Atlantic+Revolutions




 * 1) Fever Model on the French Revolution**

In a revolution, this stage would involve the political, social, intellectual, or economic causes. In some cases, these causes could fester for many years before showing themselves in the form of actual revolutionary action. || The hereditary nobility represented by the first estate and the clergy of the second estate were completely indifferent to the plight of the third estate: the commoners. Oppressed by the nobles and burdened by the taxes instated by the French monarchy, the public welcomed the Enlightenment ideas of the French philosophers that denounced authoritarianism and inequality. In addition, the bankruptcy resulting from the French participations in the Seven Years' War and American Revolution coupled with inflation convinced the common populace, especially the sans-coulette, the urban artisans and manufacturers, to speak out. || In a revolution, this stage would be the first to involve direct action resulting from the social, political, intellectual, or economic causes of the incubation stage. This stage might involve the publication of works calling for a change, street level riots by the common people, or more direct attempts at changing the society. || The sans-coullete decried the price of bread and demanded protections for the poor. Call to action after the dismissal of Jacques Necker. || In a revolution, this stage would be the make or break part of the struggle. It may involve conflict where sides for and against the revolution compete. This competition could take the form of debate or full-scale war. Successful revolutions survive this stage. Those that do not are usually considered failed rebellions. || The Third Estate withdraws from the estate-general and establishes the National Assembly as a de facto governing body. The French populace lash out against the nobility during the Reign of Terror beginning with the siege of the Bastille. Nobles and anti-revolutionaries are gathered and massacred by the guillotine. Ultimately, Louis XIV is beheaded himself. || In a revolution, this stage would involve recovering from the extreme disruptions of the crisis stage. In general, the political, social, intellectual, or economic causes of the revolution must be addressed in some way, though not necessarily to the satisfaction of all revolutionaries. || The Constitution of 1792 passed by the National Assembly grants civil liberties and fair representative government unlike that of the estates-general. In addition, women are granted suffrage and slavery is abolished. A coup d'etat by Napoleon Bonaparte establishes a dictatorship that only repealed several of the principles of the Constitution of 1792 in the Napoleonic Code. The restoration of the monarchy much later, however, does not impede on the revolutionary impulse as well. The monarchy was deprived of absolutism, bowing down to the restrictions of the parliament and conceding representation in the Chambers of Representatives ||
 * Fever Stage || How this stage applies to the revolution you chose ||
 * **__ The Incubation Stage __**
 * **__ The Symptomatic Stage __**
 * **__ The Crisis Stage __**
 * **__ Convalescence __**


 * The above model can also be applied to the Middle Eastern revolutions happening today. After decades of dictatorship and failed policies, the people are demanding free elections, a right promised to them by self-determinism. From social networking sites, radicals called people to action, organizing civil disobedient protests against the regime. After days of protest, the militias of supporters and protesters combat one another, racking up the casualty count. In several cases, the law enforcement and military side with the protesters, effectively shifting favorability to the protesters during the Crisis stage. As a result, the dictator leaves power and the people work to establish the representative government they seek.


 * 2) Finishing the DBQ using Mr. Green's Model**


 * In the late 18th and early 19th centuries a wave of revolutionary activity swept Europe and the rest of the Atlantic world. In the documents provided it is clear that all of these revolutions were based on enlightenment ideals and reflect a liberal shift in political and social thought. Within this framework, some documents reflect the desire for political independence while other documents reflect new social goals for men, women, blacks, Indians and Creoles. The major reason for these differences is that each revolutionary leader is influenced by their own experiences. The effect of experience can also account for different motives claimed within a given country; different motives can be defined by gender, race and individual interpretations of equality.

While these documents provide a useful insight into goals claimed by leaders, it would be helpful to see an extract from a diary or a private letter. All of the documents are official proclamations and a personal account may reveal different claims, than those publicly expressed. Also a document from a more radical revolutionary element could provide a broader scope of understanding of motivations claimed. Two examples of such documents would be pamphlet’s produced by the Son’s of Liberty in America, or the //Sans Culottes// from France.

Revolutions in the Atlantic world were all inspired by the enlightenment ideals of liberty, equality and self determination. In the Americas, the North American colonists were the first to publically cite violations of “the most sacred rights of liberty” (Doc 1) as a basis for independence. The claims of life and liberty are a direct reflection of ideas contained in John Locke’ Treatise of Government which emphasized natural rights. Similarly, principles of liberty and republicanism are demonstrated by the proclamations of Dessallines and Bolivar. In Bolivar’s advice to the Congress of Argentina he claims that Venezuela was motivated by the desire for republican government and popular sovereignty (Doc 6), while Dessalines focuses on the assertion of natural rights, “we have asserted our rights; we swear never to yield them to any power.” (Doc 5)

Despite the shared enlightenment rhetoric, the Americas provide useful insight as to how different experiences account for different motives. In Haiti, Dessallines’ announcement of independence is clearly motivated by a desire to end slavery and racial inequality. His claim that “the frightful veil of prejudice is torn to pieces” (5) is likely motivated by his own experiences as a slave. It is important to note that while Dessallines’ announcement does accurately reflect the latter stages of the Haitian revolution it is not representative of the revolution’s origins. In the American colonies, leaders claimed their primary motivation was to create FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES (1). This indicates the desire for self determination ranked higher than social equality. The exclusion of the first section of the declaration in which it is claimed that, George III “has waged cruel war against human nature…captivating and carrying them [Africans] into slavery” suggests that the final draft of the Declaration was a compromise. This makes it difficult to ascertain how accurately the claimed motivations reflected the real motivations of different leaders within the American colonies. Bolivar a wealthy //criollo,// advises Argentina to pursue a hereditary Senate and to proscribe slavery (6). This striking difference in motivation is reflective of the social stratification that existed in Spanish colonial society. It is important to note that this document does not reflect the motivations of Argentine leaders, who may not have shared the same ideas as Bolivar. ** --- The French professed the same motives as the revolutionaries in the Americas. For years, the estates system has treated the third estate, the common populace, unfairly, submitting them to overbearing taxes as represented by the third document. Greatly inspired by Enlightenment philosophers like Montesquieu and Voltaire, the French peasantry desired political equality in that the law "must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes" (Doc 2). However, the revolutionary impulse is restricted only to the constituents of the Third Estate who saw the privileges of the First and Second Estate to be corrupt. As a matter of fact, the First and Second Estate saw the Enlightenment impulses as justifications for tax breaks and oppression of the Third Estate. The // Declaration of the Rights of Man And Citizen, // did not however give rights to women. Though the French eventually granted suffrage to women, the initial declaration did not grant such privileges. Olympe de Gouge was a woman playwright and a prominent political activist against slavery who eventually spoke out against the patriarchy of the French society. Her decry of social inequality towards women represented in document four demands that equality for women who are "born free and [remain] equal to man in rights." Until the Constitution of 1792, this greatly conflicted with the patriarchal view of politics at the time. Ultimately, de Gouge was executed for her brazen demands among other reasons.