not be social inequality
This was not perfect: women and slaves still did not have equality
Divine Right
Characterized European rulers
People began to question God‟s rule in choosing leaders
Duty vs. Freedom
Being a part of a corporate bodies meant that you were linked to duties
Duty to king, religion became less important
o People began to gain more freedom
Spread of Information
Before revolutions, news spread slowly and unreliably HISA04 Nov. 19, 2012
Atlantic Revolution changed things
American Revolution
The American Revolution didn‟t have a widespread effect like the French
Revolution
o It did show that a country can gain freedom from another
They did not have as many goals for changing world. This was more of a political
revolution, instead of a human rights revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution was the most radical and wide-reaching of the revolutions,
directly overturning fundamental features of life in the early modern Europe
The emergence of the nation-state
o Increasing identification with the “nation” (hence nationalism)
Abolished most corporate bodies (guilds particularly)
Put into practice new ideas about equality
Undermined Divine Right
Emphasized freedom in relation to duty
An explosion of media (newspapers, pamphlets, books, cheap illustrations)
o Illustrations were very effective at spreading ideas to the illiterate
The Enlightenment set up for the Revolutions
The Role of the Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a time of destabilization and the questioning of authority
(religious, political, intellectual).
They didn‟t cause the revolutions but they made them possible.
The movement in 18 century Europe and the Atlantic World characterized by:
Spread of critical thinking
Emphasis upon the importance of reason and knowledge
Expansion of literacy HISA04 Nov. 19, 2012
Increase of demands for liberty
Decline of religious persecution and the role of religion in grounding all aspects of
life
Denis Diderot
Was a co-editor of the Encyclopedia (which became a symbol of the Enlightenment)
Goal of Comprehensiveness
Reassessment of all foundations and principles
Included the most up to date knowledge
Opposed to intolerance, prejudices, and superstition
Knowledge entailed in the Encyclopedia could help free people from received
wisdom and tradition
Critical id
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