-
Montesquieu publishes On the Spirit of Laws
Montesquieu, a philosophe, publishes On the Spirit of Laws. His book discusses how separation of power in government keeps any individual or group from having total power over the country that it owns. He said that "power should be a check to power." -
America Delcares Independence
The British colonies in North America claim their independence by signing the Declaration of Independence (written by Thomas Jefferson). This event is important because it was an inspiration to many other other countries to begin a revolution and gain independence. This also signified the end of a largely European rule of the American continent. -
French Revolution
The third estate in France, the peasants and middle-class citizens, begin a revolution by creating a National Assembly to represent the majority of the population in France. They create a constitution, and this kickstarts the French revolution, in which the royal family is executed, and after a while, leaves a relatively empty place for somebody to step in and take power. Napoleon takes control of France as a result, and he is very influential to the rest of the world. -
Napoleon commits coup d'etat
Napoleon manages to overthrow the Directory by organizing a coup d'etat, or the sudden grasp of control of a state. By doing this, he regains control of France and established a somewhat stable economy in the years to come. -
Napoleon crowns himself emperor and creates a European empire
Napoleon crowns himself emperor and creates a European empire. Napoleon suggests that the government of France hold a plebicite, or a vote of the people, to consider whether or not he should become emperor. The French people readily accept this decision, looking for strong leadership, and Napoleon becomes emperor. When he is about to be crowned by the Pope, he takes the crown from him and places it on his own head, signifying that the government at that point was more powerful than the church. -
Haiti wins freedom from France
A Haitian slave revolution is started by Boukman, a priest, formerly a slave. Toussaint L'Ouverture and Jean Jacques Dessalines fight for Haitian independence, and iin 1804 they win the revolution and declare independence from France. Dessalines changes the name from San Domingue to Haiti, which means mountainous land in the native language Arawak. -
Padre Hidalgo calls for Mexican Independence
Padre Hidalgo rings the church bells at the wrong time, so the peasants gather in the church to see what the matter is. There, Padre Hidalgo, a creole priest, suggests taht the peasants revolt against the Spanish. They are under oppression, and Padre Hidalgo believes it to be wise for them to attempt to declare their independence. -
Napoleon falls at the Battle of Waterloo
This signifies the end of Napoleon's rule, which is important for France. While he created a stable economy for the country, he placed several of his irresponsible family members in charge of influential European countries and had won France many enemies disguised as allies out of fear. When he falls, a new government will arise and France with stabilize itself.