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Period: to
Enlightenment Thinkers
A time of bold new ideas that inspired many future revolutions. -
The Publication of Leviathan
Leviathan was the book that really kicked off the enlightenment. It was written by enlightenment thinker Thomas Hobbes. He believed that the government should have tight controls on the lives of citizens and that all people were born evil.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Leviathan-by-Hobbes -
The publication of Two Treaties of Government
Two Treaties of Government was a book written by enlightenment thinker John Locke. Contradictory to Hobbes, Locke believed that all people were born fair and honest. He thought that the government should have limited power over their people which at the time, was a revolutionary idea.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Two-Treatises-of-Government -
Death of King Louis the 14th
King Louis XIV was part of the Bourbon Family which had ruled France since the 1500s. He was an absolute monarch and he's best known for his saying "L'etat, c'est moi" or "I am the state". He ruled during France's Old Regime a time of prosperity, economical wellbeing and peace in France. Louis XVI, king Louis XIV's great great great grandson was the king that partially caused the French Revolution in the late 1800s.
More information- https://bit.ly/2OqdQi0 -
The publication of The Spirit of Laws
The Spirit of Laws was a book written by french enlightenment thinker Baron de Montesquieu. He believed that democracy was the best way to run a nation. He argued that government should be broken into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, and that each branch should be able to 'check' the other two as to prevent corruption. His ideas influenced modern governments like the United States.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Spirit-of-Laws -
The publication of The Social Contract
The Social Contract was written by thinker Jean Jacques Rousseau. He believed that all people were naturally born good and that the uneven distribution of power and wealth is what corrupted them. Rousseau believed that a democratic government elected by the citizens was the best way to run a country.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Social-Contract -
The publication of the Candide
The Candide was written by French enlightenment thinker Voltaire. Voltaire believed that a nation was best run by a fair and just monarch. He supported the ideas of free speech and free press as well as the controversial ideas of religious tolerance. He believed that if a monarch was being unfair and selfish it was within the right of the citizens to overthrow them.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Candide-by-Voltaire -
The Estates-General meets
A meeting of the Estates-General is called for the first time in almost 200 years. Three estates make up the Estates-General, the 1st is religious leaders, the 2nd is nobility and the 3rd is everyone else. The meeting was called after King Louis XVI attempted to tax the nobility of France after a failed attempt to raise taxes on the 3rd estate.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Estates-General -
Period: to
The French Revolution
A time when the citizens of France decided enough was enough. -
The Tennis Court Oath is Taken
Enraged by the formation of the National Assembly, the 1st and 2nd estates locked the members of the 3rd estate out of the meeting hall. This lead to the members of the 3rd estate breaking into an abandoned tennis court across the street. They vowed that day to stay on that tennis court until they had developed a new constitution for the country of France. This promise became known as the "Tennis Court Oath".
More information- https://www.britannica.com/event/Tennis-Court-Oath -
The Storming of the Bastille
As king Louis XVI began to fear for his safety in revolutionary France, he hired a group known as the Swiss Guard to protect him and his family. This terrified the citizens of Paris who assumed he hired the Guard to kill them. So, on July 14th, 1789 Parisian citizens broke into a small rundown prison known as Bastille to grab as much gunpowder and weaponry as they could for protection.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bastille-Day -
The Begging of the Great Fear
After the Storming of Bastille, members of the 3rd estate became violent, and started murdering members of the 2nd estate. the rest of the summer of 1789 became know as the "Great Fear" for people of nobility in France began to fear for their lives.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Fear -
The Publication of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was a document drafted by the National Assembly in France in the late 1780s. It includes seventeen articles in which outline basic rules that became the principal of modern French Government. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen also served as sort of a first constitution of the nation of France.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Declaration-of-the-Rights-of-Man-and-of-the-Citizen -
Period: to
The Haitian Revolution
A time when the oppressed of St. Domingue decided to fight back. -
Slaves rise up on northern plantations of St. Domingue
After word spread of the Declaration of the rights of Man and Citizen that had been put in effect in France, the ex slaves of St. Domingue struggled to find a way to put use to it. However, the current slaves of the island knew just what to do, they began to revolt. Dutty Boukman organized a rebellion of the slaves. However, hundreds of them were killed by whites for fear of the rebellion spreading.
More information- https://bit.ly/3pbOUaS -
The publication of The Vindication of the Rights of Women
The Vindication of the Rights of Women was written by enlightenment thinker Mary Wollstonecraft. Wollstonecraft was a pioneer in women's rights and believed in equal education for women. She also believed that women should have the same rights as their male counterparts. She was a supporter in the ideas of democratic government.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Wollstonecraft -
King Louis XVI is Executed by Guillotine
After a failed attempt to flea the country with his family, King Louis XVI and the rest of the royal family are brought back to Paris where they are thrown in prison. Under the reign of radical revolutionist Maximilien Robespierre, King Louis XVI is executed via guillotine and his wife, Marie Antoinette later met the same fate.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XVI -
Reign of Terror begins
The Reign of Terror began shortly after extreme revolutionist Maximilien Robespierre came to power in France. During the Reign of Terror, Robespierre had thousands of French citizens executed for being "traitors to the revolution" and they were often convicted with no proof. He claimed that the bloodshed was necessary for the revolution to achieve its goals but people soon became tired and he was put in prison and later executed.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/event/Reign-of-Terror -
The directory takes control of France
After the reign of Maximilien Robespierre and the rein of terror, a group called the Directory took over. It consisted of five members who worked together to bring order back to France, help the French economy recover, and make peace with countries like Prussia while sustaining the wars against countries like England. The Directory also worked to set up elite schools in France. Seeking help, the directory later turned to Napoleon Bonaparte.
More information- https://bit.ly/3rEWBYL -
War of Knives begins for control of St. Domingue
Toussaint L'Ouverture and Andre Riguard, both rebel leaders in St. Domingue began fighting for control of the island after working together to expel the English and the Spanish. L'Ouverture's army consisted of mostly poor undereducated former slaves while Riguard's consisted of well educated and wealthy former slaves. The War of Knives lasted for over a year with the victor being L'Ouverture.
More information- https://thelouvertureproject.org/index.php?title=War_of_Knives -
New constitution in France put up for a vote, declares revolution over
In the year 1799, a new constitution called Constitution of the Year VIII is put up for a vote in France. France's then ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte redrafted the constitution and enacted it upon the citizens after and approving vote. He was the one who abolished the directory and lead France into the Napoleonic era. This marked the end of the French Revolution.
More information- https://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/legislation/c_constitution8.html -
L’Ouverture proclaims a new constitution in St. Domingue and is declared Governor for Life
After the war of Knives, L’Ouverture began making changes to St. Domingue immediately. He outlawed slavery, ensured equal rights for all citizens and drafted a new constitution. However, he banned the islands religion of Voodoo and also proclaimed himself the governor for life. This made the people of St. Domingue quite mad and caused a rebellion against him. This did not please the ruler of France at the time, Napoleon Bonaparte.
More information- https://bit.ly/2MUmZ21 -
Dessalines proclaims Haiti’s independence
Jean-Jaques Dessalines was one of L'Oveurture's top generals, was the one who declared St. Domingue as the first nation founded off former slaves. He named it Haiti. He abolished slavery in his country and made rules that whites could not own land. European countries and the U.S refused to trade with Haiti, and with France demanding they pay off all debts, Haiti has become one of the most poor nations in the world.
More information- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Haitian-Revolution -
Period: to
The Revolutions of Latin and South America
A time when Latin and South America decided to break free from Spain. -
Mexico declares independence from Spain
A priest by the Name Father Miguel Hidalgo began the push for Mexico's independence in 1810. On September 16, 1810, he rallied the poor mestizos and natives of Mexico to rally for the cause. This later became known as Mexico's independence day, or the day when Mexico declared it's independence from Spain.
More information- https://nationaltoday.com/mexican-independence-day/#:~:text=On%20August%2024%2C%201821%2C%20Spain,day%20on%20September%2016%2C%201810. -
Simon Bolivar arrives at Merida, Venezuela
Simon Bolivar, or later known as El Libertador, failed the first two times he tried to liberate his home country of Venezuela and was exiled to Haiti. However in 1813 he made the bold decision to fight the Spanish forces leading an invasion into the city of Merida, Venezuela. It was this fight which help the country gain its independence giving Bolivar his nickname El Libertador.
More information- https://bit.ly/3aYclPP -
The Battle of Chacabuco
The Battle of Chacabuco took place during another liberation war fought by Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin. I occurred in Santiago during the the war to rid the nation of Chile of Spaniards. It was what really kick started the war for Chile. San Martin lead 5,000 troops up the Andes mountains and met the Spanish general Rafael Maroto and his 1,500 troops in Chacabuco. San Martin sucessfully drove the Spaniards out and help win the war.
More information- https://bit.ly/2N0Oze2 -
Peru declares independence
After Simon Bolivar liberated Venezuela, he moved on to other countries in South America, working to liberate them from Spanish rule as well. He worked along side Jose de San Martin, another creole. Together they worked to liberate Peru. for unknown reasons, Bolivar left San Martin in control of the troops during the invasions. The following day, July 29th, marks the establishment of the Republic of Peru.
More information- https://bit.ly/37aXUXr -
Gran Columbia formed
Gran Colombia or Great Colombia included the sates of present day Colombia, Ecuador, parts of Peru, Venezuela, Panama, and parts of Brazil. The union of Gran Colombia lasted from 1819-1831. It was formed as a way to help the sates get over social and economical burdens left by the liberation wars against the Spanish lead by Simon Bolivar.
More information- https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-gran-colombia.html
