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Enlightenment Thinkers
The Age of Enlightenment happened to be an intellectual movement that was a continuation of an intensified focus on ideas that had started during the Renaissance such as secularism and humanism. This age of reason continued for so long because thinkers such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes constantly applied the Scientific Method onto ideas pertaining to the laws of nature, which governed all human conduct within Europe. https://www.britannica.com/event/Enlightenment-European-history -
Thomas Hobbes' Publication of Leviathan
The literature piece "Leviathan", written by Thomas Hobbes during the English Civil War, is a publication that Thomas Hobbes used to argue for the idea of a social contract between the leader who possessed absolute sovereignty and the people in which they governed. Within this hypothetical contract, Hobbes adds that if the citizens obey the leader on all matters, they will be guaranteed peace and security by following said social contract. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Leviathan-by-Hobbes -
Publication of Two Treatises of Government
The literature piece known as the "Two Treatises of Government", was originally published by the Enlightenment thinker known as John Locke. In this statement of political philosophy, Locke rejected the idea of the divine right of kings, and instead, he supported the idea of a citizen's natural rights, especially a citizen's right to property. Locke also argued for the increased incorporation of constitutional monarchies, which would protect the people's natural rights.
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The publication of The Spirit of Laws
The literary piece named the "Spirit of the Laws", was originally published by the Enlightenment thinker named, Baron de Montesquieu, who used the book to express his desires for a constitutional form of government, an end to slavery, separation of a government's powers, and the protection of civil liberties. These ideas that are found within his writing, shows that Montesquieu believes that the people should be provided with the best quality of life from the government.
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The publication of the Social Contract
The literary document titled the "Social Contract", was published by the Enlightenment philosopher named Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He used this document of political theory, to argue against the idea that monarchs should have the power to create and enact new or pre-existing laws, stating that only people who happen to hold the power to evoke change, have this privileged right. He also argues that people should have a right to choose the laws under which they live in.
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Estate-Generals Meeting
During King Loius XVI's ruling of France, the country found itself deep in debt and financial issues. When an effort was made to tax the nobility of France, to pay off the debt, the nobles immediately forced King Louis XVI to call a meeting for the Estates-General, which was the first occurrence since 1614. There were three main estate groupings that were broken up by a social hierarchy and they met to discuss their current financial situation. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Estates-General -
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French Revolution
The French Revolution happened to have been a period in which the common people of France, started a movement of defiance, due to the need for social restructure and the abolishment of feudalism that still existed in France at the time. Their demands for change and a more equal representation in government led to the creation of a new constitution. During this time, many French countrymen who stood in the way of the future would be executed. https://www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution -
Tennis Court Oath Taken
An educated group of citizens called the Bourgeoisie happened to have understood the ideas that were developed during the Enlightenment period and believed that King Loius XVI of France was violating these ideas. In an effort to have more say within the government, they formed the National Assembly. The members of the third estate then broke into an abandoned tennis court and pledged not to leave until a new constitution for France was developed.https://www.britannica.com/event/Tennis-Court-Oath -
Storming of the Bastille
When King Loius XVI worried for his personal safety and hired a group of soldiers known as the Swiss Guard for protection, it led the citizens of Paris to feel very threatened, as they believed that these soldiers would soon attack them. In an effort to combat the move made by the King, an angry and aggressive mob stormed an old prison known as the Bastille, in search of a large number of arms they believed were stored within the prison, in a stride to protect themselves. http://bit.ly/2Z6KV4F -
Beginning of the Great Fear
After King Loius XVI of France hired soldiers known as the Swiss guards for his safety, it led the citizens of Paris to panic, believing that these guards would assist King Loius XVI and the privileged in overthrowing the Third Estate. This led peasants to storm the retired prison known as the Bastille, in an effort to arm themselves. For the rest of the summer, armed peasants across France began to execute members of the First and Second Estate. https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Fear -
The Publication of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was originally crafted by Marquis de LaFayette, whose intention was to create a document in which defined the individual and collective rights of the people of France at the time. LaFayette presented the draft of the declaration to the National-Assembly, who then adopted the draft that held 17 articles and had it serve as the preamble to the Constitution of 1791.
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Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution was a successful revolt fought by self-freed slaves who were against the French on the island known as Saint Domingue. The conflict started off with rebellion leader L'Overture taking control, who quickly freed slaves, was soon captured by the French, but after not having enough men to fight, they left the island. A new leader declared St. Domingue the first independent nation of freed slaves and granted the people natural rights. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p2990.html -
Slaves rise up on northern plantations of St. Domingue
On the wealthy, French-controlled colony of St. Domingue, there happened to be 500,000 runaway/ex-slaves at the time when the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was published. They were inspired by the idea of equality and soon took their dedication and beliefs to the man known as Dutty Boukman, who organized a slave rebellion. This led to the revolting slaves to destroy multiple sugar farming facilities and the buildings of landowners. https://www.britannica.com/place/Saint-Domingue -
The publication of Vindication of the Rights of Women
The written work known as the "Vindication of the Rights of Women", was written by the Enlightenment philosopher known as Mary Wollstonecraft, who used her work to express her beliefs on how women only existed to please the needs of men and she also brought light to the idea that women and men should be given equal chances in education, work, and politics. Mary's writing on the subject of equality happened to be one of the earliest forms of feminist philosophy in history.
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King Louis XVI is executed by guillotine
As the revolution continued, a more radical group of peasants led by Maximilien Robespierre called the Jacobins, decided that King Loius was not needed n in their future of a French constitutional monarchy, as he continued to veto laws created by the National Assembly. The radical group soon captured King Loius XVI and labeled him a traitor as they threw him in prison was soon executed publically by guillotine, which led to France having no order. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XVI -
The Execution of Robespierre
After Robespierre had taken control of the revolution, he led the people through a period known as the Reign of Terror. In this phase of the revolution, Robespierre and his men executed thousands of French citizens, in an effort to "eliminate all enemies of the revolution". After this decision resulted in Robespierre's failure to achieve his goals, the people, who had enough bloodshed, captured and executed him by guillotine, which led to the reduction of deaths in France.
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The Directory takes control of France
After the radical leader, Robespierre was unsuccessful and left a position of power open, a five-man governing committee called the Directory took the power within France and overcame many challenges in an effort to restore order to France. The Directory was able to set up elite schools for the people, assisted with the mass economic recovery, and also made it a priority to reduce executions and many radical ideas held at the time.
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War of Knives begins for control of St. Domingue
After foreign forces were removed from St. Dominique by L'Ouverture and his ally Rigaud, the two and their followers soon fought for control over the island. L'Ouverture was helped by poorer freed slaves, against Rigaud's wealthier and more educated freed slaves and blacks. This conflict lasted for over a year and was named the War of Knives. In the end of the brutal war, L'Ouverture received help from the English and defeated Rigaud. https://military.wikia.org/wiki/War_of_Knives -
Napoléon stages a coup d’etat
After the death of Robespierre, the end of the Reign of Terror soon followed and the creation of the five-member governing group known as the Directory, which was backed by Napolean at first. The Directory did not last long, as, after four years of rule and constant frustration, Napolean staged a coup d’état, which overthrew the Directory and led to him becoming France's first Consul. This event marked the end of the Revolution. https://www.history.com/topics/france/french-revolution#section_8 -
New constitution in France put up for a vote, declares revolution over
After Napolean staged a coup d’etat, the people of France were finally able to unite under a new constitution. Now that Napolean was in control of France, the citizens had finally reached their goals of the revolution which they wanted to achieve for so long. Once the new constitution was published, one of the rights granted was that men and women of the Third Estate now had an equal chance to vote, which declared an end to the Revolution. https://www.history.com/topics/france/french-revolution -
L’Ouverture put in prison by the French with the help of Jean-Jacques Dessalines
After L'Ouverture was declared Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the island and had created specific outlines that were not popular with the citizens, who soon rebelled against him. At the same time, the French army had returned to reclaim the island and was joined with over half of his army. He was then betrayed and captured by one of his top generals, who devised the plan to capture L'Ouverture. He was soon imprisoned at Fort de Joux in France, where he would eventually die.
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L’Ouverture proclaims a new constitution in St. Domingue and is declared Governor for Life
After L’Ouverture became the leader of St. Domingue, he quickly established a new constitution for the people on the island, which stated that all slavery would be abolished, the people will be able to receive their natural rights and the practice of Voodoo will be banned. The constitution also proclaimed that everyone located on the island was a citizen of France and also stated that L'Ouverture was the leader until he passed away. https://www.marxists.org/history/haiti/1801/constitution.htm -
Dessalines proclaims Haiti’s independence
When the people of Saint Domingue rebelled against L'Ouverture, French soldiers returned to the island to have control once more and were soon met with resistance from L'Ouverture's former officer, Dessalines, who with the rest of the former slaves, defeated the French invaders. After the French defeat, Dessalines became governor-general and proclaimed the now renamed island of Haiti, as the first independent nation of former slaves. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Jacques-Dessalines -
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Revolutions of Latin and South America
As the complex, Spanish controlled, colonies within Latin and South America were developing, the creoles grew angrier and became responsible for starting the independence movements that sprung up. The Spanish colony in Mexico was the first to fight for and eventually gain independence and was soon followed by, a creole who was known as Simon Bolivar, who led the people of South Americain in a fight for independence. https://www.britannica.com/place/Latin-America/The-independence-of-Latin-America -
Mexico declares independence from Spain
The creole priest known as Father Hidalgo was the individual who began the push for Mexico's independence from Spain in 1810. After he and his successors were executed by Spanish forces, another Mexican creole by the name of Augustin de Iturbide took charge of the revolution and successfully overthrew the Spanish appointed minister. After this victory, the Spanish soon accepted the Mexicans move for independence, and the Republic of Mexico was declared in 1824. http://bit.ly/2Zdrs29 -
Simon Bolivar arrives at Merida, Venezuela
After the Venezuelan creole, Simon Bolivar was exiled twice to Haiti for his previous failures, he was so determined to gain independence for South America, that he returned to Venezuela to lead the revolution once more. At his return, he and his men embarked on a route through the Andes Mt.'s, in an effort to attack the Spanish forces. This soon led to Bolivar's major victory at Bogota. He then continued to push South, liberating more South American countries, one by one. http://bit.ly/3jGsfSF -
Battle of Boyaca
As the revolutionary movement in South America continued with the leadership of Simon Bolivar in the North, he strived to liberate more regions held by the Spanish. As his movement took him into New Granada, his forces engaged against Spanish General Barreiro, in what is known as the battle of Boyaca, in what is now Colombia. This battle happens to be one of the most important victories of Bolivar's liberation of New Granada, as well as its claim of independence from Spain. http://bit.ly/377Y69X -
Peru declares independence
The two figures who happened to be leading the South American liberation movement were Simon Bolivar in the north and José de San Martín in the south. While Bolivar worked to free Venezuela from Spanish control, Martin and his forces invaded Peru, but in an effort to avoid conflict, he proposed a constitutional monarchy to the Spanish viceroy who denied the offer. After this event, Martin occupied the city of Lima and then declared independence for the country of Peru. http://bit.ly/2Z6nVmp -
Formation of Gran Colombia
When the fight for South America's independence began to reach an end, a single independent nation was created and proclaimed as Gran Columbia or in its formal state, the Republic of Colombia, by the Congress of Angostura in December 1819. The states that were included within Gran Colombia were present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, with Simon Bolivar acting as founding president. These nations came together so that every country recover from the war. http://bit.ly/3qdwcke
