Chapter 28 - Revolutions

Question 1

What is Natural Law?

Answer 1

Natural Law refers to rules discoverable by reason.

Question 2

How did the Age of Enlightenment (or Reason) start?

Answer 2

It started in the 17th and 18th century when people began questioning the notions of sovereignty. Certain philosophers regarded government as a contract between the ruler and those that were ruled.

Question 3

Who was Thomas Hobbes?

Answer 3

He was an Age of Reason philosopher who believed that people were naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish. Thus, they needed some type of control. He argued that there existed a social contract that had people giving up their freedom for an organized society. Hobbes also believed that government had an obligation to their people. He wrote “The Leviathan”.

Question 4

Who was John Locke?

Answer 4

John Locke was another Age of Reason philosopher. He believed that people were reasonable and moral. Additionally, he felt that any ruler who violates natural rights (rights belonging to individuals from birth such as life, liberty, and property) was subject to disposition. Locke wrote “Two Treatises of Government”.

Question 5

Who was Jean-Jacques Rousseau?

Answer 5

He was a philosopher who believed that members of society were collectively the sovereign. His vision of an ideal society is one where everyone participates in policy and law.

Question 6

How did the Enlightenment influence the globe?

Answer 6

The political thoughts of the Age of Enlightenment were adopted in places where social reformers and revolutionaries claimed their rights were denied.

Question 7

Who was King George III?

Answer 7

King George III was the king of Great Britain for 60 years. During his long reign, he witnessed American independence, Napoleon, and the 2nd British Empire. He applied mercantilist policies to the colonies. Wars in Europe and the Americas had drained the British treasury and George expected the colonists to pay for the wars.

Question 8

What was the 7 Years’ War?

Answer 8

The 7 Years’ War was a conflict between Britain and France. The war’s name comes from the fact that fighting beyond the Americas included Europe, the Caribbean, and India. Ultimately, Britain won but the seeds of revolutions that it planted spelled troubled for both countries.

Question 9

What were the Sugar and Molasses Acts?

Answer 9

The Molasses Act established a tax on molasses. The tax was considered too high and colonists began to use the black market to acquire molasses. As a result, the act was replaced with the Sugar Act. This act instead established lower/less taxes on sugar and more customs officials to prevent the use of the black market.

Question 10

What was the Stamp Act?

Answer 10

The Stamp Act imposed taxes on newspapers and pamphlets. It was later repealed.

Question 11

What was the Declaratory Act?

Answer 11

The Declaratory Act proclaimed Britain’s full authority over the colonists.

Question 12

Why did the colonists feel that they were subject to “taxation to representation”?

Answer 12

The colonists felt this way because they were being taxed but had no voice in Parliament.

Question 13

When did the Boston Tea Party happen?

Answer 13

The Boston Tea Party happened on December 16, 1773.

Question 14

What happened in the Boston Massacre?

Answer 14

Crowds gathered to make fun of soldiers guarding a customs house. The colonists were taunting the guards and daring them fire their weapons. Eventually, one guard actually did fire and 5 colonists died.

Question 15

Why is it ironic that an African-American man, Crispus Attucks, was killed in the Boston Massacre?

Answer 15

It’s ironic because he was fighting for a cause that ultimately wouldn’t benefit him.

Question 16

What happened in the Boston Tea Party?

Answer 16

100-150 men dressed as Indians boarded 3 ships and threw about 45 tons of tea overboard. Overall, about 800,000 dollars in tea was destroyed. They dressed as Indians to mock the idea of Britain perceiving the colonists as Native Americans and to demonstrate that their actions were fun.

Question 17

What was The Tea Act of 1773?

Answer 17

It lowered the price of tea. A lot of people who previously boycotted British tea now had an incentive to buy it because it was so cheap.

Question 18

What is the HMS Gaspee Incident and why is it rarely taught in American schools?

Answer 18

The HMS (Her Majesty Ship) Gaspee was an anti-snuggling ship. It once ran aground while on a journey to catch a smuggler. Colonists approached it and burned it to the ground. American schools don’t teach this because it makes the colonists and America look bad.

Question 19

What are the Coercive Acts?

Answer 19

The Coercive Acts (referred to as the Intolerable Acts by the colonists) were 4 acts designed to punish Boston. One was the Boston Port Act, which closed the Port of Boston until the city paid back the $800,000 that was destroyed in the Boston Tea Party. Next, the Massachusetts Government Act disbanded the Boston government. Next, the Administration of Justice Act had British soldiers tried in England, as opposed to the colonies. Finally, the Quartering Act established that the town hall of a city must be open to soldiers that are campaigning on the border. In case of emergency, houses must be open as well. The Quebec Act is a 5th act that actually does not punish Boston. It established religious freedom for Catholics.

Question 20

What is popular sovereignty?

Answer 20

It is a principle included in the Declaration of Independence that stated that all government power comes from people.

Question 21

What were advantages of both sides during the American Revolution?

Answer 21

Britain’s advantages included their strong government and navy, professional army, and loyalist supporters in the colonies. (“Tories”) However, many left for Canada and England during the war for fear of repression from the colonists. The Colonists fought on their own turf, had excellent leadership under men like George Washington, and potential outside support from France and other European countries.

Question 22

Which Native Americans in particular supported England?

Answer 22

Native Americans east of Mississippi River usually supported Britain because they distrusted the colonists.

Question 23

What happened in the Battle of Lexington and Concord?

First Battle of the American Revolution

Answer 23

General Gage, British commander, planned a surprise attack on an armory. His troops marched at midnight but the movements were revealed to the colonists by a revolutionary named Paul Revere. British forces and the Minutemen had a skirmish at Lexington. America won.

Question 24

What happened in the Battle of Bunker (Breed’s) Hill?

Second Battle of the American Revolution

Answer 24

In this 2nd battle of the Revolutionary War, Gage and his forces found themselves in Boston after the Concord disaster. The city was surrounded by patriots and Gage’s forces wanted to escape so they could take Breed’s Hill, a hill that overlooked the Boston Port. Ultimately, Britain won but it served as a morale booster for the patriots because Britain lost over 1,100 men as opposed to America’s 411 lost.

Question 25

Why did France support the Americans in the Revolutionary War?

Answer 25

They supported the colonists because they were persuaded after America won the Battle of Saratoga. Spain and Netherlands did the same soon after.

Question 26

What happened in the Battle of Yorktown?

Answer 26

This battle was the last major battle of the war. However, it did not end it. Cornwallis, British general in the south, surrendered after 176 of his men died. France and America lost 75. There were few deaths because this event was a siege, not a battle.

Question 27

What is “ancien régim”?

Answer 27

It is a system created in the Middle Ages that separated society into 3 estates. The word given by French revolutionaries to describe the system means Old Order in English.

Question 28

What were the 3 estates in place during the Old Order?

Answer 28

Your estate assignment is based on title or status and not wealth. 1st was the clergy which was composed of 100,000 people. Bishops and high ranking officials were often wealthy while the remaining parish priests were poor. They ran schools, hospitals, and orphanages. The 2nd, the nobility, was made up of 400,000 people. Most lived at Versailles and competed for royal appointments. Many hated absolutism but feared lost of wealth and position so they supported it. Finally, the 3rd estate, the bourgeoisie (middle class), bankers, doctors, merchants, and lawyers, etc., was the most diverse estate and contained 24 million people which was the vast majority of the population.

Question 29

When is French Independence Day/Bastille Day?

Answer 29

July 14th, 1789.

Question 30

What led to the Storming of Bastille?

Answer 30

Widespread famine, Enlightenment ideas, and the Americans serving as a previous example, all led up to the Storming of the Bastille. Economic troubles added to social unrest and heightened tensions.

Question 31

Why was the French government in debt?

Answer 31

Years of spending had put them deep in debt. This can be attributed to the 7 Years’ War, Louis XIV’s lavish court, their support for the Patriots in the Revolutionary War, and the cost of goods rising.

Question 32

What was the proposed solution to France’s financial crisis?

Answer 32

The solution was to increase taxes and reduce spending. However, the first two estates resisted taxes. As a result, Louis XIV ran up more debt. He was weak to push economic reforms mainly because his financial advisor, Jacques Necker, was a fraud and a failure.

Question 33

What was the result of Louis XVI summoning the Estates General (assemble of representatives of the French people) at Versailles to discuss finance?

Answer 33

The result was deadlock with no progress made regarding the issue.

Question 34

How did the National Assembly form?

Answer 34

It formed because the 3rd Estate felt that the 1st and 2nd Estates didn’t represent them. They went to the hall where the Estates General took place but it was locked so they went to a tennis court. Here they took a Tennis Court Oath, in which the 3rd Estate claims they truly represent the people.

Question 35

What happened in the Storming of the Bastille?

Answer 35

On July 14th, 1789, 800 Parisians assembled outside Bastille, a prison. They wanted the weapons stored there although there was none. Ultimately, the commander and 5 guards were killed and prisoners were released. Bastille Day is also known as Independence Day.

Question 36

What were the 4 phases of the French Revolution?

Answer 36

The 1st phase, the National Assembly, is when France became a constitutional monarchy. Second is the Reign of Terror, where the monarchy ends. Third is the Directory, where the pendulum began to swing against extremism. The final phase is the Age of Napoleon, where wars ravaged Europe.

Question 37

What did the National Assembly do?

Answer 37

The NA was forced into action after peasant revolts and the Storming of Bastille. Their aim was to change the unjust system. They abolished estates, forced the nobles to give up their privilege, provided equal rights to all male citizens before the law, and abolished them of their previous exclusion from paying taxes. Churches were now controlled by the state and the monarchy was limited.

Question 38

What was the Declaration of the Rights and the Citizen?

Answer 38

Put forward by the NA, this document ensured free and equal rights, natural rights, and equality before the law for all men. It also ensured freedom of religion and the fair levy of taxes for all citizens, both male and female.

Question 39

What was the “Great Fear” and how did believers respond to it?

Answer 39

It was a conspiracy theory that was believed by citizens in the countryside and rural areas of France. It stated that the French governments was seizing crops. Peasants, in reaction, stole grain and set fire to Old Manor houses.

Question 40

What two factions in Paris fought each other? What did each group believe?

Answer 40

The National Guard were political moderates who were led by Marquis de Lafayette. The group was mainly composed of middle-class militia. They fought on the streets with the Paris Commune, who were radical anarchists. This group wanted to replace the Royalist government of Paris, had no leader, and mobilized violent action for their revolution.

Question 41

Who was Queen Marie Antoinette?

Answer 41

Women marched on Versailles due to their anger with Marie’s resentment of the ongoing famine. The crowds demanded to see the king. Women brought King and Queen to Paris where they lived as virtual prisoners.

Question 42

What two factions formed within the National Assembly?

Answer 42

The Sans-culottes demanded a republic and an end to monarchy. They also wore pants. The Jacobins gained power through a legislative assembly and declared war on Austria, Prussia, etc. in attempt to unite the people against a common enemy. The fighting lasted for 23 years.

Question 43

What was The Convention?

Answer 43

It was formed as a new legislative body in the National Assembly out of fear that counter-revolutionaries were rising. This new body rooted out counter-revolutionaries from their homes.

Question 44

Who was Maximillien Robespierre?

Answer 44

He was the head of the Committee of Public Safety, a new committee created by the new constitution in France in attempt to preserve values of the revolution. Robespierre wanted to close churches and rid France of anti-revolutionaries. The Reign of Terror that follow lasted 1 year and had 40,000 people guillotined. Ironically, Robespierre himself was the last victim of the Reign of Terror.

Question 45

How did the American Revolution influence the French Revolution?

Answer 45

First, a lot of soldiers who defended France were in the American Revolution. Thus, the war along with America’s new Constitution served as a sort of inspiration that provided incentive to rebel against their own government back in France. Lafayette was actually an adviser to Washington. Next, French revolutionaries interpreted the American Revolution as an example for why their own revolution would work. If it worked for the Americans, then it should work for them. Finally, the American Revolution embodies Enlightenment ideals. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution echoes principles such as popular sovereignty, which is the idea that government power comes from the people.

Question 46

Did Napoleon betray the French revolution or further its ideals?

Answer 46

He entirely betrayed them. 1. He was a monarch. Certain factions of the National Assembly, such as the Sans-culottes, vigorously opposed a monarchy and specifically sought a republic.

2. He allowed aristocratic opponents of the revolution to return to France and reclaim some of their lost property. The same code also retracted policies put forward by The Convention.
3. Limited free speech, censored newspaper, established a secret police, and even utilized propaganda to manipulate public opinion. He also ignored the elective bodies that helped form a Republic and instead surrounded himself with military officers that prevented his authority from being restricted.

Question 47

How did Enlightenment Ideals/philosophers influence the American, French, or Haitian Revolution?

Answer 47

Popular sovereignty, the principle that states that all government power comes from the people, was pushed by philosopher Thomas Hobbes. This principle was an important part of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Second, the social contract was pushed forward by Rousseau. It stated an agreement between people and government. If this agreement was not kept, hypothetically, a revolt would happen. Revolutionaries were inspired to push forward this agreement. Finally, the idea of Natural Rights was talked about by philosopher John Locke. Natural Rights are rights that people have from birth such as life and liberty. Freedom of religion was among these rights and this prospect was highly attractive revolutionaries who sought a republic in America.

Question 48

Who was Mary Atwell?

Answer 48

She was an English writer who suggested that absolute sovereignty was no more appropriate in a family than in a state. She questioned why all women were born slaves.

Question 49

Who created the Guillotine, and what was it?

Answer 49

Joseph-Ignace Guillotin created the guillotine. It was a device used to deliver an immediate death without risk of suffocation.

Question 50

What did the Civil Code affirm? What did Napoleon do to limit free speech?

Answer 50

It affirmed the political and legal equality of all adult men, the code also protected private property, and restored patriarchal authority in the family. He limited free speech by censoring newspapers and other publications, and he also established a secret police force that relied on spies to detain suspected political opponents.

Question 51

What occurred in the Haitian revolution?

Answer 51

Slaves in the French colony of Saint-Domingue rose against their overlords and established the independent republic of Haiti. (Only successful Slave Revolt) (The colony made up 1/3 of France’s foreign trade)

Question 52

Who was William Wilberforce?

Answer 52

He was an English philanthropist who was elected to parliament. He relentlessly attacked slavery. After the Haitian revolution, he gathered supporters who believed slave revolts would occur as a result of slave labor. In 1807, parliament passed his bill to end the slave trade.