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Montesquieu Publishes his book, On the Spirit of Laws
Baron de Montesquieu was a very influencial French philosphe. In his book, On the Spirit of Laws, he introduced his system of separation of powers, so that the power in the government was divided up between different branches. His ideas of the separation of powers and checks and balances would be major themes in the US Constitution. -
America Declares Independence
There was great tension between Britain and its colonists. In 1775, British soldiers and the American militia exchanged gunfire and the American Revolution begun. In 1776, one year later, the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, writting by Thomas Jefferson, and the Americans won their independence. -
French Revolution
In France, their social system was made up mostly of the third estate, the lowest class. They were being treated very unfairly in all of France, so they rebelled. The Great Frear sweeped all through France and the French Revolution came to action. It was an extremely violent and bloody war. -
Napoleon Overthrows the Directory through a Coup D'etat
A coup d'etat is a sudden seize of power. The Directory was corupt, it had lost control of the French people. Napoleon had just returned from his loss in Egypt and it was the perfect opportunity for him to gain power. -
Napoeleon Crowns himself Emperor, Begins to Create a vast European Empire
Napoleon decided to make himself emperor in 1804. The majority of the French voters supported him. When Napoleon was being crowned, instead of letting the pope place the crown on top of his head, he crowned himself. That symbolized that he was more powerful than the Church. -
Haiti Wins Freedom from France
When the French revolution was taking place, enslaved Africans, ont he island of Haiti, started to rise up against their masters. Toussaint L'Ouverture rose up to be a leader for the slaves. He took complete control over the island and freed all the slaves. -
Padre Hidalgo Calls for Mexican Independence
Padre Hidalgo was a priest at a church in Dolores, Mexico. He rang the church bells and when everyone gathered there, he issued a call for rebellion against the Spanish. He took the first step towards independence in Mexico. -
Napoeleon is Defeated at the Battle of Waterloo
The British army, led by the Duke of Wellington, battled Napoleon near the town of Waterloo. Later, the Prussian army joined the British and they defeated Napoeleon and his army. This defeat ended Napoleon's reign,
