Transcript Comparative Causes of Atlantic Revolutions

COMPARATIVE CAUSES OF ATLANTIC
REVOLUTIONS
Assessing whether the causes
were more similar or different
(using document of course)
HISTORICAL CONTEXT/OUTSIDE INFORMATION
Years of war (7 years) between European powers were draining coffers (empire’s budget) and increase in taxation
on overburdened subjects. Mercantilism was a draining form of exploitation of land labor and capital and many
colonists found it unacceptable/oppressive
Absolutists governments had often been overly punitive with regard to religion, censorship, speech, press, etc. (people
often arrested arbitrarily, executed, assets liquidated, overly taxed, often peasants were starving)
Enlightened ideals were inspiring the Bourgeosie/Creole elites who were challenging the aristocracy for supremacy:
notable ideals like popular sovereignty (Hobbes),political and legal equality(Locke), freedoms of religion, speech and
press and social contract (Voltaire), political and legal equality (Rousseau), separation of powers (Montesquieu),
Laissez Faire economics where the government does not interfere (strike against Mercantilism espoused by Adam
Smith)
HOW DO YOU BREAK DOWN THESE DOCUMENTS?
1. By regions ( although difficult identifying similarities an/or differences)
2. By similarities and differences ( usually the 2-1 ration we have tried with our traditional comparative essays (only
with docs this time)
3. Politically, economically and culturally just as long as they evaluate similarities and/or differences
4. You choose one side (similarities or differences) and stick with that (which can be political, economic and cultural)
From 1750-1900 the Atlantic Revolutions were more similar because they reacted to the oppression of Absolutists
governments and their want for popular sovereignty, their need to free themselves from the mercantilist policies and
gain their economic autonomy and inspired by enlightened thinking of freedoms of religion,press and natural rights.
DOCUMENT #1-DECALRATION OF INDEPENDENCE
(1776) WRITTEN PRIMARILY BY THOMAS JEFFERSON(
AMERICAN BOUREGOSIE COLONISTS)
Purpose of this document was to dissolve the colonial bonds of the American 13 colonies and air the grievances of the
colonists with regard to the oppression of the British Government under King George III. The audience would be both
the British monarch to illustrate the need for popular sovereignty as well as the colonists to identify the need to
consolidate their authority against the British (rally the troops?)
See Absolute Despotism-abuses of Absolute governments (listed underneath like dissolved representation and
obstructed justice and preventing defense of colonies, etc.), Life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (not property?)
enlightened ideas inspired by Rousseau, Locke and Smith (Wealth of nations written same year)
DOCUMENT #2 THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF
MEN(1789) WRITTEN BY BOURGEOSIE MEMBERS OF THE
THIRD ESTATE
Third Estate was the 3rd branch in Frances Leislative body (Estates General) which had not met in over 200 years.
Made up 97% of population (First Estate clergy/church and Second Estate Aristocracy). France’s Wars (7 years) was
bankrupting France and the burden fell on the third estate: The purpose was to identify why the French were willing
to take up arms against their government and fellow French citizens and the audience would be both the first two
estates and well as inspiring the Third estate to take up arms.
Note: listing similar rights in document #1 natural rights and freedoms, ideas of liberty, rules of law but different in
mention of property (why?), does not list specific abuses of government (why?) and is against a monarch within a
country (Louis XVI) rather than one across the Atlantic 3000 miles away (George III)
DOCUMENT #3- LETTER BY TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE
(1797) FREED SLAVE OF HAITI (FRENCH COLONY OF
SAN DOMINGUE/LISTED AS SAN DOMINGO)
The purpose of the letter was out of fear that France was going to re-establish slavery after its revolution freed the slaves of their most lucrative sugar
plantation of San Domingue. His appeal to the French “citizen Directors” of France’s new republic was to prevent the white men who wished to re-establish
slavery (why do they wish this?)
This document (like #1and#2) also issues their appeal to the ideals of liberty and the
Former abuses of an absolute government (France’s slavery and mercantilism in Haiti). Unlike the American colonies and France, this was written by a former
slave and issues a plea to keep slavery abolished(which had been done in the French revolution but not in America as even Jefferson was a slave owner) so
economically can be pared with France #2 and culturally with America and France #1 and 2 but politically a Freed slave led government ( majority Black
Haiti) was a notable difference
DOCUMENT #4 LETTER BY SIMON BOLIVAR (
1815) A CREOLE ELITE FROM VENEZUELA
The purpose of this document is to outline the reasons colonial rule in South America and its mercantilistic methods needed to be
terminated. His audience would be both the Monarchs of Spain (connected to France now that Napoleon had installed his brother
Joseph as the head of Spain). Like the grievance aired in document #1 it initially focusses on the damages of Spanish rule on Colonial
Latin America(obedience,death, dishonor and chains of bondage). There is much mention (economic) of the abuses of mercantilism
(“prohibition of cultivation of European crops … monopolized by the King…restriction against the construction of factories…preventing
from doing business with one another” His audience would also be the Creole elites to take up arms (like #1,2 and 3) against the
Peninsulares leaders to achieve popular sovereignty (like docs 1and2) but unlike the other three, he realizes the geaoraphic
fragmentation which would hurt his ability to create a unified Gran Columbia.