Ways of the World: Chapter 16 Summary

Revolutions

• North America, Europe, Haiti, and Latin America revolutions influenced each other.
• grew out of enlightenment
• "popular sovereignty to govern people
• john locke- "social contract" should only be in order as long as it serves the people
• gave ammunition to groups without political rights
• extended political rights

North American Revolution

• aimed to preserve colonial liberties
• political power remained in the hands of existing elites
• "creating a new world order"
• USA “the hope and model of the human race”
• "right to revolution" inspired others throughout the world

French Revolution

• declaration of rights of man and citizen launched revolution
• driven by pronounced social conflicts
• middle class resented aristocratic privileges
• the Church was subjected to government authority
• the Terror (1793–1794) killed tens thousands of people

Haitian revolution

• most were slaves
• power shifted to slaves
• only successful slave result in world history
• led to great hope and great fear
• led to Napolean selling Louisianna territory
• increased slavery elsewhere

Spanish American Revolution

• creoles offended by monarchy
• torn by class and race
• relationship with North America reversed

Echoes of Revolution

• led to greater social equality and liberation from foreign rule
• enlarged voting rights
• abolitionist, nationalist, and feminist movements arose

Abolition of Slavery

• Enlightenment thinkers critical of slavery
• "slavery wasn’t necessary for economic progress"
• it took a major civil war to end slavery in US
• in southern United States, a period of political rights was followed by segregationist, racist reaction

Nationalism

• powerful

Feminism

• European Enlightenment thinkers sometimes challenged the idea that women were innately inferior
• more educational opportunities and less household drudgery for middle-class women
• women increasingly joined temperance movements, charities, abolitionist movements, missionary work, etc.
• the movement led to discussion of the role of women in modern society