1. How did the Enlightment influence the Age of Revolutions?

The Enlightment influenced the Age of Revolution during the Rio de la Plata (1700s), the American (1775) and French Revolutions (1789) by promoting the ideas of direct democracy. During the Rio de la Plata, people didn’t like the idea of Spain owning Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay and the laws that were made by Spanish clergy, governing those countries. Thanks to San Martín, he was inspired by the aspects of Enlightment thinkers with the idea of a direct democracy and has brought them to South America to support the people. As well in the American Revolution, some Enlightment thinkers like John Jocke from Europe had brought his ideas to the United States and helped with the Declaration of Independence. The French Revolution had the idea of individualism assuming that the people were inspired of the idea of a direct democracy by Jean Jacques Rousseau, but also a mix of semi-feudalism, and individualism. The Enlightment, involving widely known Enlightment thinkers that had inspired others to think differently about their community and how they play a role in their own society, influenced all of these revolutions.

 

2. How did the French Revolution cause other revolutions?

The French Revolution not only was a major world event, it had also caused many other revolutions specifically in the western hemisphere. This revolution has caused revolutions in the United States in 1775, Haiti in 1791, and Brazil in 1821.

In Haiti after the French convinced the pirates to give up their piracy and settle on the island and dedicate their life to managing plantations and slipping into mercantilism. Since their plantations made such a fortune they imported slaves from Africa and worked in low conditions and lead to 2nd largest slave count in the world. Due to poor working conditions, the “gens de couleur” or colored people could not have the right to vote to change labor work. Later the French government made laws to improve on the working conditions of “gens de couleur” but was resisted by the white colonists thus the vast population of slaves revolted and were successful. In Brazil was more like a bringing of the royal family of Portugal brought the issues to Brazil affecting politics. Back in Europe, during the French Revolution had brought Napoleon to declare war on countries surrounding Portugal. The royal family of Portugal fled to Brazil for their own protection because of a French invasion. After the royal treasury made Brazil equally as to Portugal politically there has been an increase in tension between Brazil and Portugal leading to the Brazilian Independence. Before the revolt of the United States going against Britain, France got involved during their revolution by funding them the money needed for war. Yet France also still was in debt. France funded in the American Revolution because they had built up so much tension with Britain, that they sought an opportunity to go up against them. The French Revolution did cause many other revolutions in the western hemisphere, these revolutions in the United States, Haiti, and Brazil were all involved by the French revolution.

 

 

3. What role did inequality play in the age of revolutions?

The role that inequality played in the age of revolutions was based on social, political or economic issues. Countries for example France, Haiti, and Mexico had all of those issues in their societies during 1789 to 1821. France was in debt due to funding in the American revolution and the Seven Years War but also their social structure was primarily the issue. The high class never paid taxes and the monarchs spent most of the money on building fancy palaces like the Versailles. As the demand in taxes increased, food supply decreased, leaving the peasants hungry. Their social class system was also very poor, the monarchy had absolute power, next the clergy, and the peasants. Peasants never had any rights in the “Ancien Regime” nor could benefit in life by moving classes. France was still in a semi-feudalism state, peasants working on the king’s or noble’s manor had been. In Haiti, since the pirates settled on the island and made vast plantations to trade goods with France a higher demand in slaves imported onto the island bringing poor working conditions and no rights for the “gens de couleurs” creating so much tension between the French government and slaves. Since Mexico became a colony of Spain, or “New Spain” was controlled by the Spanish monarchy. Mexico was under the influence of Spain such as Catholisim, and their social structure or caste system depended on the individual’s heritage. At the top of this caste system, a representative of the monarchy controlled everything. Politically, the encomienda system brought the lowerclassmen into a semi-slavery position but not with the same working conditions of a slave. The role of the inequalities in all of these countries or colonies was the main start and reason why people started to think differently about their own community. These ideals of the people or the inspiration brought them to go against the government to make changes to benefit from themselves by granting their liberty and rights.

 

 

4. Why did these revolutions take place, and why did so many of them take place during this period?

Why these revolutions took place during 1680-1820 because many rich and powerful countries such as France and other European countries were colonizing, later causing the people to rebel due to mainly the monarch’s decisions. Since European countries needed the wealth to support not only their countries itself, but also the military to prepare for wars. Countries like France, Spain, Britain, Portugal were the wealthiest countries to seek new worlds and also the introduction to global domination was popular in Europe due to colonizing more countries meant more power and more power equals more wealth. The continuation of colonization ad increase in imperialism had also provided motivation for the people to fight for their rights, liberty, and property. For instance, France’s king had all the power yet the country was still going through bankruptcy the king still spent more money on palaces. Causing the third estate to become poorer by increasing taxes which lead to starvation and revolt of the people to overthrow the government. All European countries that made countries as colonies had mostly absolute power by the monarchy, most of the decisions made by the monarch would only benefit themselves and these decisions didn’t always agree with the public therefore rebelling and overthrowing the government.