Ch 06 - Constitutional revolutions: America, France, Europe( 1830 and 1848 ), and Meiji Japan Flashcards
How did ancient revolutionaries perceive their actions?
They fought for justice and new regimes but in traditional terms, such as overthrowing kings or supporting specific religions, without rejecting kingship or state-supported religion itself.
What were the most radical ancient revolutions?
The creation of city-states and constitutions in places like Athens, Sparta, and Rome, which relied on local custom and religion.
Why was the English Revolution of 1688 called “Glorious”?
Revolutionaries believed they were restoring a traditional balance of power between Crown and Parliament.
How did Oliver Cromwell view societal hierarchy?
He defended traditional ranks and orders, emphasizing the importance of distinctions like noblemen, gentlemen, and yeomen.
How did scientific discoveries influence governance?
They fostered skepticism about religious authority and the divine right of kings, promoting reason and practical experience.
What marked the shift to modern revolutionary thinking?
The idea of breaking with the past, creating new systems using reason, and drafting constitutions based on natural rights.
What roles did skepticism and secularism play in revolutions?
They led to attacks on kings’ and churches’ rights and the development of constitutions based on reason and natural rights.
Why were British colonies in North America founded?
For commercial ventures and religious freedom, including Puritans in New England, Quakers in Pennsylvania, and Catholics in Maryland.
How were the colonies governed before the revolution?
They had local legislatures but were ruled by British governors and subject to the Crown.
What caused economic growth in the colonies?
Trade in tobacco, wheat, cotton, timber, and furs, and westward expansion into the Appalachians.
What was the French and Indian War’s impact?
It secured British claims east of the Mississippi but led to British attempts to recover costs through colonial taxation.
What sparked colonial outrage against Britain?
Imposition of taxes without representation, including the infamous Boston Tea Party.
What rights did the colonists believe they had?
The rights won in the Glorious Revolution, such as taxation only with Parliamentary consent.
How did Patrick Henry inspire revolutionaries?
With his speech advocating for liberty over life itself, famously declaring, “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!”
What did Thomas Paine argue in Common Sense?
That it was absurd for Britain to rule America, all men were equal, and America should declare independence.
What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
To state that King George III violated Americans’ rights and to assert that government’s purpose is to secure “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” based on the consent of the governed.
What extraordinary claim was made in the Declaration of Independence about the power of kings?
The Declaration claimed that the power of kings did not come from God but that governments should derive their power from the consent of the governed.
How long did the American Revolutionary War last?
Eight years.
Who led the colonial army during the American Revolutionary War?
George Washington.
What were some democratic features of the state constitutions adopted by the colonies in the late 1770s?
They outlawed distinctions of rank and title, included bills of rights, and extended voting rights to a wide range of male citizens.
What was the significance of French involvement in the American Revolutionary War?
France provided financial support and military intervention, helping the colonies achieve victory over Britain.
What major event led to the British surrender in the Revolutionary War?
The Siege of Yorktown in late 1781, where American and French forces surrounded British General Cornwallis, forcing his surrender.
What treaty officially ended the American Revolutionary War?
The Treaty of Paris in 1783.
What were the Articles of Confederation, and why were they found to be inadequate?
The Articles were the first governing document of the United States, but they lacked provisions for regulating trade, creating a common currency, and managing national defense.
What was the purpose of the 1787 Constitutional Convention?
To draft a new federal constitution to address the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation.
What structure of government did the U.S. Constitution establish?
A representative republic with a Senate, House of Representatives, and president, all chosen by the vote of qualified citizens.
What significant event marked the beginning of the French Revolution in May 1789?
The meeting of the Estates-General to address the fiscal crisis and political reforms.
Who wrote the Federalist Papers, and what was their purpose?
James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers to defend and promote the ratification of the new U.S. Constitution.
When was the U.S. Constitution ratified, and who became the first president?
The Constitution was ratified in 1788, and George Washington became the first president.
What financial and political issues led to the French Revolution?
Accumulated war debts, the expiration of wartime tax measures, and rejection of new taxes by French law courts and notables.
What was Abbé Sieyès’s famous statement about the Third Estate?
“What is the Third Estate? Everything. What has it been until now in the public order? Nothing.”
What caused the acrimony in the Estates-General?
The clergy and nobility wanted voting by Estates, which would outweigh the votes of the commoners (Third Estate), leading to resentment and deadlock.
What foundational document did the National Assembly produce?
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
What did the representatives of the Third Estate declare themselves in 1789?
The National Assembly, claiming to represent the entire nation.
What major changes occurred in France between 1789 and 1793?
The monarchy and feudal privileges were abolished, the king and queen were executed, and the Catholic Church was nationalized with its lands sold.
What was the National Assembly?
The representatives of the Third Estate who proclaimed they spoke for the entire nation and sought to reshape France.
What event marked the beginning of the French Revolution?
The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.
What was the motto of the French Republic established by the revolutionaries?
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity).
