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Montesquieu publishes his book, On the Spirit of Laws, where he proposed the separations of powers. He said that separation of powers would keep any group or individual from getting complete control of the government. This idea of Montesquieu later becomes "checks and balances".
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Because George III, a tyrant, had broken the social contract, the American colonists were justified in rebelling and decided to declare independence. Influenced by the enlightenment ideas of John Locke, the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson.
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Becuase the Third Estate delegates wanted changes in the government, they decided to have a meeting with all three estates and have each delegate cast a vote. The Third estate had an advantage because they had a larger number of delegates. Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes suggested to have the Third Estate delegates call themselves the National Assembly and pass reforms and laws as the body of the French peolpe. They voted to create the National Assembly, which was the first act of the revolution.
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Napoleon and troops under his command surrounded the national legislature and get rid of most of its members. The peolpe who remained voted to dissolve the directory and create a group of three consuls instead. Napoleon was one of these consuls and assumed the powers and treatments of a dictator. This act of Napoleon, a sudden seizure of power, is knowen as a "coup d' etat" = "blow to the state.
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Haiti was the first black colony to free itself from Europe. Enslaved Africans rose in revolt and were soon led under Toussaint L' Ouverture, who was able to take control of the island and free all of the African slaves. After being executed by the French because of an accusement, Jean-Jacques Dessalines took over the fight for freedom and one Haiti it's independence.
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After crowning himself emporer to prove that he was more powerful than the church, Napoleon begins to create a vast European Empire.
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In the small village of Dolores, Padre Miguel Hidalgo rang the bells in his church to gather all of the peasants. He spoke of a call for rebellion agaisnt the Spanish. This call is known as grito de Dolores. This was the first step towards indpendence.
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After escaping from Elba and becoming emporer again, Napoleon quickly got thousands of volunteers for his army. The British Army led by Duke Wellington, got ready for battle near Waterloo in Belgium. Napoleon attacked, but with the help of the Prussian army, Britian defeated Napoleon. This battle is now known as the Battle of Waterloo.
