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The Revolution in Politics, 1775-1815

The Revolution in Politics, 1775-1815. Unit 6. Social Change. 18 th century European society was legally divided into groups with privileges ( nobility & clergy ) and those with burdens ( peasants ). Land, taxes, jobs Economic & population growth  increased income inequality

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The Revolution in Politics, 1775-1815

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  1. The Revolution in Politics, 1775-1815 Unit 6

  2. Social Change • 18th century European society was legally divided into groups with privileges (nobility & clergy) and those with burdens (peasants). • Land, taxes, jobs • Economic & population growth  increased income inequality • More women & children entering the work force • Wider divide between the rich & poor • Rise in new mixed-caste elite (nobles & wealthy commoners) • Blurred the lines of ‘ancient privilege’

  3. Growing demands for Liberty and equality • Call for liberty = call for human rights • Freedom of worship, press, and protection for arbitrary laws • Declaration of the Rights of Man –French Revolution • The people have sovereignty • Equality all citizens should have identical rights and liberties (in theory) • No gender equality • No racial equality • No economic equality

  4. Origins of the American Revolution • Seven Years War (1756-63) • Britain became leading European power (Treaty of Paris) • Victory, but expensive • British government’s direct taxes seen as threat to American independence • Stamp Act (1765) - “No taxation without representation” • Boston Tea Party (1774)  British Coercive Acts • First Continental Congress met in Sept. 1774 to solve conflicts with Great Britain • Nope…

  5. Independence from Britain • Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (1774)  Freedom & republican government • Helped to shift public opinion toward independence • 2nd Continental Congress  Declaration of IndependenceJuly 4th, 1776 • Broad social base of revolutionaries made the revolution democratic • Britain v. colonies/Europe • France allied with American colonies in 1778 • Spanish & Dutch declared war on Britain & Russia helped to limit Britain’s naval power • Treaty of Paris (1783)

  6. Framing the constitution (1789) • Establishment of a national republic • Constitution & Bill of Rights (reflected natural-law theory) • Representative self-government • Central government operates under a system of checks and balances • Montesquieu • States can also “check” the federal government

  7. The French Revolution “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

  8. Conditions Before the Revolution The Good • Louis XVI’s minister, Turgot, capable • Improves agriculture • Improves trade: abolishes many internal customs barriers & improves roads • Nobles’ privileges reduced • Efforts made to end tax abuse & office buying • Highest law court, Parlement de Paris, authority increased. Jacques Turgot Famous Economist

  9. Conditions Before the Revolution The Bad • Turgot out, 1776 • Traditional distribution of power: • 1st two Estates, clergy & nobles, favored • 3rd Estate, middle class, and peasants (4/5 + of the population), no political rights • Discriminated against in seeking high positions and economic advancement • Each social class divided into rich/poor—the rich in each class and the poor in each class cooperate with others, not with their class French peasants

  10. King Louis XVI • King of France from 1774-1793 • Weak and indecisive leader faced with growing economic, social, and political problems

  11. Marie Antoinette • Queen of France. Married Louis when she was 14. • Her extravagant spending on jewels, clothes and gifts angered a country that was suffering. • Was unpopular Queen.

  12. The Cast of Characters • The Three Estates: • French society was divided into three large social classes (think pyramid of power).

  13. The First Estate: The Clergy • Clergy were the officials of the Catholic Church (Bishops, Archbishops and Priests of the larger and wealthier parishes). • No clergy members paid taxes. • Great wealth of the Church was resented by the people.

  14. The Second Estate: The Nobility • A very wealthy group. • Only represented 1.5% of the population • Controlled 1/5 of the land • Not supposed to work for a living. • Lived off of income from land. • Exempt from the main tax

  15. The Third Estate • Basically everyone else in France… • Middle class (merchants, lawyers, public office officials) –Bourgeoisie • Urban Workers • Worked in small factories • Peasants • Up to 90% lived at or below substance levels in lean years

  16. Ideology—Enlightenment notions of political/economic freedom and human ability Political—Spread of nationalism, American revolution example, dissatisfaction with foreign policy & military defeats, corrupt law courts, arbitrary arrests. Government out of tune with the times Personal—Grievances against King, Queen, and corruptnobles Economic—although poverty not that bad compared to other nations, people lacked confidence in government Rising prices, intermittent food shortages due to poor harvest (88’+89’), recurrent periods of unemployment Tax inequities, land tax paid by 3rd estate only, salt tax, wine tax, work tax and many others. Nobles/clergy often exempt Incentives to Revolt Louis & Marie An.

  17. Outbreak: 1789 • Treasury goes broke; Parlement opposed legislation that would have taxed nobles & solved the problem. • Louis XVI tried to dismiss judges  revolt • Louis XVI decides to call the Estates General (didn’t meet often, representative body like Congress, includes all 3 estates) • List of Grievances … Cahiers!

  18. Outbreak Cont… • Estates General called and election held, but 3rd estate saw they’d be out voted. • New National Assembly(3rd estate) vowed not to disband until France had a Constitution. • “Tennis Court Oath” • Disbanded at bayonet-point • 7/14/89—Bastille stormed, 7 set free, nobles begin to flee and people arm themselves and adopt a new flag.

  19. The Revolt of the poor and the oppressed • Marquis de Lafayette appointed commander of the city’s armed forces. • Popular uprising had broken the power monopoly of the royal army. • National Assembly saved. • Great Fear:Rise in spontaneous, violent, and effective insurrection by peasants against lords • Fanned the flames of rebellion. • Abolition of feudal dues and noble privileges victory for the peasant class.

  20. Napoleon • Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) • Born into an impoverished noble family (Corsica) • Attended French military academy • Resume… • Lieutenant in the French artillery in 1785 • Helped suppress a royalist insurrection in Paris and was promoted to major generalin 1795 • Commanded French forces in Italy (1796-97)  Success • Egyptian campaign (1799)  Failure • Not widely publicized

  21. Napoleon’s Rule of France • Growing opposition to the Directory • Napoleon praised for his ‘heroism’ • “Confidence from below, authority from above” –abbé Sieyès • November 9, 1799 • Overthrow of the Directors “coup of 18 Brumaire” • National Convention disbanded at gunpoint • Napoleon named ‘first consul of the republic’ • Retained republican appearances

  22. The Napoleonic Era (1799-1815) • Napoleon’s domestic policy  popularity & charisma to maintain order. • Exchange favors for service • Napoleonic Code (1804): Equality of all males before the law. • Restricting women’s rights (family monarchy) • Concordat of 1801: healed relations with the Catholic Church • Limited free speech & press

  23. Expansion of Europe • Military victories against Great Britain & Austria (1802) • Treaty of Amiens (1802) & Treaty of Lunéville(1801) • Battle of Trafalgar (1805) • Failed invasion of Great Britain • Used wartime atmosphere to declare himself emperor (1804) • Defeat of Austria in 1806 • Abolished the Holy Roman Empire • Established the German Confederation of the Rhine

  24. The Grand Empire and its End • Continental System: blockade imposed by Napoleon to halt all trade between continental Europe and Britain. • Abolished feudal dues & serfdom • High taxes  military • Growth of “reactive nationalism” • Quadruple Alliance: Britain, Austria, Russia, and Prussia • “War of liberation” Napoleon abdicated April 4, 1814 • Restored Bourdon dynasty under Louis XVIII • Hundred Days: Napoleon finally defeated at Waterloo June 18, 1815

  25. Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) • Saint-Dominque: most profitable Caribbean colony before the French Revolution. • Diverse population: • European: French officials, plantation owners, merchants, and poor immigrants • Creoles: individuals of European decent born in the colonies • African decent: 500,000 enslaved & 40,000 free • Liberty, equality, and fraternity • National Assembly grants political rights to free people of color (1791) • White elite refuse  violence

  26. The Outbreak of Revolt • 1791: Vincent Ogé (free man of color) • Inspired by events in Paris, raised an army to fight for political rights • Captured and executed • Slave revolts begin August 1791 • Much like reaction of the sans-culottes (radical reforms) • France’s National Assembly extends full citizenship rights to free men of color • France abolishes slavery in Saint-Dominique & other colonies (1794) • Needs soldiers to fight British and Spanish  colonial control

  27. The War of Haitian Independence • André Riguard • Free elite resented growing power of former slaves • Toussaint L’Ouverture • Freed slave and former Spanish officer • Defeats Riguard & takes control of the colony (1800) • Arrested and deported to France (Napoleon) • Jean Jacques Dessalines • Lieutenant of L’Ouverture • Crushed French forces in 1804 • New Constitution declared in 1805

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