Revolutions have, in history, proven themselves to be an effective sacrifice against many unjust societal and governmental practices, the final attempt of the oppressed to change things for the better. The America, Latin America, French, and Haitian revolutions were no exception. Although all four revolutions were fought differently, and for their own unique, individual reasons, they all are excellent examples of uprisings in history that challenged traditional ways and succeeded. The American Revolution, fought between 1765 and 1783, was a political upheaval the thirteen colonies undertook to reject British colonial rule. When the French and Indian War ended in 1763, the British King George III ruled over a country swimming in debt. In an attempt to combat this, the King began to impose taxes on the colonies, in the hopes that the income from the taxed colonies could begin to pay off the debts he gained in the recent war. Colonists, who found this unfair, began to boycott British goods in protest. This small act of rebellion outraged the king and persuaded him to send British armed forces to ensure the colonies would not rebel fully. On April 19, 1775, the aforementioned armed forces entered into an altercation with a local colonial militia, who were enraged at the British military presence in the colonies. This was called the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and was the first military conflict between British military and the militia of the colonies. In 1778, the French joined forces with the colonies, and in October of 1781 British forces surrendered, and two years later the Treaty of Paris made America’s independence from the British official. In Latin America, a conquest of European imperialism at the time, there was no singular revolution, instead a series of rebellions for independence.
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During the Napoleonic wars the Spanish monarchy began to weaken, and the aforementioned rebellions began to occur. The people of Latin America desired independent states, and they were willing to fight for them. The first rebellion was in 1791, when Toussaint L’Overture and his slaves led a revolt against the government of St. Domingue. The attack against the colonial government was successful, and St. Domingue became the independent republic of Haiti. A rebellion was attempted in Mexico in 1810 by Father Miguel de Hidalgo, but even though he had mestizo and Indian support, he had no backing from Creoles, and his attempt was ultimately a failure. However, in 1820 Augustin de Iturbide, a Creole military officer, became emperor of Mexico City and separated from the rest of Central America in 1838. A nation called Gran Colombia was formed between the years of 1817 and 1822 when Simon Bolivar conquered Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. By 1825, Spanish South America had freed itself from European rule. In 1822 Brazil joined the other independent countries when the exiled Portugal government declared Brazil as such. Lasting from 1789 to 1799, the French Revolution was the result of a catharsis of resentment due to political, economic, and social inequalities. The Third Estate, a social class of peasants, artisans, and merchants, suffered the brunt of these inequalities. While nobility did not have to pay certain taxes, those in the Third Estate did. Resentment over inequalities such as these grew, and the revolution came to a boiling point on May 5, 1789. Louis XIV had called for a meeting of the three estates (the noble, the clergy, and the common people), in an attempt to find a solution to the overwhelming debt his country has sustained from war costs. While the Third Estate, aided by select members of the clergy and nobility, took the Oath of the Tennis Court (those who took this oath swore to not separate until they had compiled a constitution for France), an army of civilians gathered near Versailles and capture an old French prison formerly used by royalty, called the Bastille. In 1791, those who swore the Oath of the Tennis Court took action, in the form of the abolishment of nobility, the transformation of France into a limited monarchy with a one house legislature, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Louis XIV initially heeded the boundaries that had been
During the Napoleonic wars the Spanish monarchy began to weaken, and the aforementioned rebellions began to occur. The people of Latin America desired independent states, and they were willing to fight for them. The first rebellion was in 1791, when Toussaint L’Overture and his slaves led a revolt against the government of St. Domingue. The attack against the colonial government was successful, and St. Domingue became the independent republic of Haiti. A rebellion was attempted in Mexico in 1810 by Father Miguel de Hidalgo, but even though he had mestizo and Indian support, he had no backing from Creoles, and his attempt was ultimately a failure. However, in 1820 Augustin de Iturbide, a Creole military officer, became emperor of Mexico City and separated from the rest of Central America in 1838. A nation called Gran Colombia was formed between the years of 1817 and 1822 when Simon Bolivar conquered Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. By 1825, Spanish South America had freed itself from European rule. In 1822 Brazil joined the other independent countries when the exiled Portugal government declared Brazil as such. Lasting from 1789 to 1799, the French Revolution was the result of a catharsis of resentment due to political, economic, and social inequalities. The Third Estate, a social class of peasants, artisans, and merchants, suffered the brunt of these inequalities. While nobility did not have to pay certain taxes, those in the Third Estate did. Resentment over inequalities such as these grew, and the revolution came to a boiling point on May 5, 1789. Louis XIV had called for a meeting of the three estates (the noble, the clergy, and the common people), in an attempt to find a solution to the overwhelming debt his country has sustained from war costs. While the Third Estate, aided by select members of the clergy and nobility, took the Oath of the Tennis Court (those who took this oath swore to not separate until they had compiled a constitution for France), an army of civilians gathered near Versailles and capture an old French prison formerly used by royalty, called the Bastille. In 1791, those who swore the Oath of the Tennis Court took action, in the form of the abolishment of nobility, the transformation of France into a limited monarchy with a one house legislature, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Louis XIV initially heeded the boundaries that had been