ECONOMIC & MATERIAL CAUSE OF REVOLT

• Three important economic changes that accompanied the growth of capitalism in 1750-1900

  1. European capitalists built plantations in their colonies abroad

  2. Plantation workers—mostly enslaved people—lived on site, producing crops like sugar and cotton

  3. These valuable harvests were then sent to industrial centers in Europe to be made into consumer goods
• New class of working poor

  • Emerged in European cities as more low-paying workshops and early factories popped up
• Urban upper-middle class— the bourgeoisie

  • Capitalized on new markets and grew wealthier
  • Both the working poor and the upper-middle class were increasingly unhappy with how they were governed
• France and Britain were on opposite sides

  Seven Years' War
• The Seven Years' War

  Strained the finances of both France and Britain
• Strained finances of France and Britain

  Led to increased taxation and economic burdens on their respective colonies
• Taxation without representation in America

  Fueled resentment towards British rule
• Resentment towards British rule in America


  Ultimately contributed to the American Revolution
• War's cost in France

  Exacerbated economic hardship and prompted the monarchy to impose heavier taxes
• Economic hardship and heavy taxes in France

  Contributed to the grievances that sparked the French Revolution
• Economic problems that led to the French Revolution

  • Rising taxes
  • Inflation
  • Food shortages
• Economic problems affected

  Middle-class bourgeoisie and the poor
• Bourgeoisie

  Lacked political rights and resented the aristocracy's dominance in politics and society
• Poor

  Struggled to afford basic necessities like bread due to rising prices and poor harvests
• Economic hardships

  Created a common ground for the bourgeoisie and the poor to unite in opposition to the monarchy and aristocracy during the French Revolution
• Four groups in Haiti with complaints against the French government

  • Grands Blancs
  • Free People of Color
  • Petits Blancs
  • Enslaved Africans
• Grands Blancs

  Wealthy white landowners who resented being taxed by the distant French monarchy
• Free People of Color

  Mixed-race individuals who faced discrimination and lacked political rights despite their wealth and status
• Petits Blancs

  Poor white laborers and artisans who identified with the ideals of the revolutionaries in France and rejected the superiority of both the Grands Blancs and Free People of Color
• Enslaved Africans

  The majority of Haiti's population, who had been forcibly brought from Africa and subjected to brutal conditions of slavery, leading to their desire for freedom and justice
• Economic conditions played a role in the various revolutions in the period from 1750 to 1900
• Economic grievances that fueled social unrest and revolutionary movements

  • Poverty
  • Inequality
  • Exploitation
• The Industrial Revolution led to widespread economic changes, including urbanization, labor exploitation, and class tensions, which contributed to revolutionary movements in Europe and beyond
• Economic inequality and injustice were often central factors driving people to challenge existing political and social systems in pursuit of change and progress
• American Revolution

  Primarily driven by taxation without representation due to the British Empire's financial strain from the Seven Years' War. Cash crops from American colonies were crucial to Britain's wealth
• French Revolution

  Stemmed from social inequality and resentment towards the aristocracy and clergy dominating politics and enjoying luxury. Rising taxes, poor harvests, and bread shortages fueled discontent, leading to the storming of the Bastille. The bourgeoisie, urban upper-middle class, directed the revolution, rejecting aristocratic dominance
• Impact of Enlightenment Ideas

  • Both revolutions were influenced by Enlightenment ideals of individual rights, equality, and liberty. The bourgeoisie in France seized power, challenging traditional aristocratic rule, while the Haitian Revolution applied Enlightenment principles to abolish slavery and extend citizenship to all
• Haitian Revolution

  The world's first successful slave revolt, driven by social tensions, particularly extreme class divisions and the exploitation of enslaved Africans in Saint Domingue (Haiti). Haitian constitutions outlawed slavery and extended citizenship to non-white foreigners, challenging traditional notions of property rights and inspiring fear among slave-owning nations like the United States