Age of Reason (1750-1900)

Age of Reason (1750-1900)

• Also known as the Enlightenment.
• Key philosophies included humanism, logic, and reasoning.
• The scientific method was emphasized.
• A key aspect involved challenging authority, particularly that of the Church and rulers.
• The Enlightenment pushed for human rights, leading to revolutions.
• Women's rights became a central issue.
• Wealthy men discussed Enlightenment ideas in parlor meetings.
• Mercantilism involved kings and queens dictating business practices to enrich themselves.
• Adam Smith advocated "Laissez-faire" economics, arguing for businesses to be run by individuals, considered the father of economics.

Enlightenment

• Began in Germany.
• Promoted learning and challenging the existing system.
• Encouraged risk-taking.
• John Locke advocated for three natural rights: life, liberty, and property.
  • Believed government was necessary to maintain order.
  • Argued that people have the right to rebel if their rights are not protected.
  • People began to question authority.
• Voltaire, a French upper-classman:
  • Associated with European rulers.
  • Was very rebellious.
  • Criticized the Pope and was jailed.
• Baron de Montesquieu built on Locke's theories.
  • Advocated for the separation of powers within government.
  • His ideas influenced the U.S. system.
• J.J. Rousseau advocated for democracy and the general will of the people.
• Cesare Bonesana Beccaria, an Italian, spoke against the corruption of the justice system.
  • His ideas formed the basis for the Bill of Rights, speedy trials, and protections against cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a jury of peers.
• Women played a role in the Enlightenment.
• Mary Astell wrote before the Enlightenment but was printed during the time.
  • Called for a Serious Proposal to the Ladies
  • Advocated for women's education.
    • Wife + husband.
    • Believed women and men are equal.
  • Started this.
• Mary Wollstonecraft wrote "A Vindication of the Rights of Women".
  • Disagreed with Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
  • Believed women were smarter.
  • Said women should be doctors, not just nurses.
  • Suggested women should vote.
• Émilie du Châtelet was a wealthy, educated French woman.
  • Became a mathematician and physicist.
  • Translated Newton's laws from Latin to French.
• Salons were spaces where women discussed these issues.
• Marie Thérèse Geoffrin, a self-educated French middle-class woman, rose in prominence.
  • Held talks with the rulers.

Music (Vienna, Austria)

• Marks the start of classical music.
• Brought society together.
• Became the cultural capital of Europe.
• Characterized by orchestra formation.
  • Composers create different music for each instrument, but the conductor brings it together.
  • This idea was an analogy to society.
• Beethoven, though deaf, created music based on vibration.
• Mozart created music with symphony.

Enlightenment Figures

• Nicolas Copernicus: Proposed Heliocentrism, that the sun is the center of the universe.
• Galileo Galilei: Proved earth orbits around the sun.
• Isaac Newton: Developed geometry and physics.
• Denis Diderot: Wrote encyclopedia.

Societal Impact

• Challenged authority of both church and traditional thinking.
• Literature shifted towards novels and fiction written in vernacular language.
  • Allowed women could read romance novels.
  • Books challenged peoples minds.
  • Example: Robinson Crusoe, Gullivers travels.
• Some kings and queens tried to adopt some Enlightenment ideals, leading to the concept of "enlightened despots" or absolute monarchs (though some only feigned doing so).
• Fredrick the Great, King of Prussia:
  • Was truly enlightened, but did not act the power.
  • Improved education, reformed the justice system, and reduced censorship.
  • Attempted to get rid of feudalism, but the lords resisted change.
• Maria Theresa, Queen of Austria:
  • Paid her workers.
  • Helped the poor with tax relief.
  • Tried to abolish serfdom.
  • Upon her death, Joseph II took over.
• Joseph II:
  • Enacted religious freedom.
  • Abolished serfdom.
  • Championed freedom of the press and implemented legal reforms.
• Catherine the Great, Queen of Russia:
  • Expanded Russia and modernized it.
  • Recommended progressive ideas to nobles, but these often weren't implemented due to the power of the lords.
  • Implemented religious freedom and abolished torture, but Lords did not allow it.
• Rebellions began against nobles, causing nobles great trouble.
• Catherine tried to expand Russia through ports, couldn't as they wouldn't be open in the Winter.

American Revolution

• Each colony had its own local government for day-to-day affairs.
• England still had overall charge, having system of Mercantilism.
• King George III was an absolute monarch.
• Mother country had a lot of war debts and told people there had to be colonies.
• British often found themselves at war w/ Spain and France.
• Colonies were often surrounded by Quebec(France) and Florida(Spain).
• 4 wars lasted but last one was a Seven Year war.
• War in the colonies: French Indians vs England
• British won Canada from it.
• Biggest prize was India, due to tea.
• French took over Portugal ports Now the British conquered.
• King taxed colonies w/ Stamp Act, 1st Colony Tax.
  • As war was expensive, gave it to colonies, and said they would share India profit.
  • Taxes on taxed paper.
  • Also taxed sugar.
  • Taxed tea, led to Tea Party.
• Colonies had to pay more taxes, have more soldiers, and had closed harbors, very expensive now.
• People forced to house soldiers.
• Boston massacre - 7 ppl died.
• Picture made by pic made by Paul Revere.
• Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense.
• Brit also too away the colonies ability for local gov, so they made a secret Continental Congress.

Road to Revolution

• The colonies sent a letter to the King via the Olive Branch Petition to prevent escalation.
• King said no and sent more troops.
• Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, basically a comprehensive list of grievances.
• TJ wanted Parliament to read it & Convince the king to stop.
• Only the king saw it, so they went to war.
• Constitution was based on enlightened thinkers.
• Colonists forgot the rights, so they went back to write the Bill of Rights.
• Washington hated being president bc everyone thought he would be a dictatorship.
• Started a chain reaction in other places.

French Revolution

• Time of great division: life was amazing if you were a rich, bad bad if you were poor & lived in the slums
• It wasn't another civil war, but 2 Countries.
• Had similar reasons to the US Revolution but mostly diff
• River ran thru Paris, the closer you live to the river the worse your life was.
• Poor people lived on the river, rich people didn't.
• Tale of 2 Cities showed the difference in how the rich and poor lived.
• Austria Queen sent her daughter to marry the French King to try to stop a war.
• She was 15 and he was 19.
• She held huge parties and didn't care about money as it was from taxes.
• She Spent a crazy amount of money, she was called Madame Deficit.
• She also had a gambling problem.
• Made the poor mad as they had didn't wanna pay the taxes.
• Also had a drought, which led to no food. Mostly impacted poor.
• 3 Estates:
  • 1st Estate - Roman Catholic Church
    • Didn't pay taxes.
    • Owned a lot of land & peasants, had a tithe, give charge of 10%.
    • Made church rich.
    • Owned 10% of the land.
  • 2nd Estate - Nobles
    • A lot of them all related to each other.
    • All rich.
    • Not a lot of taxes be related to King & + Queen.
    • Owned 20% of the land.
  • 3rd estate - Everyone else
    • Paid most the taxes.
    • Had to pay the church tax.

The Estates

• Peasants made up 80% of the 3rd estate.
  • Mostly poor farmers.
• Workers were made up of Cooks/servants with very low pay
• Bougeosise: -Professional ppl merchants Drs etc.
• Went to the the King& Said we don't have any money left.
• King Says tax Estate 1&2 but they were like no. Estate generals (local elected lenders) came to Paris to figure out what to do.
  • Estate generals Said you can't tax us you already toxsed us too much.
  • Meeting turned into a screaming match, which started Revolution. King disappears ppl take over & makes a new Constitution based on us constitution.
• They try to go back to the meeting room to write it but the King locked it.
• So instead they did it on a Tennis Court.
• Bougie had the highest paying Job in 3d Estate = pay the most taxes.
• Slums hear that Rebellion is starting & that if anyone revolt the King Will Send the SWISS to stop them.
• Switzerland protects the pope in Vatican city & are supposed to be neutral.
• French Army is all lower class so they all leave to join the Revolution.
• Building that is both Armory & Prison Called the Bastille.
• On July 14th ppl from the Slums stole the Weapons Freed the prisoners & bum the Bastille.
• After, they go back to the slams & Barricade themeselves, beginning the violence of the revolution.

Revolution

• In 2 Revolutions; Slums & Bougie
• There were no good leaders in France, so it was hard to have Revolution.
• Great Fear: the people were scared that the Army was gonna come & kill them.
• Meanwhile still a shortage in drought + food.
• In October, women from the slums came & protest at the Palace. they wanted to bring the King & Queens to the slums and show them what they've done.
• Kill the guards and storm the palace.
• This is When Marie Antoinette said "let them eat cake".
• Women get the King & Queen & Other people in the palace and take them to the middle of Paris
• Hold them as hostages.
• Same time bougie is writing the Declaration of the rights of man & of the citizen.
• base it on the enlightenment ideas.
• Slogan of Revolution "Liberty, Equality, & Fraternity".
• Still no freedom for Women.
• A lady named Olympie de Gouges Writes Declaration of rights of women.
• She gets thrown in jail & Killed.
• She had a trial & they charged her as a traitor/enemy of the Revolution.
• French Women only got the right to vote in 1948.
• King & Queen are basically on house arrest.
• the ppl loyal to the King & Queen are fighting the lower class.
• Rebels Confiscate church lands be they didn't pay taxes.
• The peasants who lived there (Manor System) always Went to church on Sundays & now the revolutionaries took it away

• a lot the peasants were mad abt this

• the lord had all there identity papers & they burned them - big problem.

The End of Monarchy

• King & Queen try to escape to Austria to (Queen's parents).
• they get caught be the Queen was hungry So they stop at an inn.
• now they are put on trials for treason & killed by them.
• The ppl who were making the laws are called Legislative Assembly.
• They'd then make a limited monarchy & force the king to sign it.
• Made smt Similar to the American Congress.
• Made them Sit in groups of what they believed should happen to France.
• 3 groups:
  • Radicals believed they should Kill everyone and make huge change.
  • Conservative: believed there shouldn't be a lot of change.
  • Moderates: people in the middle.

Sans-Culottes

• Radicals Called Sans-Culottes bc they wore long pants.
• Be the rich Wore Culottes, short pants.
• Women Started dressing diff.
• Radicals end up being the most powerful & it made them crazy.
• Other Europeans get Scared it's gonna happen in their Country.
• So Austria & Prussia (Germany) declare War to put the King & Queen back in Power.
• some ppl that were let out Bastille jail Start a mob & Kill all the Conservatives.
• A leader named Jean Paul Murat then comes.
• Start of the Guillotine
• The execute the king and it, which the ppl cheer for.
• Murat Went crazy so they ended up killing him with it.
• Britain, Holland & Spain join Austria.
• The French get an Army of 30,000 men & Women.
• Which doesn't get far.
• A new leader who's even Crazier comes: Maximilian Robespierre
• Killed everyone who was close to the king: noble, maid etc.
• They then killed him.
• About 3,000 ppl Were executed in Paris.
• About 4,000 across France.
• Moderate leaders then Wrote a new Constitution.
• A new executive body of 5 people comes.
• These 5 people are very Corrupt everything, which is done thru money.
• They make peace W/ 4/5 Countries, which is everyone but Britain.
• 5 people then Wanna boost Morale.
• So they make a hero, Napolean Bonaparte.

Napoleon

• Why? be he won a crazy battle W/ Austria. the 5 people wanted to make a parade instead, so Napoleon turned into a dictatorship. - Son of very poor and a noble from Corista. - Very mountainous & you Cant farm So he was poor. - Nobles Sons either Went to be a priest or Military. - He went to military school top of his class. - Sympathetic to poor people and to the 3rd estate bc he wasn't a rich noble. - Came to be known as a great General & military man. - Hitler Was big admirer of Napoleon & made the Same mistakes as him. - When the 5 Countries attacked France, Napoleon Was a low Commander. - He was very stubborn & Surrounded the Austrian army and got them to sign a treaty - Napoleon became a Hero. - 5 man directory had a parade in Paris for him + then the 5 men asked Napoleon to invade Britain. - Napoleon Says no, instead he invades china for money- bc they had all the silver.

China & Egypt

        - But Couldn't get all the  way in one go so invaded Egypt 1st for there gold also to make a canal to china
        -  Same time invaded the rest of Europe
        - Napoleon gains, as he gains hate & respect of his enemies
       - Egypt Was controlled by the  ottomans but local  governors of the Mamluk.
        - Napoleon invades & Captures Egypt with his navy
        - His invasion sets the stage for, Battle of the Nile-British then invade defect the French for the win.
    - Napoleon thinks he can Conquer Ottomans so goto place called Acre & tries to fight the Ottomans there
         - but they didn't bring enough Water and plague happens

• Napoleon sneaks back to France & leaves his Army behind
• Napoleon comes back tells the people everything's going great - New plan - to overthrow 5 men Directory - and changes France by-taking away diff Social classes. - New legal system, New tax.

Post Revolution

• Everyone gets taxed equally via central bank. - Also had a new school system and the put tax on luxury goods Wine, Tobacco, Sugar etc. - Sign a Peace treaty With the British - Still, a man Dominated Society .
• Now Napoleon is respected and now calls himself an Emperor. . - needs Someone to crown him threatens pope to do it and says every place France conquers will will be catholic. . - now Napoleon ego took over and he tries take over Spain Italy Austria eventually Russia and finally go to china

•       - Left Britain and Switzerland alone - big Mistake 
  

• ,goes to Egypt & navy get caught by the brits again - and gets money from Haiti with Slaves & Sugar Cane

•        - Place Columbus ist went to in 1992
        -Makes Sugar plantation and he buys & Sells Slave from Africa
         - taxes the people a lot on sugar as its addicting
  

Society

• Maroons - English
  • Morron-French, Mawon - Creole (slang French).
  • All Names of runaway Slaves. -French class system diff then Spanish
  • Creole in Spain (White people born in Colony to french it was a freed Slave) . A Haitian Creole is a 2nd class Citizen
  • manumission-Free Slave
• Toussaint L'Overture of them becomes a Plantation owner French start cheating him & .
• French start cheating him & he starts a revolution -Napoleon taking all this money made creole class poor, leader of revolution Toussaint L'Overture -Napoleon Sends 7000 men to stopit Swampy plantations so most die of disease, Soon Haiti becomes democracy in first ever the Caribbean , us Expanded to the Midwest
  • Now Us Used the Mississippi to ship crops but French Controlled it and Made everyone pay a toll
  • TJ didn't like that so Sends people to france to but New Orleans if Napoleon says no then go to England & Start war -
    • France instead give TJ Louisano Territories For 15 million-Louisiana Purchase
    • biggest Napoleon mistake ends up being Haiti, so Makes a new navy to try to take over Egypt again-battle of Trafelga - - British beat him again with a Win by Admiral Nelson - Keeps expanding his takeover of Europe continental so keeps expanding of Europe

Aftermath

• Continental System-Napoleon tries to Surround UK So cant get food

So England does it right back to France

• Napoleon Sends huge Army to Spain & Portugal. French used guerrilla Warfare Spain ended up killing 10,000s of Frances Army.
• Napolean biggest mistake is that invades Russia.
• Russia Stopped Embargo to Britain. &gets Napoleon mad invades
• Napoleon gets got mad and then, invades
• Russia burns the Supplies between them Napoleon & Winter Comes don't have Supplies Napoleon.
• French arming dies of frostbite & try to go back to France but gets Captured and made to Surrender
• Napoleans is then send him to an island off Italy called Elba but he escape after 100 day.

Finale

• Gets a army back on Gets a new Army & becomes a leader again get.
• Gets to Belgium , British and Russian-battle of Waterloo , & battles goes for
  • 4 days then Napoleon Surrenders
• Takes France population takes a long time to go back takes .
• Then British Builds him a jail on a mountain an island called St Helena Where he can't
• Napoleon dies there

War of 1812 Topics

• Americans tried to invade Canada & these people are then Called so called War hocks

• British invade Boston harbor & then bum DC

• When Napoleon Signed Surrender so did America British also get New Orleans

End of the War

• Bunch us Army misfits that was under Andrew Jackson Surprised the Brits.

• Get America back New Orleans happen.

• Happened after US technically Surrender

• 1815 Congress of Vienna took over the lands.

• Europe comes together & tells France to get a king. .

Impact of war

• Reaty for no more war, so the war that lasts for 99 years.
• Establish a balance of power so no country, no strong Country.
• If one they, will Then If one country does rise up then the others have to come together & fight, -bc they weren't fighting in Europe fought in
• Europeans then Fought in & Conquered Colonies.
• Whoever gets the good land ist so then gets the best resources