Ideas Help Start A Revolution? The 48 Correct Answer

question

What if your revolution is crushed?

Community Response

Suppose you started a revolution, people got involved, took action, fought against the powers that be and only then were defeated. You can return home knowing that although you have been beaten, the seed has been sown and can grow stronger in the future. Throughout history you will find many examples of this. The Russian proletariat was massacred on what became known as Bloody Sunday in January 1905, only to strike again in 1917, successfully dethroning the Tsar and months later the Mensheviks in the events leading up to the creation of the Soviet Union. Fight to educate the masses to your cause so they can rise again when the time is right.

There must be at least two different groups or sides at odds

In the fields of history and political science, a revolution is a radical change in the established order, usually the established government and social institutions. Typically, revolutions take the form of organized movements aimed at bringing about change—economic change, technological change, political change, or social change. The people who start revolutions have found that the institutions currently in place in society have failed or are no longer serving their intended purpose. Since the goal of revolutions is to overthrow the established order, the characteristics that define them reflect the circumstances in which they arose.

Revolutions arise when the social climate in a country changes and the political system does not react immediately. People become discouraged by existing conditions, which changes their values ​​and beliefs. Throughout history, philosophers have held different views as to whether revolution is a natural occurrence in a changing society or whether it portends societal decay. The Greek philosopher Aristotle linked the revolution to a number of causes and conditions, but above all to the desire for equality and honor. Plato connected revolution with social decline. He believed that revolutions happen when institutions like the church or the state fail to instill in society a system of values ​​and a code of ethics that prevent upheaval.

Throughout the Middle Ages, Europeans generally did what they could to prevent revolution and preserve the established order. The Church maintained authority throughout the Middle Ages and aimed to preserve stability in society at all costs. Sometime during the Renaissance, however, the concept of revolution began to change. People began to believe that change was necessary for society to progress.

Between 1450 and 1750, philosophical and political ideas were changing rapidly around the world. The Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the Protestant Reformation all took place during this period, and people expanded their worldviews as they learned new concepts and accepted new ideas. At that time, most countries in Europe had absolute monarchies, and people began to question the power of absolute government. As her dissatisfaction grew, her questions turned into protests. A wave of revolutions took place in the 17th century, an era commonly known as the Age of Enlightenment—revolutions in France, Latin America, and the American colonies. In all these countries, the revolutions not only changed and replaced political systems, but also transformed public opinion and brought about far-reaching changes in society as a whole.

The American Revolution was a war between the 13 British colonies in North America and Great Britain. It lasted from April 19, 1775 to September 3, 1783 and led to the independence of the colonies.

War Timeline

The following timeline describes the events leading up to the American Revolution, beginning with the end of the French and Indian War in 1763. It follows the thread of increasingly unpopular British policy against the American colonies until the colonists’ objections and actions became open to hostility . The war itself lasted from 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord until hostilities officially ended in February 1783. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 was signed in September to officially end the Revolutionary War.

1763

February 10: The Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War. After the war, the British continued to fight a series of rebellions against indigenous peoples, including one led by Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe. The financially draining war, combined with the increased military presence for protection, will be the impetus for many future British government taxes and policies against the colonies.

October 7: The 1763 proclamation is signed, forbidding settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. This area is to be designated and governed as indigenous peoples’ territory.

1764

April 5: Grenville Acts are passed in Parliament. These include a series of measures designed to increase revenue to pay off the debts of the French and Indian wars, as well as the costs of administering the new territories granted at the end of the war. This also includes measures to increase the efficiency of the American customs system. The most offensive part was the Sugar Act, known in England as the American Revenue Act. It increased tariffs on items ranging from sugar to coffee to textiles.

April 19: The Currency Act passes Parliament, banning the colonies from issuing paper money as legal tender.

May 24: A Boston town meeting is held to protest Grenville’s actions. The lawyer and later legislator James Otis (1725–1783) first discusses the appeal of taxation without representation and calls for the union of the colonies.

12-13 June: The Massachusetts House of Representatives establishes a Correspondence Committee to communicate with the other colonies about their grievances.

August: Boston merchants begin a policy of not importing British luxury goods in protest at British economic policies. This later spreads to other colonies.

1765

March 22: The Stamp Act is passed in Parliament. It is the first direct tax on the colonies. The purpose of the tax is to help fund the British military stationed in America. This act is met with greater opposition and calls for taxation without representation are growing louder.

March 24: The Quartering Act goes into effect in the colonies, requiring residents to provide quarters for British troops stationed in America.

May 29: Attorney and orator Patrick Henry (1836–1899) begins discussion of the Virginia Resolutions, asserting that only Virginia has the right to tax itself. The House of Citizens adopts some of his less radical pronouncements, including the right to self-government.

July: Sons of Liberty organizations are formed in towns in the colonies to fight against the stamp agents, often with open violence.

October 7-25: The Stamp Act Congress is held in New York City. It includes representatives from Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina. A petition against the Stamp Act is drawn up to be sent to King George III.

November 1: The Stamp Act goes into effect and all business is basically suspended as colonists refuse to use the stamps.

1766

February 13: Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) testifies before the British Parliament on the Stamp Act and warns that using the military to enforce it could lead to open rebellion.

March 18: Parliament repeals the Stamp Act. However, the Declaratory Act is passed, giving the British government the power to make all the laws of the colonies without restriction.

December 15: The New York Convention continues to fight the billet bill and refuses to provide housing funds for the soldiers. The crown suspends the legislature on December 19.

1767

June 29: The Townshend Acts are passed by Parliament and introduce a range of external taxes – including tariffs on items such as paper, glass and tea. Additional infrastructure is being built to ensure enforcement in America.

28 October: Boston decides to reintroduce bans on British goods in response to the Townshend Acts.

December 2: The Philadelphia lawyer John Dickinson (1738-1808) publishes Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies, explaining the problems of British taxation measures in the colonies. It’s very influential.

1768

February 11: Former tax collector and politician Samuel Adams (1722–1803) sends a letter with the approval of the Massachusetts Assembly arguing against the Townshend Acts. It is later protested by the British government.

April: More legislatures support Samuel Adams’ letter.

June: After a dispute over customs violations, the ship Liberty owned by the merchant and politician John Hancock (1737–1793) is confiscated in Boston. Customs officials face violence and flee to Castle William in Boston Harbor. They send a request for help from British troops.

September 28 British warships arrive to assist Customs officials in Boston Harbor.

October 1 Two British regiments arrive in Boston to maintain order and enforce customs laws.

1769

March: A growing number of major traders support non-importation of goods listed in the Townshend Acts.

May 7: British military man George Washington (1732–1799) introduces non-import resolutions to the Virginia House of Burgesses. Proclamations are made by Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee (1756-1818) to King George III. (1738–1820) sent.

May 18: After the Virginia House of Burgesses is dissolved, Washington and the delegates meet at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia to approve the no-import treaty.

1770

March 5: The Boston Massacre occurs, killing five colonists and wounding six. This is used as a propaganda piece against the British military.

April 12 Crown of England partially repeals Townshend Acts, except for tariffs on tea.

1771

July: Virginia becomes the last colony to give up the No-Import Treaty after the repeal of the Townshend Acts.

1772

June 9 British customs ship Gaspee is attacked off Rhode Island coast. The men are put ashore and the boat is burned.

September 2 The English Crown offers a reward for the capture of those who burned the Gaspee. The perpetrators are to be sent to England for trial, which angers many colonists as it violates self-determination.

November 2: A Boston city meeting chaired by Samuel Adams results in a 21-member Correspondence Committee to coordinate with other Massachusetts cities against the threat to self-government.

1773

May 10: The Tea Act goes into effect, retaining import tax on tea and giving East India Company power to undercut colonial merchants.

December 16: The Boston Tea Party takes place. After months of growing dismay over the Tea Act, a group of Boston activists disguised as members of the Mohawk tribe boarded tea boats anchored in Boston Harbor to dump 342 kegs of tea into the water.

1774

February: All colonies except North Carolina and Pennsylvania established Correspondence Committees.

March 31: The coercive laws are passed in Parliament. One of these is the Boston Port Bill, which does not allow shipping other than military supplies and other permitted cargo to pass through the port until tariffs and tea party costs are paid.

May 13: General Thomas Gage (c. 1718–1787), commander of all British forces in the American colonies, arrives in Boston with four regiments of troops.

May 20: More coercive laws are passed. The Quebec Act has been called “intolerable” because it moved part of Canada to areas claimed by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Virginia.

May 26: The Virginia House of Burgesses is dissolved.

June 2: A revised and more onerous neighborhood law is passed.

September 1: General Gage confiscates the Massachusetts Colony’s arsenal in Charlestown.

September 5: The First Continental Convention meets with 56 delegates at Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia.

September 17: The Suffolk Resolutions are passed in Massachusetts urging the Coercive Acts to be unconstitutional.

October 14: The First Continental Congress adopts a declaration, resolving against the Coercive Acts, the Quebec Acts, billeting of troops and other objectionable British actions. These resolutions enshrine the rights of the colonists, including the rights to “life, liberty and property”.

October 20: A continental coalition is adopted to coordinate no-import policy.

November 30: British philosopher and activist Thomas Paine (1837–1809) emigrates to Philadelphia three months after meeting Benjamin Franklin.

December 14: Massachusetts militiamen attack the British arsenal at Fort William and Mary in Portsmouth after being warned of a plan to station troops there.

1775

January 19: The declarations and resolutions are submitted to Parliament.

February 9 Massachusetts declared a state of rebellion.

February 27 Parliament accepts a reconciliation plan that eliminates many of the taxes and other issues raised by the colonists.

March 23: Patrick Henry delivers his famous speech “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” at the Virginia Convention.

March 30: The Crown approves the New England Restraining Act, which disallows trade with countries other than England and also prohibits fishing in the North Atlantic.

April 14: General Gage, now Governor of Massachusetts, is ordered to use any force necessary to enforce all British laws and halt any build-up of colonial militia.

18-19 April: The battles of Lexington and Concord, considered by many to be the start of the American Revolution proper, begin with the British setting out to destroy a colonial arms depot in Concord, Massachusetts.

One of the criticisms of the Confederation’s statutes was that they did not provide:

He was very rich and noble when he came to America at the age of 19. He believed in the freedom Americans were fighting for and asked for help. He became a general on Washington’s staff and fought hard. He was known as “the soldier’s friend” and is buried in France, but his grave is covered with soil from Bunker Hill.

Reasons for the War of Independence

by William S Price, Jr.

Reprinted with permission from the Tar Heel Junior Historian. Autumn 1992.

Tar Heel Junior Historian Association, NC Museum of History

brewing problems

In 1774, the year before the Revolutionary War, unrest was brewing in America. Parliament (the Congress of England) had passed legislation taxing the colonists in America. In 1764 there had been the Sugar Act, the following year the Stamp Act and a host of other laws designed to get money from the colonists for Britain. The colonists didn’t like these laws.

Britain passed these laws because of the French and Indian War that ended in 1763. This war, fought in North America, left Britain with a huge debt that had to be paid. Parliament said it fought the long and costly war to protect its American subjects from the powerful French in Canada. Parliament said it was right to tax the American colonists to pay the bills for the war.

Most Americans disagreed. They believed that England had waged the costly war primarily to strengthen her empire and increase her wealth, not to benefit her American subjects. Also, Parliament was elected by people living in England, and the colonists felt that the legislators living in England could not understand the needs of the colonists. The colonists felt that they were not represented in Parliament as they did not vote for MPs in England. So Parliament had no right to take their money by levying taxes. “No taxation without representation” became an American rallying cry.

By 1774 much of this unrest had calmed down, particularly in the southern colonies. Most North Carolinians went about their daily lives on farms, raising crops and tending herds, and in the towns doing business, cooking, sewing, and dozens of other trades and chores. They didn’t often think of the King of England or his royal governor in North Carolina.

But beneath that calm surface were problems. Just three years earlier, 2,000 tar-heel farmers, so-called Regulators, had led an uprising on Great Alamance Creek, the largest armed rebellion to date in an English colony. They wanted to “regulate” the governor’s corrupt local officials, who charged high fees and confiscated property. Royal Governor William Tryon and his militia crushed the rebellion at the Battle of Alamance.

Another problem beneath the surface dormancy lay in the large African and American Indian populations. Many in both of these groups hated their lowly positions in a society dominated by powerful whites. Some white colonists believed that if war broke out with England, these other Tar Heels would support the king in hopes of gaining more control over their own lives.

Finally, Tar Heels knew that other colonies continued to resist English control. In 1773, colonists in Boston, Massachusetts had dumped cargoes of tea in the harbor instead of paying Parliament’s taxes on the tea. The Boston Tea Party turned all of the colonies against Parliament, which continued to show its contempt for the welfare of the colonists.

North Carolina and the Continental Congress

In June 1774 the Massachusetts legislature issued a call for all colonies to meet at Philadelphia to discuss these problems. But royal governor Josiah Martin refused to call a session of the North Carolina legislature in time to select delegates to go to Philadelphia. So the colony’s Whigs (those who favored independence) formed a provincial congress that sent representatives to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in September.

The revolution begins in North Carolina

The movement against English rule spread rapidly. In April 1775, British soldiers, nicknamed Lobsterbacks because of their red coats, and Minutemen—the colonists’ militia—exchanged gunfire in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Described as “the shot that was heard around the world,” it signaled the start of the American Revolution and led to the founding of a new nation.

North Carolina joined the war the following month. In New Bern, on May 23, Abner Nash (who later became governor) led a party of Whigs to Tryon Palace to confiscate the cannon there. Eight days later, Governor Martin became the first royal governor in the colonies to flee office. He sought refuge at Fort Johnston at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. In July he was forced to abandon the fort and fled to the safety of a British ship anchored off the coast.

For eight years, the Old North State was the scene of Revolutionary War suffering. There was battle and bloodshed: the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in February 1776, the destruction of the Cherokee Indian villages of western North Carolina by Patriot leader Griffith Rutherford that summer, and the battles at Kings Mountain and Guilford Courthouse. There were dead and injured, a terrible lack of food and warm clothing, destruction and loss of property, and constant fear.

Halifax decides

While soldiers fought the war on the field, North Carolina’s public leaders also fought for independence. In April 1776 the North Carolina Provincial Congress met in Halifax and decided to send a message to the Continental Congress. The group urged all colonies to declare their independence from Britain. These Halifax Accords were the first official action by a colony calling for a common quest for independence. Now there was no turning back. After members of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, all that could be done was bloodshed.

Tories and Whigs

But the North Carolinians were very divided. There was a bitter struggle between the Whigs and the Tories (the pro-England ones) trying to force the other to agree with their views, or at least to discourage them from helping the other side. John Adams, who became the second President of the United States, said that in the revolution a third of the people were Whigs, a third Tories and a third were unsided. This was not true of all colonies, of course, and perhaps North Carolina had more Whigs than Tories.

A new government

In the midst of war and with a divided population, North Carolina began trying to form a new government. The king’s governor had fled. If the king were no longer the sovereign, the center of authority and order, who would be? Where should the government come from?

All colonies faced this problem. They knew English law and understood about governors, legislatures and judges. The new “twist” in 1776 was the practice of devolving power of government to the people rather than to a monarch. How this popular sovereignty would be expressed in elections and how often and who would be entitled to vote would become a subject of considerable debate.

In November 1776 the provincial congress met in Halifax to draft a bill of rights and a constitution and form a new government for the state. First the Declaration of Rights was approved, and the following day the new Constitution was approved. The Declaration of Rights guaranteed personal liberties – including the right to choose one’s form of religious worship, to write and say what one believes, and to hold peaceful public meetings. The constitution provided for a form of government with three equal branches: an executive to run state government, a legislature to make the laws, and a judiciary to enforce the laws. The constitution also included provisions for holding public office, voting, and public education.

When the Patriots passed their civil rights acts before assuming their form of government, they showed the importance of individual liberties to a people struggling against what they saw as an oppressive government imposed by the king and parliament.

In both its Bill of Rights and its constitution, North Carolina – like the other states – showed a deep distrust of the government. Tar Heels believed that personal liberties needed to be put in writing. They believed that each branch of government must be independent of the others, lest a single person or group have too much power.

With the formation of the new government, revolutionary Americans achieved their greatest achievement. They decided that sovereignty would rest with the people of the nation, not with an individual (like the king) or an institution (like parliament). Democracy would be the ideal.

The system developed was not perfect then and is not perfect today. But the ideal of “government by the citizens and for the citizens” was the fuel that fueled the revolutionary vision of a just society. It is the ideal that allows change when people desire change.

For example, at that time only free men who had a certain amount of wealth were allowed to vote. But since then the requirement of ownership has been removed. women are allowed to vote. Slavery was abolished. Now all adult citizens of the United States (except those who have committed serious crimes) are allowed to vote. Extending the right to vote – the right to vote – to a larger number of people means that citizens have more power over their own government.

Many Tar Heels who lived in 1776 would be horrified to see that everyone has the right to vote. Other revolutionaries of the time would be pleased that the democratic government they created has grown strong and is functioning so well. The great legacy of the American Revolution is that it formed a government that allowed debate and dissent. This government is capable of developing and improving as society progresses.

It seems strange and wrong to us today that the men of Halifax could be talking about personal liberty and better government while keeping African Americans in slavery and denying women and men without property the right to vote and other rights. But the dramatic struggle for constitutional rights in the 1780s was orchestrated by an all-white, all-male cast.

As much as we question the ideas of some founders, we must recognize the importance of what they have achieved. They passed the United States Constitution, which created a government based on written principles subject to change. In doing so, they established a method to achieve fundamental changes such as the abolition of slavery and the expansion of voting rights in the future.

1. There was a secret plan to kill George Washington.

2. Some British soldiers were actors at night.

Actors at the Old John St. Theatre, 1791. Photo credit: NYPL Digital Collections

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3. 200 original copies of the Declaration of Independence were made.

Photo credit: National Archives

4. Some Revolutionary War veterans had their picture taken.

5. Invisible ink was used to deliver top secret messages.

6. Deborah Sampson dressed up as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

7. More troops died from disease than from fighting.

8. Many revolutionary women were spies.

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9. Paul Revere was also a dentist.

Ideas that have influenced and changed the world. These include political ideas such as democracy, nationalism and socialism; it also includes technological, religious, and scientific ideas and movements.

political ideas

democracy

In early history, most societies were ruled by a small clique of oligarchs or just one powerful king/ruler. Democracy was a revolutionary idea that everyone in society should have a say in how it is governed, who governs it, and also give everyone the opportunity to participate. The development of democracy was a gradual process. Ancient Greece had some of the earliest experiments in participatory democracy, with writers like Aristotle sharing democratic ideas. In 1215 the King of England was forced to sign the Magna Carta – based on the important principle that a king’s power is not absolute but subject to the consent of (at least some) his subjects. Only in the 20th century did we see the widespread adoption of universal democracies, where all adults can vote and participate in the political system. See: People who helped shape the growth of democracy)

Independence movements (1776)

In the 18th century, the idea of ​​building an empire was widespread. Great European powers saw it as a natural right to increase their wealth by expanding their empires overseas. The American independence movement was one of the first major departures from a colonial power. American colonies (which had previously thought of themselves as British) aspired to independence and the right to govern themselves. In the 19th and 20th centuries, independence movements were among the most powerful political forces in the world. For example, Simon Bolivar led many Latin American countries to independence. In 1947, India gained independence from Britain, which spelled the end of the British Empire.

feminism

For most of human history, power has largely been exercised by men, while women’s lives have been confined to narrow spheres. It was widely believed that women were unsuited for certain jobs, voting, or participating in politics. In the 19th century, the women’s suffrage movement campaigned for women’s suffrage. There have been similar attempts for women to invade previously male-only realms. For example, in the 19th century we see the first registered doctors, lawyers and engineers. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries we have seen women gradually gain more rights and opportunities previously denied to them. (see: women’s rights activists)

Communism (19th and 20th centuries)

Against the backdrop of Victorian capitalism, Karl Marx and Frederich Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto, which called for a revolution to overthrow capitalism and replace it with a communist society based on equality. Political and economic philosophy was an important feature of the Russian Revolution. Communism polarized politics in the 20th century and was supported by many countries seeking liberation from colonial rule. Communism as a political force largely died out with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. (See: Famous Socialists)

League of Nations / United Nations

After World War I, US President Woodrow Wilson wanted to create a new world order that would prevent such a devastating war in the future. Among his 14 points, he advocated the creation of a League of Nations, which would be an international forum that would attempt to defuse conflicts and offer diplomatic solutions. The influence of the League of Nations was very limited, but after World War II a second attempt was made with the establishment of the United Nations. This included all major powers and has often played a leading role in global affairs.

Human Rights (1948)

Throughout history, many states have ignored basic human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights attempted to formalize these basic human rights. – “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and practice.” (UN Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 )

European Union

Until 1945, European countries were frequently at war, often with devastating consequences. In the post-war period there was a desire to create a European organization that would promote harmony, cooperation and the end of national rivalries. The EEC was established in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome. The EEC evolved into the European Union (EU) and now includes 28 European countries and, with the exception of the Yugoslav civil war, has helped promote a new era of stability and peace.

scientific ideas

scientific method

In the Middle Ages/Renaissance there was an increasing use of the scientific method. Rather than relying on past texts, past beliefs, and even mythologies, the scientific method sought to understand scientific truths through observation of the natural world. It also involved creating hypotheses and testing them against observable results. It was a critical aspect of the scientific revolution of the Renaissance. Early pioneers of the scientific method include the Muslim scholar Ibn al-Haytham, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, and Francis Bacon.

heliocentrism

In the Middle Ages it was believed that the earth was the center of the earth. Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, was the first to challenge this theory with his revolutionary De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (1543). Copernicus used mathematics and astronomical observations to formulate a theory that the earth revolved around the sun. It was revolutionary because it challenged the orthodoxy of Aristotelian philosophy and the view of the Catholic Church. Sixty years later, Galileo Galilee published a work supporting this Copernican view; it led to Galileo’s arrest for heresy and his book being banned, but eventually the heliocentric view was accepted and marked the beginning of a new scientific era.

Gravity (1687)

Sir Isaac Newton published Principia Mathematica in 1687 – it explained laws of motion, the universal theory of gravitation and developed concepts of analysis. It revolutionized how we saw the world – for example, understanding that the moon revolved around the earth because the earth had a greater mass and therefore greater gravitational pull. Newton was the founding father of modern physics, and his work provided a blueprint for future physicians and mathematicians for the next few centuries.

Free Market Economy (1776)

At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, Adam Smith wrote the classic text The Wealth of Nations – expressing principles that could help increase economic prosperity. Smith expressed the benefits of the free market’s invisible hand and the benefits of free trade. Smith, for example, was not uncritical of free markets, pointing to monopoly problems. But his theory formed the basis of classical economic theory. Although economists differ on how much government should intervene to overcome free market problems, most economists agree on the importance of free market principles in certain aspects of the economy.

Development (1859)

In the mid-19th century, many believed that the Bible was the literal Word of God. This included the belief that the world was only 6,000 years old and that God created the first humans, Adam and Eve, in Eve’s garden. Darwin’s theory of evolution radically changed our view of the creation of life. Darwin showed that man had gradually evolved through a process of natural selection. Evolution has radically changed our view of biology and history, and has shown the limitations of a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Theory of Relativity / Quantum Theory (1920)

Albert Einstein developed a theory of relativity – the idea that time and space are not uniform but can vary according to circumstances; it enabled a universe of infinite possibilities and greater unpredictability. Quantum theory was important in the development of atomic power and atomic bombs. It has also been used in new technologies such as GPS.

The unconscious

Sigmund Freud was a pioneering psychoanalyst who placed much greater importance on dreams and the subconscious. It led to the development of psychoanalysis and an attempt to understand the subconscious. Although many dismissed Freud and his theories on the Oedipus complex, he opened up new areas of research and interest that had not previously been considered.

technological ideas

Agriculture

Early man was a hunter-gatherer, often in search of his next meal. In these very primitive societies there was very little opportunity to develop stability, culture, and more advanced forms of civilization. Adopting agricultural methods such as growing early forms of wheat, oats, and barley allowed people to settle in specific locations and build more cohesive societies and embryonic city-states. Farming also provided better nutrition and gave people more free time to pursue activities other than food gathering. It is agriculture, more than anything else, that has enabled the development of human civilization.

Electricity (1832)

In the 19th century great strides were made in harnessing the power of electricity and using it in modern society. In particular, Michael Faraday invented an electric motor in 1821. Later scientists such as Alexander Graham Bell, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison helped make electricity a practical tool of modern life, allowing electric lights, televisions and a whole host of modern gadgets to save households time and allow for more leisure and productivity.

World Wide Web

Beginning in the late 1960s, computer engineers developed methods of connecting computers over networks that could share data. However, it was the creation of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners Lee in 1990 that helped unleash the power of the Internet. Over the next two decades, the use of the Internet skyrocketed, radically changing the availability of data and knowledge around the world. The World Wide Web is having a tremendous impact on society, changing the way we shop, interact and share information.

Religious/spiritual ideas

enlightenment

Many different religious traditions have emphasized the importance of striving for spiritual enlightenment rather than worldly success. For example, the Buddha taught that man can overcome life’s inevitable suffering through meditation – controlling the mind, letting go of desires and entering the universal consciousness of nirvana. Other religions have used different language, but the main idea is that the true goal of life is spiritual attainment, and this has inspired many to prioritize spiritual life – over worldly attainments.

The golden rule

“Do to others what you would have done to yourself.” Treat others as you would like to be treated. If we treat everyone as our own selves or our dearest relatives, we would not hate, deceive, or hurt, but only behave with love and compassion. If people followed the golden rule, it would change the world. The Golden Rule is found in some form in all major religious and spiritual traditions.

religious tolerance

Often followers of religions have the feeling that only their religion is the right one. To maintain their supremacy, they have tried to downplay other religions. This has even led to religious persecution and religious conflicts. However, in recent decades there has been a growing awareness of religious tolerance and religious unity. The idea that all religions can offer different paths to the same goal. In 1893, at the first World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda made an influential plea for religious tolerance and the underlying unity of different religions. This Parliament is often seen as the beginning of the global interfaith community.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Ideas That Changed the World”, Oxford, www.biographyonline.net, 5 April 2015.

Related Pages

people who changed the world. Famous people who changed the course of history.

Women Who Changed the World – Famous women who changed the world including Sappho, Marie Curie, Queen Victoria and Catherine the Great.

Quotes that changed the world – Inspirational quotes that changed the world from some of the world’s leading minds such as Einstein, Buddha, Darwin, Galileo.

Inventions that changed the world. – From aluminum and aircraft to pasteurization and penicillin.

Books that changed the world. Important books that influenced and changed society and the world. Including The Republic, The Iliad, The Communist Manifesto and The King James Bible.

The French Revolution was motivated and shaped by several different ideas. Three of these ideas were summed up in a well-known revolutionary slogan: “Freedom! Equal rights! Fraternity!”. However, the ideology of the French Revolution was broader and more complex than mere slogans. French revolutionary ideas drew heavily on Enlightenment political philosophy and the writings of philosophers.

sources of ideas

French revolutionary ideas borrowed from other political systems and places. For example, many French revolutionaries were enthusiastic students of British government and society. They admired its constitutional basis, its separation of powers, and its tolerance of individual rights and freedoms.

Also of importance was the American Revolution (1775-89), which ended parallel to the French Revolution. The American model provided the French reformers with a working example of a successful revolution and a written constitution.

The ideas of the French Revolution were also inspired or shaped by grievances specific to 18th-century France. Some of the key ideas are summarized below.

freedom

In the eighteenth-century context, liberty meant freedom from oppression, particularly oppression by the state or government.

The most visible instruments of repression in the Ancien Régime were lettres de cachet, or sealed orders signed by the king. These letters served multiple functions, but their most common use was to arrest and imprison people without trial or due process.

Several notable figures were imprisoned by Lettres de Cachet, including Honore Mirabeau (for embarrassing his family) and Voltaire (for defamatory writings).

Another example of state repression was the censorship of publications criticizing the king, nobility or church. The Ancien Régime also used torture to deal with its opponents, although this declined in the late 18th century and was officially abolished in May 1788.

equal rights

Equality also underpinned the ideas of the French Revolution. The social structure of the Ancien Régime was uneven and unjust, particularly with regard to political participation and taxation.

Third estate citizens wanted equality. However, some wanted a more limited form of equality than others. The aspiring bourgeoisie wanted political and social equality with the nobility of the second estate. They favored a meritocracy: a society in which rank and status were defined by ability and achievement rather than birthright and privilege.

For this they looked to the newly formed United States, where a revolution had transferred governmental power to talented and able men. The bourgeoisie, however, was reluctant to share political equality with the lower echelons of the Third Estate. They did not support universal suffrage, believing that voting should be a privilege of the propertied classes.

fraternity

The revolutionary slogan fraternité can best be translated as “brotherhood”. The fraternity suggested that the nation’s citizens bonded in solidarity. It combined nationalism with love and concern for one’s fellow citizens.

Fraternity was the most abstract, idealistic and unattainable of all revolutionary ideals. It was more common in the early stages of the revolution when the new government produced positive reforms such as the August Decrees and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Many pictorial sources from 1789-90 have fraternity as a central theme. They show how the three estates cooperate and work together to improve the nation. As the revolution progressed and political divisions emerged, this focus on unity and brotherhood quickly evaporated.

popular sovereignty

Up until modern times, most kings and governments claimed their authority came from God, a concept called the monarchy of divine right. This idea was challenged in the Enlightenment with the advent of popular sovereignty.

Popular sovereignty is the idea that governments derive their authority from the approval and support of the people, not God. It was based in part on the idea of ​​a “social contract” between individuals and their government, a concept put forward by writers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

A corollary of popular sovereignty is that when a government fails or mistreats its people, the people have the right to replace them. This principle was used to justify the American and French revolutions.

Popular sovereignty underpinned Emmanuel Sieyès’ What is the Third Estate?. Since the Third Estate constitutes the vast majority of the nation, Sieyès argues, it is entitled to representation in the national government.

constitutionalism

When the Third Estate split from the Estates-General in June 1789, they met at a nearby tennis court and pledged to remain in the assembly until France had a constitution.

This desire for a constitution—a written framework defining the structures and powers of government—was a feature of the American and French revolutions. Frustrated by the failures and broken promises of kings and ministers, many revolutionaries wanted a government backed by a constitutional document.

These revolutionaries believed that constitutional government would impose severe limits on power and spell the end of absolutism and arbitrary decision-making. It would prevent tyrannical abuses and create a government that works for the good of all.

The French revolutionaries again used the United States Constitution, drafted in 1787 and enacted the following year, as a working example.

This constitution created a democratically elected republic in which the branches of government and their powers were clearly articulated. It also embodied Enlightenment political concepts such as popular sovereignty, natural rights, and separation of powers.

natural rights

Also emerging from the Enlightenment, particularly in the writings of the British philosopher John Locke, was the concept of natural rights.

As the name suggests, natural rights are rights and freedoms accorded to all human beings, regardless of what laws or governments they live under. The American writer Thomas Jefferson called natural rights “inalienable rights” because they cannot be taken away.

According to Locke, there were three natural rights: life, liberty, and property. All people had the right to live in safety, to be free from oppression, to acquire property and to protect it from theft or confiscation. It is the responsibility and duty of government, Locke wrote, to uphold and protect the natural rights of individuals.

The first phase of the French Revolution was dominated by the liberal bourgeoisie, concerned with protecting natural rights. The high point was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which was passed by the National Constituent Assembly in August 1789.

anticlericalism

The Catholic Church and its role in society and government were divisive issues in the French Revolution.

Many philosophers and French revolutionaries were vocal critics of the Catholic clergy. They condemned the wealth and profiteering of the Catholic Church, its tax exemption, its political influence, its suppression of new ideas, and its neglect of the French people.

This dissatisfaction was also found among the lower clergy, with men like Emmanuel Sieyès frustrated by corruption, venality, and a lack of accountability within the Church.

Most critics of the church and its higher clergy were neither atheists nor anti-religious. They were anticlericalists who wanted to reform the clergy and limit its social and political power.

Anti-clericalism shaped several revolutionary policies, including the confiscation of church lands, the civil constitution of the clergy (July 1790), and attempts to create a state religion.

A historian’s view:

“The discussion of liberty, equality and fraternity has strongly influenced political thought since the time of the French Revolution… The revolution marked the triumph of the ‘people’. In 1789 she promulgated the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”. In theory, many of the ideas were poorly worked out. For example, the revolutionaries proclaimed men’s rights, but women were largely excluded from the process. In practical terms, revolutionary fervor turned into fanaticism and the revolution turned against itself.”

Paul Picker

1. The ideas of the French Revolution stem from the Enlightenment, influenced by the British political system, inspired by the American Revolution and shaped by local grievances.

2. The most famous expression of French revolutionary ideas was the slogan “Liberty! Equal rights! Fraternity”, although this was simplistic and did not encompass all the ideas of the revolution.

3. The early part of the revolution was motivated by Enlightenment political concepts such as popular sovereignty and constitutionalism, which aimed to create a more effective system of government.

4. Another key revolutionary idea was the codification and legal protection of natural rights: individual rights and freedoms that neither law nor government could ignore or abolish.

5. Another important revolutionary idea was anticlericalism, which sought to reform the Catholic Church, particularly the actions of its clergy, by reducing political influence, interference and corruption.

citation information

Title: “The Ideas of the French Revolution”

Authors: Jennifer Llewellyn, Steve Thompson

Publisher: Alpha Story

URL: https://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/revolutionary-ideas/

Release date: September 13, 2020

Access Date: July 14, 2022

Copyright: The content of this site may not be published without our express permission. For more information on usage, see our Terms of Use.

The Glorious Revolution, also known as “The Revolution of 1688” and “The Bloodless Revolution”, took place in England from 1688 to 1689. It involved the fall of the Catholic King James II, who was replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange. The motives for the revolution were complex, encompassing both political and religious concerns. The event ultimately changed the way England was governed, giving Parliament more power over the monarchy and laying the groundwork for the beginnings of political democracy.

King James II

King James II ascended the throne in England in 1685, at a time when relations between Catholics and Protestants were strained. There was also significant friction between the monarchy and the British Parliament.

James, who was a Catholic, supported freedom of religion for Catholics and appointed Catholic officers to the army. He also had close ties with France – a relationship that worried many English people.

In 1687, King James II issued a proclamation of indulgence, suspending penal laws against Catholics and allowing some Protestant dissenters to be admitted. Later that year, the king formally dissolved his parliament and attempted to create a new parliament that would support him unconditionally.

James’ daughter Mary, a Protestant, was the legal heir to the throne until 1688, when James had a son, James Francis Edward Stuart, whom he announced would be raised Catholic.

The birth of James’ son changed the line of succession, and many feared a Catholic dynasty in England was imminent. The Whigs, the main group opposed to the Catholic succession, were particularly outraged.

The rise of Catholicism by the king, his close ties with France, his conflict with Parliament and the uncertainty of who would succeed James to the English throne led to rumors of a revolt – and eventually the fall of James II.

William of Orange

In 1688, seven of King James’ colleagues wrote to the Dutch leader, William of Orange, pledging their allegiance to the prince should he invade England.

William was already taking military action against England, and the letter served as an additional propaganda motive.

William of Orange assembled an impressive armada for the invasion and landed at Torbay, Devon in November 1688.

However, King James had prepared for military attack and left London to deploy his forces against the invading army. But several of James’ own men, including his family members, deserted him and defected to William’s side. In addition to this setback, James’ health deteriorated.

James decided to retire to London on November 23. He soon announced that he was ready to agree to a “free” parliament, but planned to flee the country out of concerns for his own safety.

In December 1688, King James attempted to escape but was captured. Later that month he made another attempt and successfully fled to France, where his Catholic cousin Louis XIV held the throne and where James eventually died in exile in 1701.

Bill of Rights

In January 1689 the now famous congressional parliament met. After considerable pressure from William, Parliament approved a joint monarchy with William as king and James’ daughter Mary as queen.

The two new rulers accepted more restrictions from Parliament than any previous monarch, leading to an unprecedented shift in the distribution of power across the British Empire.

The King and Queen both signed what became known as the Bill of Rights. This document recognizes several constitutional principles, including the right to regular parliaments, free elections and freedom of speech in parliament. Also, the monarchy forbade being Catholic.

Many historians believe that the Bill of Rights was the first step towards a constitutional monarchy.

Bloodless Revolution

The Glorious Revolution is sometimes referred to as the Bloodless Revolution, although that description is not entirely accurate.

While there was little bloodshed and violence in England, in Ireland and Scotland the revolution resulted in significant loss of life.

Catholic historians typically refer to the glorious revolution as the “Revolution of 1688,” while Whig historians prefer the term “bloodless revolution.” The term “Glorious Revolution” was first coined by John Hampden in 1689.

legacy of the glorious revolution

Many historians believe that the Glorious Revolution was one of the most important events leading to Britain’s transformation from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. After this event, the monarchy would never again hold absolute power in England.

With the Bill of Rights, the power of the regent was defined, written down and limited for the first time. Parliament’s function and influence changed dramatically in the years following the revolution.

The event also affected the 13 colonies in North America. The colonists were temporarily relieved of harsh anti-Puritan laws after the fall of King James.

As news of the revolution reached Americans, several uprisings followed, including the Boston Revolt, Leisler’s Rebellion in New York, and the Protestant Revolution in Maryland.

Since the Glorious Revolution, the power of Parliament in Britain has continued to increase while the influence of the monarchy has waned. There is no doubt that this important event helped set the stage for today’s UK political system and government.

Sources

The Glorious Revolution, BBC.

The Glorious Revolution of 1688, Economic History Association.

The Glorious Revolution, Parliament.uk.

The Revolution of 1688, the history learning website.

How did the glorious revolution in England affect the colonies? History of the Massachusetts Blog.