Connections Kevin Thomas

 

The enlightment thinkers influenced several revolutions in many different ways such as the idea of a social contract in the United States, New Granada, and France, and Montesquieu’s separation of power in the United States. In the declaration of Independence Jefferson quotes John Locke on several ideas such as unalienable rights and that after a long train of abuses people have the right to revolt. The United States also used Montesquieu’s ideas about the separation of power after they gained their independence and set up their own government. New Granada revolutionary Simon Bolivar had been educated in Europe as a military commander but had read and studied enlightment thinkers and read their books during his time in Europe, he brought these ideas back with him to South America and used them both to create a revolution and establish a new government in New Granada. In France the lower class was upset about the unfair ruling of the royal family so they revolted and set up a new government as proposed in John Locke’s social contract.

 

The French revolution was a long and difficult process which resulted in change all over the globe from Europe to South America and the Caribbean. The French revolution was a major cause for Haiti and Brazil’s revolutions as well as the New Granada and Rio de la Plata revolutions. When French ruler and commander Napoleon invaded Spain he set up his brother as the new king of Spain, the people in the colonies in Mexico, New Granada, and Rio de la Plata were unhappy with their new government as well as they saw the Spanish as weak and took the opportunity to rebel against them. In Haiti, being a colony of France, they felt the changes of government quickly, more blacks were granted more rights and  the people saw that as the government fell the colonial power was weakened that it was time to rebel so they fought against the white rulers of Haiti. When France invaded Spain the Portuguese were scared of their country falling so they moved their royal family to Brazil and set up a local government with them in charge, years later after Napoleon fell the king and queen moved back to Portugal and their son decided to stay in Brazil. Brazilians were mad now as they had become accustomed to being a self-governed nation and did not want to go back to being a colony, so with help from the kings son they revolted and created Brazil.

 

Overall these populations risked their lives and future to rebel against their government because they had had enough oppression and abuse by the government and were tired of the corruption and did not see it getting better in the future unless they did something about it. Unfair economic and social were the two most important reasons why most of the rebellions happened, in several cases people were upset that they were being taken advantage of and had no say in government. These all happened in this short span of time for 2 reasons, number 1 the books of the enlightment thinkers were popular and influential and inspired several people to act, and number 2 that one revolution either caused or inspired another and set off the chain. The New Granada revolution for example was led by Simon Bolivar who had studied in Europe and read the books of the enlightment thinkers and was inspired by both the French and the American revolution to lead his own.

 

Inequality was the main driver for all the revolutions during this time, be it economical, political, or social, the oppression and mistreatment of government towards its citizens caused revolutions such as the French, Haitian, and New Granada revolutions. In France the royal family had grown corrupt and began to raise taxes on the lower class to the point where people could no longer even eat as the price of bread rose due to a severe drought. Social and political were also the driving factors in Haiti's revolution, the large slave and free black population turned against the much smaller white population and won, gaining independence and freeing the slaves. In New Granada the political injustice of Creoles not being allowed to rule created tension and the inequality in taxation and trade through mercantilism angered during the bourbon reforms angered the South Americans enough to revolt, where they won and gained their independence to create Venezuela and Colombia.