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Notes for Chapter 16 Lesson 1


Chapter 16
Lesson 1
Democratic Revolutions

The American Revolution
* Summer of 1776- Americans celebrated the Declaration of Independence
* Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence
* Jefferson said that the British did not care about the rights of the American colonists
* The Rights of individuals had deep roots in the history of Britain


* Magna Carta - signed in 1215, became the base of laws that protected the rights of everyone in Britain
* English Bill of Rights - 1689, granted even more individual rights

Declaration of Independence
* Thomas Jefferson was the main author
* Jefferson explained that the laws were supposed to protect
* Jefferson also explained that people have certain rights and that among these is are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness
* This document led to a change in government ---- a revolution

George Washington
* Led the colonists to victory in the Revolutionary War with Britain
* Took control of the American forces in 1775
* Treated his soldiers with respect
* In 1781, after six years of fighting, the colonists won their independence

Enlightenment
* Began in France in the early 1700's
* Focused on ways to create a government that would protect the rights of individuals
* Some important thinkers were:
* Volataire
* Jean-Jacques Rousseau
* John Locke



* Because the former colonists disliked the idea of strong government, the United States became a confederation, or loose group of governments
* The central government had little authority
* Under this government, the states did not always cooperate
* A BIG CHANGE WAS NEEDED!!!!!

Constitution of the United States of America
* States leaders agreed that a change was needed
* 1787 Washington led a group that would draw up a new plan for government----the Constitution of the United States of America
* Established a democratic republic, in which citizens select people to represent them in government
* States and central government shared authority

The central, or national, government was divided into three branches
* One to make the laws
* One to interpret them
* One to enforce them

* Each of these branches was designed to check and balance the authority of the others

Bill of Rights
* Added to the Constitution in 1789
* Protected individual rights- including freedom of speech, and freedom of religion

What roles did Thomas Jefferson and George Washington play in the American Revolution?
* Jefferson was the voice of the American Revolution
* Washington commanded the American Army

The French Revolution
* France helped the Americans in the fight for independence
* This drained the French treasury
* Louis XVI decided to raise taxes to solve the country's money problem
* Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estate General

Estates General
* The First Estate - the clergy
* The Second Estate - the nobles ( owned most of the land, held most of the high government positions, and paid little taxes)
* The Third Estate - doctors to merchants to peasants ( members had little say in the government but paid nearly all the taxes)

National Assembly
* The Third Estate broke away from the Estates General
* They were tired of paying all of the taxes and having no voice in the government
* They claimed the right to make laws
* July 14, 1789 crowds stormed the Bastille and took the weapons and freed the prisoners thus starting the French Revolution


How did Louis XVI's actions help start the French Revolution?
* Increased taxes, all paid by the Third Estate

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
* Promised freedom of speech and religions
* Equal treatment of all citizens under the law
* Ended the special rights held by the First and Second Estates
* Women were given no rights


* The National Assembly adopted a new constitution for France
* The king would remain on the throne, but and elected assembly would make the laws
* Louis XVI publicly agreed to the plan, but secretly asked other countries to attack and overthrow the revolutionaries
* Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette was thrown in jail and stripped of their authority
* A group of young revolutionaries took over and built a new society in France
* Ordered Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette executed by the guillotine

Why did the focus of the French Revolution change from human rights to terror?
* New revolutionary leaders brought violence to France
* They were upset at opposition to the revolution from inside and outside France

Napoleon Bonaparte
* Famous French officer
* 1799 took control of the French government









Napoleon
* Made himself Emperor of France
* Empire reached from Spain to Russia
* Summer 1812 led 600,000 troops into Russia, supplies ran out, winter set in and soldiers dies ( 100,000 left )
* European allies defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815

How did Napoleon affect Europe?
* He conquered lands
* Encouraged the spread of revolutionary ideas