Political, English, French, Latin American Revolutions

• Political Revolution - The term “political” means “government.” A political revolution is an event in which the people of a country overthrow an existing government and create a new government.
• The English Revolution(1689) (also called the Glorious Revolution) is the event in which the people of England successfully limited the power of their monarchs (kings).
• The English Revolution took place because people in England believed that the absolute monarchs of England were unfair and had too much power.
• England’s government became a limited (or constitutional) monarchy- This is a form of government in which the power of monarchs (kings) is limited (decreased) by written laws.
• • The Magna Carta
  • The Petition of Right
  • The English Bill of Rights
  • Habeas Corpus

  As a result of these laws, English kings had to share power with Parliament (the lawmaking body of the English government that represents the people).
• French Revolution & Napoleon (1789 - 1815) - The French Revolution was the event in which the people of France overthrew their king (Louis XVI) and fought for more rights.
• French society was divided into three estates (social classes). The people of the Third Estate were mostly peasants. They were angry that they had very few rights and paid the highest taxes (even though they had the least money).
• France was ruled by absolute monarchs. The French people believed that these kings abused their power and denied (took away) the rights of the people.
• The ideas of the Enlightenment inspired the French people to overthrow their unfair kings and to create a new government that protected their rights.
• France was in an economic crisis- The kings spent too much money and put France in debt.
• Declaration of the Rights of Man- This was a document written during the French Revolution that gave equal rights to the men of France and created a fair system of taxation.
• Reign of Terror- This was an event where the leaders of the French Revolution executed thousands of people that they believed were loyal to the king. The Jacobins were the radical (extreme) group leading this event and Robespierre was the leader of the Jacobins.
• Effects of the French Revolution:

  • King Louis XVI of France was executed by Robespierre and the Jacobins.
  • The middle class of France gained more power and rights.
• Napoleon Bonaparte was the ruler who gained power at the end of the French Revolution. He expanded French territory by taking neighboring lands in Europe making the people of french feel nationalism (pride in their country). He also invaded Russia during the winter causing him to be defeated in 1812.
• Latin American Revolutions (1800-1830) - were the events where the colonies of Latin America (Central America, South America, and the Caribbean) fought to gain independence (self-government) from Spain, Portugal, and France.
• The governments of Latin America were controlled by Peninsulares (people born in Spain and Portugal) who treated the people of Latin America poorly. Creoles (Europeans born in Latin America), Mestizos (mixed Europeans/Native Americans), Native Americans, and African slaves demanded more rights.
• The ideas of the Enlightenment-inspired Latin Americans to fight for independence (self-government) and overthrow their unfair governments.
• The American Revolution and the French Revolution inspired Latin Americans to fight for independence (self-government) and overthrow their unfair governments.
• The leaders helped gain independence for the colonies of Latin America:

  • Simon Bolivar
  • Jose de San Martin
  • Miguel Hidalgo
  • Toussaint L'Ouverture

  These men were considered nationalists since they showed care and wanted freedom from European control. Attempts to do this failed since Latin America has many natural boundaries (i.e.- Andes Mountains, Amazon Rainforest, etc.) that prevent communication between regions.