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Montesquieu publishes book, On the Spirit of Laws
Baron de Montesquieu, a famous Enlightenment thinker, publishes a book that oultines his ideal of seperation of powers in government. He writes "Power should be a check to power." Political leaders in the North American British colonies admire the book, and Montesquieu's idea of checks and balances (which he based off the British government) goes on to influence the ideas in the United States Constitution. -
America Declares Independence
Following the upset and anger that comes with the "intolerable acts", unfair British tax laws put on North American colonists to abolish the debt from the French and Indian War, delegates from the 13 colonies meet in the First Continental Congress, to explain their unhappiness to the king. Nothing much changes, and in September 1774, British and American soldiers fire at eachother at Lexington. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson writes and issues the Decleration of Independence. -
French Revolution Begins
In 1789, the Second Estate forces King Louis XVI to call an Estates-General, or a meeting between all three estates, to vote on a new tax act that makes up for some of the debts created from the very lavish spendings of King Louis and his wife, Marie Antoinette. The Third Estate, made of peasants and the middle class, decides to create the National Assembly that proclaims the end of an absolute monarchy and the start of a republic. -
Napoleon Overthrows the Directory in a coup d'etat
By 1799, the Directory, the French government system with 5 men leading, is losing control of the French people. Napoleon, around this time, comes back from a battle of Egypt to find his friends suggesting for him to take up a government system. Napoleon takes action, and the few legislators left after Napoleon's men overtake the meeting vote to abolish the Directory, and place Napoleon at the head of a three-man team. He soon becomes an effective dictator of France. -
Haiti Wins Freedom from France
After a former slave skilled in political matters named Toussaint L'Ouverture takes control of Haiti and frees the nearly 500,000 slaves working there in 1801, the French go into Haiti and send L'Ouverture to a prison in the French Alps. However, L'Ouverture's lieutenant, Jean-Jacques Dessalines takes up the fight against the French, and declares Haiti independent. -
Napoleon Crowns himself Emporer, Begins to Create European Empire
After the French people recognize Napoloen's great success as first consul, from creating lycees, or public schools to replace corrupt legislators, creating an efficent taxing and national banking system, and pleasing the Church by making sure it gets all spiritual power, Napoleon makes himself emporer. Dressed in a purple velvet robe, he walks down the aisle of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and takes the crown from Pope Pius XVII to place it on his own head. -
Padre Hidalgo Calls for Mexican Independence
In 1810, a poor but well-educated man named Padre Miguel Hidalgo, beleiving in Enlightenment ideas, issues a cry for rebellion in Mexico from the Spanish. He rings the bells of his village (Dolores) Church, and his gritto de Dolores (Cry of Dolores) starts a march of Indian and mestizo followers towards Mexico City, a march aiming for independence. -
Napoleon is Defeated at Battle of Waterloo
After Napoleon crates a gigantic, but unstable, French Empire, that includes all of Europe except Britain, the Otttomon Empire, Portugal, and Sweden, he makes the flawed decision of marching an army of nearly 500,000 men into Russia in the coldest season. Napoleon comes back with only about 4,000 soldiers, and he is exiled to the Island of Elba. He soon escapes and comes back to France as Emporer. However, 100 days later, British and Prussian forces defeat him at the Battle of Waterloo.