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Montesquieu publishes book, On the Spirit of Laws
Montesquieu oversimplified the British System. He formed the three different branches and the separation of powers. He used this idea for his book, On the Spirit of Laws. He proposed that separation of powers would keep any individual or group from gaining total control of the government. He basically discovered checks and balences. -
America declares independence
When Britan imposes multiple taxes on America to pay for their expensive war, American colonists decide that they don't have to be treated so horribly. In an outburst, colonists tipped imported tea into the Boston Harbor, called the Boston Tea party. This gave King George III a reason to close their port. In 1774, representatives from every colony except Georgia went to Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. Then the king paid little attention to their little meeting so
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French Revolution
The French Revolution started when the lower class was upset because they were oppressed. Also, there wer enew ideas about government, economic problems, and weak and indecisive leadership. This all led to the desire for change. The National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of MAn and of the Citizen. When people started to feel strongly about the Revolution, Jacobin groups formed. A few Jacobins were Jean- Paul Marat, Georges Danton, and Maximilien Robespierre. doc -
Napoleon overthrows the Directory through a coup d%u2019etat
The Directory is weak because it has lost trust from the French people and lost control of the politcal situation. Napoleon's friends sensed this and urged him to overthrow them when they were weak. Lawmakers voted to remove the Directory and replace it with a group of three consuls. Napoleon quickly took the title of the first consul and acted like a dictator. A sudden seize of power like Napoleon's is called a coup d'etat (blow to the state). Meanwhile, France was still at war. (doc) -
Haiti wins freedom from France
In August of 1791, 100,000 enslaved Africans rose in revolt. Toussaint L'Ouverture chose to led these people. Having been formally enslaved, he was uneducated on military and diplomatic matters. He soon learned to be a skilled general and diplomat. By 1801, he had managed to control the entire island of Haiti and free all enslaved Africans. French troops, threatened by his progress, removed him and sent him to the freezing French Alps where he sied in April 1803. Toussaint's lieutenant, Jea -
Napoleon crowns himself emperor, begins to create a vast European Empire
In 1804, Napoleon decides to crown himself as emperor. The Pope and the people are surprised to see Napoleon take the crown out of the Pope's hands and put it on his own head. This displayed how he was more powerful than the Church. Napoleon conquered the Austrian Netherlands and parts of Italy. He also controls the government in Switzerland. But he still wanted more. By 1812, the only areas of Europe free from Napoleon's influence were Britain, Portugual, Sweeden, and the Ottoman Empire. -
Padre Hidalgo calls for Mexican Independence
In 1810, Padre Hidalgo, a priest in Dolores, started the journey towards Mexican Independence. Hidalgo was poor, but educated. He believed in the ideas that surfaced during the Enlightenment. He issused a call for rebellion against the Spanish. The call is known as the grito de Dolores (the cry for Dolores). The next day, Hidalgo's army of 80,000 men, began a march to Mexico city. They were defeated in 1811 by creoles who feared losing their power. (attached doc) -
Napoleon is defeated at the Battle of Waterloo
There were a few sections of how Napoleon was finally defeated. First, his enemies joined forces to defeat him. Second, Napoleon built an army untrained and unprepared. His army was easily defeated and he surrendered. He was exiled to Elba, but he escaped. When he landed in France, the people happily accepted him back as their emperor. Whene his enemies heard of this, they were determined to defeat him. In the Battle of Waterloo, he was defeated for good. He was now exiled to a small island(doc)
