Connecting the Causes
Isaac Boruchowicz
- How did the Enlightenment influence the Age of Revolutions.
The enlightenment greatly contributed on the influence to many of the revolutions that a cured in the near future from the enlightenment. Ever since the enlightenment, people had an idea implanted into their head on how a government should govern this caused people to compare what they wanted to what they had making them very angry and unsatisfied causing them to revolt against their own governments. Great philosophers like Jean Jacque and John lock with many others where these great enlightened people who had these ideas and these basics to a government where the ones who published these ideologies which leaded the people to revolt . For example, in tha Haiti revolution it was inspired by the french writing and publishing the DHR not only for the people of france but the Universal DHR. The “slaves” in the french colony which is now Haiti knew about this and wanted to extend this and to implement this onto their own rules making every man equal and free coming from the DHR “men are born free and remain free and equal in rights”. The white’s and the slave owners in Haiti did not want this and didn’t allow this. This caused the Haitian slaves to revolt making the Haitian revolution. But we have to take a step back wards and realize who inspired the French revolution, Mainly Jean Jacque, his writing inspired the french revolution which would later on inspire the haitian revolution. Finally one of the most famous of them all John Locke, the very own individual who inspired the very own Declaration of independence declaring the independence of the 13 colonies. This enlighten thinker most important quote stating that a government must protect all of these “life liberty property” and if not the people have the right to revolt and overthrow their government. Every educated man in the 13 colonies knew about John Locke due to this manny people where well informed of what a government duties where and seeing that the British Crown didn’t fulfill the purpose of a government they revolted and over threw their government once again. As shown the enlightenment in Europe clearly inspired many great revolution throughout the world making the enlightenment a big influence in the age of revolutions.
2.The French revolution impacting even the french also impacted many other civilizations in terms of the people revolting against their government, Revolution like the Haitian, Mexican and Brazilian where all effects of the French revolution. In 1791 France wrote the DHR giving freedom and rights to people for the first time. People “slaves” in what is now Haiti heard and knew about this revolution asking themselves the question why don’t we have right accusing them to revolt to the slave owners in their own region and to the french after the revolution ended there was freedom in Haiti. The success in the French revolution also inspired the Mexican revolution. Manny Mexican leaders realized that they had a voice and had a chance to change their government and took it. “El Acto de Independencia”, written in 1821 states and explains why Mexico wants to be independent and why they deserve the independence, very similar way as the declaration of independence for the 13 colonies. In the case of the Brazilian due to the french revolution the portugal royal family fled for security reasons to brazil once there the Brazilians did not want a new power and a new main ruler in their home Brazil. This caused a lot of tension between the Portuguese and the Brazilians until the brazilians demanded independence. The French revolution caused the revolution maybe not in a direct way but it definitely was one of the factors that started the tension between Portugal and Brazil. The French revolution as seen was a great impact to manny other revolutions throughout the globe.
3. what role did inequality play in the age of revolution
Inequality was a big issue back then, man had barley any right, people where treated differently weather they had money or not, weather they where white or black like the Haitian revolution causing many people to revolt. The age of revolutions was a time of many revolution happening in different places on earth. Each revolution had its reason, each revolution had its sparks. But one thing that mainly all revolution had in common was the lack of equality by the the government. Everything from taxing the 13 colonies due to the idea that they where less then the British Crown, The royal family thinking that they are greater then the brazilians, to not letting slaves be free from the french even tho the french passed the DHR. A main aspect of inequality was the division between social class. the different standards people had towards others in other social classes and the way they treated them such as in the french. Same as the government, if you where not a government official in most of the revolution the case was that the official would look far more superior than the low class individual. In over all inequality played a big role in the revolutions that happened throughout those years due to the frustration from the population that was affected by it.
4. Why these revolutions take place, why did so many of them take place during this period?
A great amount of revolutions occurred throughout the “Age of Revolution” and manny happened for manny reasons, weather it was due to inequality, slavery, taxation, or knowing that the government was not protecting you life, liberty, and property where all reasons that started a revolution. But why so manny. Well all these people where born and raised to think that their government was the best their was and as soon as people came out and published different ideas and different statistics for a government (the enlightenment) people realized that there was better and its a human natural instinct to want the best for you and your family now not 400 or 500 years after the enlightenment they wanted change now making millions of people to revolt against their government and changing what was wrong to what was right.
United States of America
Brazil
Declaration of Rights and Men
Haitian
Mexican
French Revolution