DBQ Comparative Revolutions Atlantic In 1688 the English
DBQ Comparative Revolutions ( Atlantic) In 1688 the English overthrew their king (James II) and replaced him with new king, who would recognize an increase of citizen rights by signing the English Bill of Rights. This event, also known as the Glorious Revolution, was justified by John Locke in Two Treatise on Government (1689). In response, Locke would be considered the father of the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement that inspired the people to question their government and rulers (kings). These Enlightenment ideals would be displayed through a chain reaction of political revolutions in the 18 th and 19 th centuries in America, France, Haiti & throughout Latin America. The success and failure of these revolutions may lie in their goals and the causes for which they fought.
Grouping � Probably by theme ( politically, economically, and culturally) � By regions ( English and North American, France, Latin American, Haiti) � By time period
Doc #1 � � � This document ( in response to the usurping Parliament by the monarch) wants to ensure that rights and reassurance are handed to Parliament ( which are other nobles “ 1. By assuming and exercising a power of dispensing with and suspending of laws, and the execution of laws, without consent of parliament… 6. By causing several good subjects, being protestants, to be disarmed, at the same time when papists were both armed and employed, contrary to law… 7. By violating the freedom of election of members to serve in parliament. ” Note: Papists is a reference to the Catholics in England protestants refers to both Anglican and Puritan branches of Protestantism. Remember that religious divisions caused great rifts in England from “Bloody Mary’s” persecution of Protestants “how does your garden grow? ” to Oliver Cromwell’s persecution of Catholics in England Ireland. The Glorious Revolution was one without bloodshed and ended many of the conflicts and turmoil between both church and state and monarchy and nobility (Parliament established by Magna Carta in 1215 created a legislative House of Lords)These rights were an inspiration to John Locke who, in turn would inspire the 5 other Atlantic Revolutions. These were ideals of the enlightenment still integral today in constitutional democracies around the world
Doc #2 � � � An obvious response to the “no taxation without representation” complaint of the colonists, seems to be an economic complaint “For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world…For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent…For depriving us in many trail by jury. ” This could be grouped economically, inspired by England’s revolution or By North America. Many colonists had existed by salutary neglect where they were far more autonomous from British rule and now that Britain needs more revenue to pay for the costly 7 years war, the colonists are generally displeased. It is also important to note that Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” was written in 1776 as well which suggested governments not interfere with individual commerce (Laissez Faire free market capitalism in response to mercantilism)
Doc #3 � This political cartoon illustrates the economic burden placed on the third estate which was 97% of the French population who had little to no say in the estates general ( had not met in over 200 years). The third estate was made up of bourgeoisie and commoners. This serves as satire to point out the gross inequalities and use it to inspire others to gain popular soveriegnty. France would go through a moderate (first republic), then radical (Robspierres reign of terror) then conservative phase (Napoleon Bonaparte)
Doc #4 � � Illustrates the economic complaints of commoners who do all the work, pay all the taxes, yet have no say in government as land-holding nobility is exempt ( do not have to pay) from taxation. “The said inhabitants observe that they alone have been charged with the mass of the taxes, while their seigneur, who farms much of the land in the parish, enjoys total exemption � This ” can be grouped economically, by France or by commoners. The French revolution set out to abolish feudalism entirely and to consolidate a more efficient and fair system of taxation and representation.
Doc #5 � � � � This document written by lawyers and businessmen ( bourgeoisie) illustrate both complaints about the abuses of conservative ( Catholic and Nobility) forces and postulate ways to improve things ( a moderate proposal) “No citizen can be arrested or obliged to appear before any judge without an order coming from a competent judge. Every accused person, even before his first interrogation, shall have the right to call a lawyer. A law will be passed to suppress the use of all torture before a criminal is executed and all practices that add prolonged and cruel suffering to the execution. The death penalty should be limited to the smallest number of cases as possible, and reserved for truly atrocious crimes” This can be grouped both economically or culturally, by France or by bourgeoisie moderate writers ( note” There is no suggestion of a revolution”
Doc #6 Source: PROCLAMATION OF HAITI'S INDEPENDENCE BY THE GENERAL IN CHIEF, Jean Jacques Dessalines to the Haitian people in Gonaives, on January 1 st 1804, year first of Haiti's independence � � This document is in response to 200 years of oppressive rule by France in Haiti ( formerly San Dominique “It is not enough to have expelled from your country the barbarians who have bloodied it for two centuries; it is not enough to have put a brake to these ever reviving factions which take turns to play-act this liberty, like ghost that France had exposed before your eyes” Note: Dessalines takes over after Touissant L’Ouverture is summarily arrested and execute and later is not recognized by the United States under Jefferson and will be economically imperialized for the next 200 plus years. This can be grouped by Political, in response to the French ( or American) revolution or by creoles in Latin America ( for this argument, Haiti is considered Latin America)
Document 7 Source: François Dominique Toussaint L'Ouverture, Letter, in C. L. R. James, The Black Jacobins, 2 d ed. (New York: Vintage Books, 1963), 195 -197. � � � As a former slave, freed and now faced with the Tyranny of French rule again he espouses liberal enlightened principles against tyranny. “They supported their chains only so long as they did not know any condition of life more happy than that of slavery. But today when they have left it, if they had a thousand lives they would sacrifice them all rather than be forced into slavery again. But no, the same hand which has broken our chains will not enslave us anew” This can be grouped by Latin America, culturally by liberties of the enlightenment or by a creole whose wish to promote the ideals of liberty, fraternity and equality of other Revolutions (French) should be preserved in its former colony
Document 8 Source: The following selections come from a proclamation by Simon Bolivar, calling Venezuelans to arms in the fight against Spanish occupation, which occurred in 1813. � � � � This creole of the Latin American Revolution is inciting his fellow Venezuelans to take up arms against the oppressive Spanish occupiers. “They have broken the most solemn agreements and treaties. In fact, they have committed every manner of crime, reducing the Republic of Venezuela to the most frightful desolation. Justice therefore demands vengeance, and necessity compels us to exact it. Let the monsters who infest Colombian soil, who have drenched it in blood, be cast out forever; may their punishment be equal to the enormity of their perfidy, so that we may eradicate the stain of our ignominy and demonstrate to the nations of the world that the sons of America cannot be offended This can be grouped politically, by Latin American or by the creoles inspired by both the English, American, French and Haitian Revolutions which preceded it. This is in response to over 300 years of the exploitation of land. labor and capital in Mercantilistic Colonial Latin America under the Spanish.
Document 9 Source: A Casta Painting- Casta is a Portuguese and Spanish term used in seventeenth and eighteenth centuries mainly in Spanish America to describe as a whole the mixed-race people which appeared in the post-Conquest period. � This painting illustrates the racial composition of Latin America and suggests a view of enlightened principles which suggests cohabitation and perhaps egalitarian ideas. The racists system perpetuated by the encomienda, hacienda and mita system of the Spainish and Portugese flew in the face of enlightened ideals. Creole Bolivar states that they were not Europeans or Indians but, rather a different group of people. This could tap into the nationalistic endeavor of the colonial territories to gain popular sovereignty although a Gran Columbia would not be realized but (because of geography) lead to the rise of new nation states like Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia only to see the eventual rise of the military strong man known as the caudillo (meet the new boss, same as the old boss). This can be grouped culturally Or by Latin America or by the ideals Of the revolution realized ( not really)
Thesis � From 1750 -1830 the Atlantic Revolutions attempted to free themselves from the tyranny of monarchal rule to establish popular sovereignty. The economic role of the working class would greatly differ based on laissez faire economic principles. The ideas of the enlightnemnt of freedoms of due process, speech and religion did not necessarily apply to all, but, rather, some. An additional document from a freed slave in Haiti would provide an understanding of the consistent changes in liberties of the revolutions.
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