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Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, a French philosopher who lived during the Age of Enlightenment came up with the idea of separating powers (checks and balances), an idea that we still use today. He wrote his views in "On the Spirit of Laws".
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Perhaps the single greatest even in American history, on July 4, 1776, the United States of America declared independence from Britain.
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In 1789 the French Revolution began. The fight for Enlightenment ideas such as democracy and nationalism, even though the consequences were dire, took place.
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In early November, 1799, Napoleon's troops surrounded the national legislature and drove most of the members out. He then made himself first of three consuls and took the powers of a dictator.
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After the American and French Revolutions, Haiti was inspired to try to win freedom from Europe. Toussaint L'Ouverture and later his lieutenant Dessalines fought for and won freedom from Europe.
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On December 2nd, 1804, Napoleon crowned himself emperor. He had dreams of conquering all of Europe, and becoming emperor was the first step.
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Padre Hidalgo, a Mexican priest, strongly believed in Enlightenment ideals. On September 16, 1810, he called peasants to the church and called for a rebellion against the Spanish.
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Napoleon, the once great emperor of France, lost his final battle, the Battle of Waterloo (but it is OK because it's not like France will lose any more battles after that).
