Absolutism Revolution 1550 1850 Absolutism How much power

Absolutism & Revolution 1550 -1850

Absolutism �How much power should the government have? �After the Reformation, the Church lost power and the monarchs around Europe gained power �The Age of Exploration lead to great increases in wealth �Monarchs ruled with absolute power

The Age of Reason �The Scientific Revolution (1500 s & 1600 s) changed the way people looked at the world �By 1700 s, European thinkers thought nothing was beyond reach of the human mind Natural Law: rules discoverable by reason �Natural law governed science, why not use it to understand social, economic, & political problems?

Natural Rights �Rights that belonged to all humans from birth John Locke: English thinker, thought people were basically reasonable & moral Thought they had natural rights

Glorious Revolution �England experienced a Glorious Revolution �Went from an absolute monarchy to a limited monarchy John Locke proposed that the government had an obligation to the people If a government fails or violates natural rights, then the people have the right to overthrow the government

�Enlightenment ideas spread through Europe & around the world �Spread through many levels of society By late 1700 s, ideas of equality & social justice spread to peasant villages… Hea Enli rt of th ghte e nme nt

Britain Became a Global Power �Location �In a position to control trade �Put few restrictions on trade �Favored business & commerce �On winning side of European conflicts �Monopolized slave trade

King George III 1760 -1820

American Revolution

American Revolution �Colonies were part of British Empire �Sugar Act, 1764 �Import taxes �Stamp Act, 1765 �Taxes on newspapers & pamphlets No taxation without representation

American Revolution �Boston Massacre, 1770 �British soldiers fired on crowd throwing stones & snowballs � 5 killed �Boston Tea Party, 1773 �Protested a tax on tea �British passed laws to punish them �Other colonies rallied against British response

American Revolution �Representatives from each colony met in Philadelphia, Continental Congress (1774)

American Revolution �April 1775, tensions exploded into war �Organized Continental Army �Many battles ended in British victory, but colonists were determined

Battle of Saratoga, 1777 �Turning point in the war �Colonist victory �Convinced France to support the revolution �Colonists got much needed supplies �Eventually Netherlands & Spain added support too

End of War � 1781, French blockaded Chesapeake Bay �Enabled Washington to force surrender of a British Army at Yorktown, Virginia � 1783, Americans, British, & French Signed Treaty of Paris Ended the war

French Revolution � 1789, France still had outdated social system �Estates Wealth Power ? ? ?

�What is the Third Estate? �Everything �What has it been until now in the political order? �Nothing �What does it want to be? �Something

French Revolution �Economic crisis �Government spent more money than it brought in �Estates-General: legislative body, representatives from the 3 estates � 1789, Estates-General summoned �First time in 175 years �Lead to creation of the National Assembly Revolutionary assembly made up of the third estate

French Revolution � 1789 �Economic struggles, Famine, Fear �Peasants revolted �National Assembly met �Ended nobles’ privileges �Abolished Feudalism �National Assembly put the Church under state control � 1791, Constitution �Set up limited monarchy

Reign of Terror �September 1793 – July 1794 �“Hail the Republic!” “Death to the Traitors!” 300, 000 arrested 17, 000 executed Chaos People turned to military hero…

Napoleon Bonaparte �Military hero – Political leader � 1799 -1815 � 1804, crowns himself emperor �Military successes �Hid his defeats

Napoleon Bonaparte �Military hero – Political leader � 1799 -1815 � 1804, crowns himself emperor �Military successes �Hid his defeats

Napoleon’s Empire, 1812 Only Britain remained outside of Napoleon’s control

Napoleon’s Fall from Power �Some French eventually turned against him �Foreign resistance �Russia � Scorched-earth policy “General Famine & General Winter, rather than Russian bullets, have conquered the Grand Army. ” � 600, 000 entered, less than 20, 000 survived

Napoleon’s Fall from Power � 1815, defeated at Waterloo, Belgium �British & Prussian army crushed the French � Exile until death in 1921

Industrial Revolution (1750 -1850) �For thousands of years of civilization, most people lived and worked in small farming villages � Hand made tools, simples lives �By 1850, many country villages would grow into industrial towns & cities Farming, migration, population, energy (coal/steam engine), cotton gin (separated seeds from raw cotton) Steam engine lead to… A period when rural societies in Europe & America became urban/industrial

�Britain lead the way �First factories were textile industries

Tenement Housing Working class