...The French Revolution © Student Handouts, Inc. www.studenthandouts.com The Old Regime (Ancien Regime) • Old Regime – socio-political system which existed in most of Europe during the 18th century • Countries were ruled by absolutism – the monarch had absolute control over the government • Classes of people – privileged and unprivileged – Unprivileged people – paid taxes and treated badly – Privileged people – did not pay taxes and treated well Society under the Old Regime • In France, people were divided into three estates – First Estate • High-ranking members of the Church • Privileged class – Second Estate • Nobility • Privileged class – Third Estate • Everyone else – from peasants in the countryside to wealthy bourgeoisie merchants in the cities • Unprivileged class The Three Estates Estate Privileges Exemptions •Collected the tithe •Censorship of the press •Control of education •Kept records of births, deaths, marriages, etc. •Catholic faith held honored position of being the state religion (practiced by monarch and nobility) •Owned 20% of the land •Paid no taxes •Subject to Church law rather than civil law •Moral obligation (rather than legal obligation) to assist the poor and needy •Support the monarchy and Old Regime •Collected taxes in the form of feudal dues •Monopolized military and state appointments •Owned 20% of the land •Paid no taxes •Support the monarchy and Old Regime •Nobles First Population •Circa 25,000,000 •None •None •Paid all taxes...
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...individuals thinking for themselves flourish, but so did the ideas of national unity, individual liberty, and social equality. Out of the new sense of unity and liberty, however, a large amount of hubris entered the general attitude of French citizens, creating massive egos and the ultimate violence that led to the Reign of Terror. * The American Revolution that took place between 1765 and 1783 provided an example to those in Europe fighting for their rights. By declaring independence, America proved that “old regimes” can be overthrown. Those who fought in America and returned to France began to tell stories of a life where men are equal and freedom is a reality. With the enactment of the United States Constitution in 1788, ideas of the Enlightenment were solidified and validated (Impact of Revolution, n.d.). Enlightenment thinkers gained great momentum, calling for social and political change all over Europe. French revolutionaries eventually created the slogan, “Liberté, egalité, fraternité,” as a direct result of these free-thinking philosophers. Liberty, equality, and brotherhood are only some of the radical ideas that the American Revolution put forth toward a democratic republic. These dreams of a free democracy, including liberty and equality, entered the minds of French citizens at every social level. Even the French bourgeoisie began to reconsider their own government and monarchic system....
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...historical event. Let’s start with the causes of the French Revolution. A major cause was social injustice and class inequalities. 18th century in French history was the time of feudal abutment. Naturally that is accompanied by different rights and duties for its members. The division of French society members was provided by Estates. In fact, prerevolutionary France experienced three of them: first, second and third estate respectively. The contrast between them was too significant and frustrated the lowest class. The first most privileged Estate was for about 2 percent of the entire population. At the end of scholastic influence era, the power of the Church was unrestricted. As for corresponding benefits, the Estate was out of tax duty. Moreover, the Church was authorized for income tithe claiming. Curiously enough, this minority owned more than 15% percent of France’s lands. The second Estate was nobility. As well as the Church, this class was free from taxes. The power of it was gathered around lands earning. The main sources of incomes were land rent and payments for land exploitation. As the land was the basis of producing relations, it is natural that its owners were the richest. The rest of the population was the third Estate, so called bourgeoisie. Logically that this class had to take entire tax...
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...Jeffrey Schnell HUM2233 6/7/13 Morgan Comparison and contrast: The French and American Revolution Revolution has been seen throughout many nations during man’s reign on this earth. While there are a multitude of factors and reasons behind what creates an uprising of a country, the conclusions of these revolts certainly have one thing in common, that is change. As seen in the American and French Revolutions, citizens dealt and suffered unjust rule, taxation, and social isolation. These two rebellions took place in the same era and are generally grouped together by scholars, even many who would argue that one influenced the other. Under closer examination, while many comparisons can be made, many profound contrasts can be distinguished. This essay will review main occurrences in these two historical events, focusing on the comparisons and contrasts of factors such as causes, goals, and outcomes of both the American and French Revolutions. Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were born of dire economic conditions. While this similarity is true, each country had their own separate financial issues that led to each respective rebellion. The roots of the American Revolution stemmed from the taxation upon the Colonists by the monarchy of the British. Taxes were not something that citizens of the new world were unfamiliar to, but the issue was more vested in just reasoning behind the increased taxes on the Colonies, this idea birthed a familiar phrase of...
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...World Civilizations II Lesson 3: Assignment 3 15 August 2015 The American, French, and Haitian Revolutions: Causes and Consequences The world in the 18th century was in turmoil. Not so much politically as it was philosophically. For centuries the power of government had rested in inheritance and tradition. The king was king by birth and divine right. People were content to accept their lot. You took what life gave you and did the best you could with what you had, but all that was about to change. Starting around the turn of the 17th century, works by philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, David Hume, Emmanual Kant and others began making their way into the libraries of the common people. The ideas about government and its existence were starting to be questioned. The government, the philosophers preached, existed to serve the people, not the other way around. If and when a government fails to be of benefit to its people, then said subjects have the right to abolish the current government. It was this idea, along with the teachings of all men are created equal that would eventually lead to the revolutions that would dominate the end of the 18th century and on into the 19th century. Called the "shot heard around the world" by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his poem “Concord Hymn”, a bullet fired in Concord, Massachusetts in 1775 is credited by many as the official start of the American revolutionary war. In reality, though, it had actually begun more than...
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...Chapter 8 Outline -In 1997, the newly elected Labor party in London gave the Scots (and the Welsh) the opportunity to vote- not for independence, but for devolution. They both voted in favor, taking a major devolutionary step in one of Europe’s oldest and most stable unitary states. - Scotland’s new autonomous status has not necessarily fueled greater calls for independence. - At the heart of most devolutionary moments however, is a strong sense of ethnocultural or economic difference and when sense of difference coincide with conflicting senses of territory, the results can be explosive. - Devolutionary pressures often arise from a combination of sources. - Catalonia produces some 25% of all Spanish exports by value and 40% of its industrial exports. - Economic forces play an even more prominent role in Italy and France. - Italy faces serious devolutionary forces on its mainland peninsula as well one is the growing regional disparity between north and south. The wealthier north stands in sharp contrast to the poorer south. - The most recent of Italian politicians was the Northern League which raised the prospect of an independent state called Padania. The Northern League’s Efforts fell short. - Devolutionary events most often occur on the margins of states. - Distance, remoteness, and marginal location are allies of devolution. - The regions most likely to seek devolution are those far from the national capitol. Many are separated by water, desert, or mountains...
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...the relationship between the rise of liberalism and nationalism, the industrial revolution, and the emergence of modern political systems in Europe. Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Political history of France : Chapter 2 Political history of Germany: Chapter 3 Political history of Great Britain: Chapter 4 Political history of Italy: Chapter 5 Political history of Spain: Introduction In studying political history of European states, we put a focus on the beginning of the 18th century as a starting point in the rise of major European powers in the face of waning non-Western empires, which led to the consequent politicization of the region as a whole, raising the stakes in the division and distribution of resources, areas of influence and geostrategic waterways. During the 18th century, Europe has seen the rise of despotic monarchies in some of the European...
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...Unit 1: Individual Project Margaret Mukula U.S. History-x-1302A-02 American Intercontinental University Abstract This paper addresses the literature that followed soon after the Revolutionary War. One of them being The Articles of Confederation which served as a written document establishing the functions of the national government of the United States after it was declared independent from Great Britain. It established a weak central government that mostly, prevented the individual states from conducting their own foreign diplomacy, (EB 2012). The Articles of Confederation mentions the Albany Plan which was an earlier, pre-independence attempt to join the colonies into a larger union. However according to the book (EB 2011) this had failed somehow because of the individual colonies being concerned about losing power to another central institution. That being the case though, it helped the American Revolution gain momentum and this lead to many political leaders see the advantages of a centralized government that could coordinate the Revolutionary War. Benjamin Franklin went on a drew up a plan for “Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.” Some delegates, however, like Thomas Jefferson, supported Franklin’s proposal even though many others strongly opposed Franklin’s plan. Congress however did table this plan. (EB 2012). The Articles of Confederation therefore went on to mention how after the Declaration of Independence Continental Congress...
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...France The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a fundamental impact on French history and on modern history more broadly. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[1] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles of Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity). The royal houses across Europe were horrified and led a countercrusade that by 1814 had restored the old monarchy, but many major reforms became permanent. So too did antagonisms between the supporters and enemies of the Revolution, who fought politically over the next two centuries. Amidst a fiscal crisis, the common people of France were increasingly angered by the incompetency of King Louis XVI and the continued indifference and decadence of the aristocracy. This resentment, coupled with burgeoning Enlightenment ideals, fueled radical sentiments, and the French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in...
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...Flash back ten years, and Argentina enjoyed an average annual growth of 9%, was the strongest economy in Latin America and considered an impending rival to the up-and-coming BRIC countries. Over the ensuing years, as employment increased and incomes rose, government revenues and spending also increased. Today, economic turbulence, accelerating inflation, and ad hoc economic interventions characterize Argentina. Since January 2013, the value of the U.S. dollar has skyrocketed 29% and the unofficial exchange rate is almost double the official rate. Double-digit inflation is estimated at about two and a half times the official rate, and the prices of Argentine products have nearly tripled. Argentina faces a 2.4% annual growth rate, restrained economic capacity, a censure from the IMF, challenges to recent trade measures in the World Trade Organization (WTO), and social unrest at levels similar to the aftermath of the 2001 economic crisis. To strengthen government coffers, foreign and domestic enterprises have been nationalized. As a country with so much potential, so rich in natural resources, culture and history, one can't help but ask: what is happening today in Argentina, what's next, and will Argentina change course? The current administration, under President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has intervened in the economy to stem capital flight and protect depleting foreign exchange reserves in ways that are unpredictable and inconsistent. Measures include a series of strict...
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...Atlantic Revolutions, 1600-1825 The revolutions of the eighteenth century have their origins in political and cultural developments of the seventeenth century. Of course, they were also products of all of major developments the European conquest of the Americas, the rise of kingdom states and empires, the tremendous wealth that resulted from the expansion of global trade, and the development of colonial cultures and societies in the Americas. Scholars call these cultures and societies creole societies, because they blended elements of European, native American, and African culture and society. Developments in England, 1641-1688 But revolutions are also inspired by ideas, and ideas that we may take for granted today had much of their start in England. Political conflict in Great Britain was a common theme of the seventeenth century. In 1641, a civil war led to the execution of the king (Charles I), and the establishment of a republic, what was known as the Commonwealth. Politics and religion both played a part in the Civil War, with the English nobility and wealthy commoners (whose interests were represented in Parliament, England’s legislature) wanting a greater say in how royal revenues were raised and spent. This republic quickly became a military dictatorship, and the old king’s son (Charles II) was invited back. But when Charles II died, the next king soon ran into trouble with Parliament, who feared that this king, James II, wanted too much power for himself. So in...
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...Strategic Intelligence – Niger Niger Instead of the U.S. randomly tossing funds to a poverty-stricken Niger that can’t quite keep its head above water, a more direct approach should be taken. If the U.S. were to take on a more personal role with Niger, as a surrogate “Big Brother,” would this not be more efficient and stabilize Niger all the more quickly? This would mean a partnership between the two countries where the U.S. would first send in its armed forces to take charge of Nigerien forces and bolster security force numbers. Then, admitting grants and loans for American industries to develop inside of Niger, bringing in American managers and trainers to utilize a Nigerien workforce to mine raw materials, thus creating jobs, skills, and financial stability for the country. Simultaneously bringing in special skills workers such as engineers, doctors, and the like to aid in reworking Niger’s infrastructure from the most basic crisis on up. All funded by Niger’s own natural resources. To better understand if such an agreement between the U.S. and Niger would even be a viable option; there are a few variables to consider about the country of Niger that include: Niger’s geography, history and politics, military, transport and economy, demographics and religion. Niger is a landlocked nation in West Africa and located along the border between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan regions. Niger’s area is 1,267,000 square kilometers of which 300 square kilometers is water. In...
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...Revolutions 159 Revolutions 1688-1815 Chapter 15 W Louis XIV’s bedroom in Versailles. Each day officially began with a ceremony of getting him out of bed, his “rising,” and ended with a similar retiring ceremony at night. The small fence was to keep the onlookers at a safe distance, somewhat like a fence at a zoo. hen William and Mary ascended to the British throne in 1688 it was hailed as “the Glorious Revolution” for no blood had been shed and the British had a nation with greater political freedom than any other in Europe. Their ascent to the throne was quickly followed by a Declaration of Rights which guaranteed things like trial by jury and parliamentary representation to all British citizens. John Locke, the author and philosopher who supplied much of the intellectual foundation of the glorious resolution wrote in his Second Treatise on Government: “Man being born, as has been proved, with a title to perfect freedom, and an uncontrolled enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature, equally with any other man, or number of men in the world, hath by nature a power, not only to preserve his property, that is, his life, liberty and estate, against the injuries and attempts of other men…” Locke further contended that the role of government is to preserve these rights and that the power of government is a result of the individual citizens collectively agreeing to be ruled. In July of 1776 Thomas Jefferson would modify Locke’s treatment of natural...
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...The acquisition of the Louisiana territory by the United States on April 30th, 1803 from France was a crucial and prosperous event in American history. As in The Louisiana Purchase, Thomas Jefferson once said, “This little event, of France’s possessing herself of Louisiana is the embryo of a tornado which will burst on the countries on both sides of the Atlantic and involve in its effects their highest destinies” (Zurn 101). Without the Louisiana Purchase, the U.S. would not have grown and prospered into the nation it is today without the territory’s exploration, discovery, mobility, and political debate. To begin, after months’ of negotiation, the acquisition of the Louisiana territory led to the largest enthusiasm for expansion the U.S....
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...THE UNITED STATES The U.S. had emerged as the world's wealthiest and most powerful country- untouched from the horrific destruction of World War 2. The dollar was the strongest currency and foreigners flocked to invest in American companies and to buy U.S. government bonds. They played a leading economic role, as other nations needed American goods and services; transforming life in the United States itself. Many Americans prospered in the world's wealthiest economy, although some segments of the population were left to struggle. As Americans became more affluent, many moved from the cities to the suburbs and also to the states in the Southern and Southwestern parts of the country- where jobs were becoming more plentiful than in the industrialized Northern states. The vast popularity of American culture abroad confirmed the global influence of the U.S., as the world embraced their various art forms. Elvis Presley, musical comedies, Hollywood romances, and action movies were recognized worldwide. The federal government also contributed to this boom, as the congress created programs that helped the veterans, the elderly, and the poor; as well as approving government funding to build a major interstate highway system. After World War 2, conflicting ideologies and mutual distrust caused divisions between the former Allies, leading to the conflict known as the Cold War- a state of tension and hostility between nations aligned with the United States on one side and the Soviet Union...
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