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Enlightenment Thinkers
The Enlightenment Thinkers Revolution was a period of revolt that was going on at the same time as the Enlightenment. The ideas from the Enlightenment were used by the people in this time, to help them with their work. The Enlightenment arose ideas like freedom of speech, religion, etc., and the revolutionaries used these ideas to support their reasons for revolution. Many political documents were also created during this time, that helped continue on the revolutions against control. -
Death of King Louis XIV
On September 9, 1715, King Louis XIV passed away. He acts as a representation of absolute monarchs, as he reigned with power, but was still respected, and defended France as a whole, like his leadership in wars. During his reign, France became the dominant power in Europe. He passed away due to a disease called gangrene, that attacked his leg. King Louis XIV lived a life to remember, but with him gone, a new king had to come into power.
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/the-death-of-louis-xiv/ -
King Louis XVI Becomes King
On May 10, 1774, King Louis XVI became the King of France, coming after his grandfather King Louis XV. In 1765, Louis XVI was named the Dauphin, and inherited the throne 9 years later, at the age of 20. Although highly educated, Louis XVI was very indecisive in his reign. In the first part of his ruling, he was guided by his minister, Jacques Turgot, in his attempt to relieve France's financial problems, but this all quickly went downhill.
http://en.chateauversailles.fr/node/5920/louis-xvi -
Estates-General Meets
An Estates-General meeting was called after over 175 years to discuss the new taxes that were placed by King Louis XVI. There were three estates apart of this group, and the third estate made up 98% of the French population, but got the same amount of votes as the other estates. The third estate wanted to change these unequal lives between them and others, signifying the start of the French Revolution.
http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/key-dates/summoning-estates-general-1789 -
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French Revolution
The French Revolution was a revolutionary movement against monarchy, with fear, chaos, and destruction. Before the French Revolution, France's Kingdom followed the Old Regime political system, but this came to be unacceptable. This time included events like Robespierre's failed use of a Committee of Public Safety to solve France's problems, and the creation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen by the National Assembly, a group formed by a middle class called the bourgeoisie. -
Tennis Court Oath Taken
On this date, an Estates-General meeting was held, but the third estate members were locked out of the meeting. These members made their own meeting instead, at an abandoned tennis court. The third estate felt their rights were unequal with the other estates, so they took this time to try and change the ideas around this. They took a pledge, called "The Tennis Court Oath", to not leave the tennis court until they had made a new constitution.
https://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item105163.html -
Storming of the Bastille
After the National Assembly began revolting, King Louis XVI became scared for his safety, and hired the Swiss Guard to protect him. Paris peasants thought that the soldiers were there to kill them, so they took precautions. They decided to storm an old prison called the Bastille, in search of gunpowder and supplies needed to protect themselves. The supplies were later used to kill second estate members, and create growing violence.
https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/july-2014-storming-bastille -
Beginning of the Great Fear
The Great Fear began after French peasants raided the Bastille, and killed many second estate members. This was a period of panic and riot of peasants, as they destroyed chateaus and feudal documents, in anger and fear. Grain supplies were robbed, and peasants started using violence to help themselves to whatever supplies they wanted. France grew to be in complete chaos, and the National Assembly knew they had to impose order to stop it. https://worldhistoryproject.org/1789/7/20/the-great-fear -
Publication of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was a document that was originally created by the National Assembly, and was based off of the Declaration of Independence and the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers. It set guidelines and expectations, relating to freedom, equality, brotherhood, protection from the government, and rights for all. On August 8, 1789, this document was officially published, and acted as a baseline for the French Revolution.
https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b52410.html -
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Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of the people on the island of Hispaniola, mainly the Haitian half, revolting against the French control. The French had set up the Code Noir, in which they could have complete control over the slaves in Haiti, but was fought against by slaves, run-away slaves called maroons, and even some free-blacks called affranchis, in a slave rebellion. There were some ups and downs during this revolution, but leaders like Dutty Boukman and Toussaint L'Ouverture, helped. -
Slaves Rise up on the Northern Plantations of St. Domingue
After the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was published, slaves on the Northern plantations of St. Domingue felt that their lives did not match up with the equality expressed in it. On August 21, 1791, Dutty Boukman, a former slave, organized a slave rebellion, in which the slaves scared the white people that controlled them, by burning down their sugar plantations, facilities, and homes. This marked the start of the Haitian revolution.
http://abolition.e2bn.org/resistance_46.html -
French Republic Proclaimed
After drawing up France's new declaration, the National Assembly created a constitutional monarchy. This monarchy soon failed as King Louis XVI failed to protect it, so France's first republic was formed on September, 21, 1792, in an attempt to solve their problems by giving the people more power. Reforms had to be quickly made to this system. France's government and revolution were swiftly changing, along with everything else.
https://library.brown.edu/cds/paris/chronology1.html -
King Louis XVI Executed by Guillotine
On January 1, 1793, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine. Louis XVI was unwilling to change his government and ruling to fit the ideas of the growing French Revolution. He also didn't try to help solve France's problems, and instead was caught trying to escape France with his wife, Marie Antoinette, instantly being named a traitor. He was charged with treason and inability to carry out a constitutional monarchy, changing the revolution's future.
https://world4.eu/execution-marie-antoinette/ -
Reign of Terror Begins
After eliminating the National Assembly, Maximillien Robespierre gained power in France, that was quickly overused. The Reign of Terror began on September 9, 1793, after Robespierre started executing French citizens if they were thought to be "enemies of the revolution". He made people afraid, as he continued to overuse his power by rejecting churches too. Thousands of French citizens were killed during this, causing widely spread fear.
https://sheg.stanford.edu/history-lessons/reign-terror -
Slavery is Outlawed in the French Colonies, Including St. Domingue
On February 4, 1794, the French colonies outlawed slavery. Toussaint L'Ouverture, a rebellious leader, had recently sided with Spain, as he believed that they could help gain independence for the slaves on St. Domnigue. This plan failed, but was brought back to life when he sided with France after they outlawed slaves. This outlaw caused France to gain the support of rebellious leaders like L'Ouverture, and help start a new revolution on St. Domingue.
http://abolition.e2bn.org/resistance_46.html -
Execution of Robespierre
On July 28, 1794, Maximillien Robespierre was executed by guillotine, as well as many of his followers. During his French ruling, Robespierre began the Reign of Terror in which thousands of French citizens were killed. Many people grew tired of this bloodshed and the French problems he was unable to solve, so they joined together to execute Robespierre. After his death, the number of French executions significantly dropped, ending the Reign of Terror.
https://revolution.chnm.org/items/show/412 -
The Directory Takes Control of France
After the Reign of Terror ended, French moderates drew up a new constitution, that created a group of 5 men called the Directory, to help lead France. The Directory overcame many challenges to help restore order in France that had been lost by the Reign of Terror. They also set up elite schools, helped France's economy recover from the terror, and made peace with Prussia and Spain. The Directory overall advanced France as a whole.
https://www.kingsnews.org/articles/the-french-directory-1795-1799 -
War of Knives Begins for Control of St. Domingue
Toussaint L'Ouverture and Andre Rigaud were allies that worked together to strip the island of St. Domingue out of the control of the Spanish and English. These allies became enemies after they both wanted control of the island. This started the War of Knives, in which L'Ouverture's poorer supporters, fought against Rigaud's wealthier supporters. L'Ouverture soon got help from the English and started to gain control of St. Domingue.
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-war-of-knives/ -
New Constitution in France Put Up for a Vote, Declares Revolution Over
After Napolean Bonaparte's coup d'etat, the Directory that had been established in the French constitution, was abolished. Changes to the constitution had to be made, in which the Directory lost its power, and Napolean Bonaparte, a victorious general, gained power instead. This was approved by France, as they believed Bonaparte could achieve their goals for the future, and lead them out of the French Revolution, as he ended up doing.
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/French_Revolution -
L’Ouverture Proclaims a New Constitution in St. Domingue and is Declared Governor for Life
After securing power in St. Domingue from the War of Knives, Toussaint L'Ouverture drew up a new constitution for the island. In this constitution, slavery was abolished, citizens were given natural rights, voodoo was outlawed, everyone was named a French citizen, and L'Ouverture was declared the governor for life. Many of these new ideas angered the St. Domingue people as they saw them as a form of slavery, causing chaos to break out.
https://www.marxists.org/history/haiti/1801/constitution.htm -
L’Ouverture Put in Prison by the French with the Help of Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Napolean Bonaparte was angered by L'Ouverture's new constitution in St. Domingue, so he sent troops to win power back. Half of L'Ouverture's army, including one of L'Ouverture's top generals, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, joined the troops as they were also mad at the constitution. This new group organized a meeting with L'Ouverture, in which they captured and imprisoned him, causing the Haitian revolution to go in a different direction.
http://exhibits.usu.edu/exhibits/show/haitianrevolution/leaders -
Dessalines Creates the Flag of Haiti
As St. Domingue, soon named Haiti, starting gaining independence from French ruling, Jean-Jacques Dessalines felt that changes needed to be made. He wanted to create a new flag for Haiti to show their rising success. In theory, Dessalines took a French flag, tore out the white parts, sewed the red and blue together, and inscribed "Freedom of Death" onto it, to make the first Haitian flag. This set a baseline for the future of Haiti's revolution.
https://www.haiti.org/flag-and-coat-of-arms/ -
Dessalines Proclaims Haiti's Independence
After lengthy times of trying to rid St. Domingue of the French, including using a scorched earth policy, on January 1, 1804, Dessalines declared the island's independence, and officially changed it's name to the Tainos name of Haiti. He also created a new Declaration of Independence for Haiti, in which slavery was abolished, people were given natural rights and white people were not allowed to own land. Haiti was changing and their revolution was subsiding.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/41715153 -
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Revolutions of Latin and South America
The Latin and South American Revolutions were periods of revolt against the Spanish rulers, and the slavery that they supported. The creoles of the Spanish societies were the first to push for independence against the Spanish. Creoles like Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Morelos helped start these revolutions in Mexico, as they began rallies and forced new constitutions. In South America, Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin worked hard to lead many nations to independence, like Peru and Venezuela. -
Mexico Declares Independence from Spain
After years of following the strict lives laid out for the Mexicans in the Spanish colonies, consisting of peninsulares, creoles, mestizos and slaves, a creole named Miguel Hidalgo pushed for independence in 1810. On September 16, 1810, Hidalgo rallied with other creoles to try to break free from Spain and slavery. Success came, causing Mexico to be declared independent from Spain, and Mexican lives to be changed forever.
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/mexican-war-of-independence -
Simon Bolivar Arrives at Merida, Venezuela
After declaring their independence from Spain in 1811, Venezuela lost it again in 1812 as the Spanish regained control. The South American independence leader, Simon Bolivar, planned to gain their independence back, especially as that was his home country. He arrived in Venezuela on May 24, 1813, and as being recently named 'the liberator', he started defeating the Spanish, and continuing his fight for South American independence.
https://exchange.ifmsa.org/exchange/explore/nmo/1148 -
Battle of Chacabuco
The Battle of Chacabuco was a war on February 12, 1817, between South American Patriots and Spanish rulers, that took place in Santiago, Chile. The South Americans were led by a creole named Jose de San Martin, who had recently helped free Argentina from Spanish control. San Martin was victorious, defeating the Spanish and freeing Chile, while improving the continuation of the South American revolution.
https://academic-eb-com.eres.qnl.qa/levels/collegiate/article/Battle-of-Chacabuco/22205 -
Peru Declares Independence
On July 28, 1821, Peru declared its independence from Spanish control. Peruvian citizens did not have the ability to fight for their own independence, due to the large concentration of Spanish military, so it had to be done by outsiders like Jose de San Martin. San Martin surrounded Peru with his troops in 1821 in a plan to defeat the Spanish, set Peru free, and make the South American Revolution closer to its goals. He was successful.
http://www.discover-peru.org/peru-history-independence/ -
Gran Columbia Formed
The Gran Columbia was officially declared into being on September 7, 1821. The Gran Columbia was a union between Columbia, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, and parts of Peru and Brazil, after they had all declared their independence from Spain. It was created by Simon Bolivar as a republic union of nations, and as a way of helping the nations recover and protect themselves from the Spanish. This formation led South America to its final measures of revolution.
http://countrystudies.us/colombia/13.htm
