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1.How did the Enlightenment influence the Age of Revolutions?

The enlightenment dramatically influenced the age of revolution by inspiring people and revolutionary leaders to revolt against their governments, encouraging them to think about politics and giving them a basis for their new societies. Philosophers such as John Locke and Jean Jacque Rousseau, along with many others, influenced the people of these revolutions. In Haiti, leader of the revolution Toussaint L’Ouverture was inspired by European philosophy and used it to empower the slaves of Haiti to revolt (http://learnhaitirevolution.weebly.com/). Philosophers also influenced the people of the French Revolution. Jean Jacque Rousseau inspired the people of France to think about politics and equality, ultimately leading them to revolt against the monarch (http://frprojectwh.wix.com/thefrenchrevolution). Many revolutionary leaders in the American colonies studied philosophers, such as Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu, and took concepts from them, such as those of social contract and limited government. This can be seen in the Declaration of Independence when Thomas Jefferson mirrors some of John Locke’s major ideas, such as people have the right to “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” (http://amuricanrevolution.weebly.com/). As one can see, the Enlightenment in Europe heavily influenced the age of revolution by empowering the people of Haiti and France to revolt and giving the basis for a new government in the American colonies.

2. How did the French revolution cause other revolutions?

The French revolution was one of the major uprisings in the Age of Revolutions that not only changed the lives of the people in France but stimulated other nations to revolt against their government. Countries such as Haiti, Mexico and Brazil were caused by the French revolution in various ways. In Haiti in 1791, France gave full French citizenship to the free people of color, angering the other social classes. This led to a dispute between the social classes and was a spark to the slave revolt (http://learnhaitirevolution.weebly.com/). The idea of the French revolution and its success also encouraged the revolutionary leaders of Mexico to rebel against their government for independence. The “Acta de Indepedencia” written in 1821¸describes how Mexico wants to be independent and what they have been through to be independent (http://nataliaswart.wix.com/mexicanrevolution). In Brazil, the royal family had fled from Portugal for protection from the war of the French Revolution. Because of this, tension grew between the Brazilians and the Portuguese, since the Brazilians wanted to keep its power instead of becoming a dependent colonial state. Thus, Brazil rebelled against Portugal in order to obtain their independence (http://joshmejia2.wix.com/brazilianrevolution). In conclusion, the French revolution was a cause for other revolutions to occur, whether it be a direct dispute with France from the revolution, much like in Haiti and Brazil, or merely the idea of success and independence, like in Mexico.

3. What role did inequality play in the age of revolutions?

Inequality played a major role in the age of revolutions, causing people the take action against the governments and colonial powers and rebel. Countries such as France, those of South America, and Haiti all fell victim to social inequality, which eventually caused them to revolt against their governments. Commoners in France were not being treated as equal as noblemen or other high officials, which angered the people and led them to revolt (http://frprojectwh.wix.com/thefrenchrevolution). Similarly, in the South American countries, the social classes were unequal. At the top, Peninsulares had the most power and were superior to all others. Everyone else suffered from social and economic depression, leading them to initiate the Rio de la Plata revolution in an attempt to rebel against Spain (http://viceroyaltyriodelaplata.weebly.com/). Likewise in Haiti, the slaves and lower class were not equal to the white planters at the top of the social class. The slaves were treated unfairly in the plantations and lived in poor conditions while the other lower classes had few economic rights and were discriminated by the white planters. This inequality and tension was eventually one of the causes for the Haitian revolution (http://learnhaitirevolution.weebly.com/). All in all, inequality played a major role in revolutions across the world, from Europe to South America. Tension was present in society and social and economic inequality angered the lower classes, causing them to revolt for more rights and equality.

4. Why did these revolutions take place, and why did so many of them take place during this period?

Many rebellions occurred during the Age of Revolutions and they were caused by various reasons, such as inequality among society, abhorrer towards the governments and colonial powers, and the desire to be independent and free. In many colonies, disparity manifested itself among the social classes and with the present governments and colonial powers. For instance, in Haiti, the slaves and the lower classes did not have as many rights as those in the higher classes. This inequality angered them, which was another cause for these revolutions. The colonies were angry with the colonial powers and governments for not only for limiting their rights and inequality but also treating them unfairly with mercantilism. These caused society to want to be independent from the colonial power, which with all of this eventually led all these revolutions to occur. But why all during this period? A chain reaction from the first revolutions, which inspired and sparked others to rebel. To conclude, these revolutions occurred for various reasons, from inequality to the desire for independence, and all happened near one another because of a chain reaction from beginning revolutions, which, along with long causes, sparked these revolutions.

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