Part 5: The European Moment in World History (1750 - 1914)
Strayer emphasizes that the "long nineteenth century" from 1750 to 1914 was inevitably Eurocentric. During this century and a half, new human societies were created that primarily took shape in Western Europe. Then these modern societies could use power over other human populations. However, Strayer does present five methods to combating Eurocentric geography and history, which will be covered in the following chapters. One such example is for us as readers to remember that Europe rose within an international context. Strayer closes the introduction to part five with a fair statement that reminds us this is a world history, not a western civilization course: "None of this diminishes the significance of the European moment in world history, but it sets that moment in a larger context of continuing patterns of historical development and of interaction and exchange with other peoples" (693).
Chapter 16: Atlantic Revolutions, Global Echoes (First Half)
The first half of Chapter 16 discusses the Atlantic revolutions in North America, France, Haiti, and Latin America. The Atlantic revolutions occurred within a global context, for a "world crisis" of political and social chaos characterized the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In addition, the revolutions forming the Atlantic Ocean world were unique because of their commonalities. Atlantic revolutionaries shared common ideas inspired by the Enlightenment, focusing on societal and political development through human action, and the defining of liberty. The Atlantic revolutions were also similar in their large global impacts.
Strayer describes how in some ways, the American Revolution was revolutionary due to the fact that the colonies had a successful military victory in gaining independence from oppressive British rule and became a new nation fresh with ideal political practices. However, he also illustrates the ways it was not revolutionary. One such example is that Britain was involved in its own affairs during the time. Another is that the colonies were already "free" with less class distinctions. The American Revolution grew from Britain's efforts to control the colonies and obtain funds for its national debt through tariffs; "No taxation without representation" was the political outcry of the colonists who did not have a voice in the British Parliament.
The French Revolution happened in response to political conflict. French revolutionaries were also enlightened by the American Revolution. King Louis XVI needed money as France was on the brink of bankruptcy from aiding the American Revolution, so the monarchy formed the Estates General and decided to reform the tax system. It differed from the American Revolution because it was driven by conflicts directly within French society, which included the population's disappointment with new taxes, whereas the North American colonies had an intense relationship with a remote rule. Further, the French Revolution was more violent than the American Revolution. We know this is especially true from reading about the political context of the foundresses of the Sisters of Notre Dame. France was also building a new society from scratch, giving rise to the question of female political equality more, though eventually unsuccessful, whereas America built on older freedoms. People started feeling like they belonged to a nation, and there was a focus on liberty. Napolean was responsible for spreading the French revolution through force and conquest.
Haiti was formerly Saint Domingue. Saint Domingue was one of the richest places in the world, was under French colonial rule, and functioned under forced slave labor. The Haitian Revolution was a slave rebellion, inspired by the example of the French Revolution. Slaves, whites, and free people of color battled one another. Saint Domingue was renamed "Haiti" and the primary outcome was that the country was free from slavery. The plantation system was destroyed, and there was disapproval for the initial preference of the lighter-skinned.
In the Spanish and Portugese colonies, a revolution took place because creoles (native-born elities) were frustrated by the efforts of the Spanish monarchy to impose tariffs and exercise power, and the result was independence. However, the process to reaching independence was slower in the Spanish American colonies because Latin American societies had many whites and was sharply divided by class. Differences in race had a large impact on the revolutions. Latin America differed from North America because the colonies were larger and therefore difficult to unite. Though independent, Latin America would become impoverished and underdeveloped whereas North America would advance and industrialize.
In my World Religions class, we are reading Karen Armstrong's text, The Case for God. We have just finished reading chapter nine, "Enlightenment.""Enlightenment" discusses the fresh generation of scientists and their use of scientific discoveries and technologies to confirm the divine existence in the eighteenth century following the Thirty Years War, but their newfound rationality leading them to conclude that God's existence couldn't be proved in the natural, physical world, yet through heart, mind, spirituality, and human compassion. I am sharing this in my blog because "Enlightenment" touches on some of the Atlantic Revolutions in their social, religious, and political contexts of the Enlightenment era. For instance, Armstrong shares that Americans of the revolutionary era found religion to be a "liberating force that was enabling them to respond creatively to the challenge of modernity and come to the Enlightenment ideals in their own way" (Armstrong 220). Likewise, Armstrong shares, "The French Revolution (1789), with its call for liberty, equality, and fraternity seemed to embody the principles of the Enlightenment..."(Armstrong 225) and "the revolution made a profound impression on Europeans who were hungry for social and political change." Strayer and Armstrong both note the differences among the Atlantic Revolutions. In America, there were the more common practices of Deism and Calvinism and the universal acceptance of God. In France, though, she notes, it was closer to atheism. Strayer discusses some of the common ideas the Atlantic revolutions shared, and one of them was the separation of church and state (Strayer 699). Armstrong explains this as a "paradoxical theology" (Armstrong 213) during the eighteenth century, which included the idea of the dualism of church versus state. Likewise, both texts mention William Wordsworth and the Cathedral of Notre Dame. It is always interesting to see when ideas and eras overlap in my classes because the overlap clarifies the content as I read the same subject from multiple perspectives.
Strayer emphasizes that the "long nineteenth century" from 1750 to 1914 was inevitably Eurocentric. During this century and a half, new human societies were created that primarily took shape in Western Europe. Then these modern societies could use power over other human populations. However, Strayer does present five methods to combating Eurocentric geography and history, which will be covered in the following chapters. One such example is for us as readers to remember that Europe rose within an international context. Strayer closes the introduction to part five with a fair statement that reminds us this is a world history, not a western civilization course: "None of this diminishes the significance of the European moment in world history, but it sets that moment in a larger context of continuing patterns of historical development and of interaction and exchange with other peoples" (693).
Chapter 16: Atlantic Revolutions, Global Echoes (First Half)
The first half of Chapter 16 discusses the Atlantic revolutions in North America, France, Haiti, and Latin America. The Atlantic revolutions occurred within a global context, for a "world crisis" of political and social chaos characterized the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In addition, the revolutions forming the Atlantic Ocean world were unique because of their commonalities. Atlantic revolutionaries shared common ideas inspired by the Enlightenment, focusing on societal and political development through human action, and the defining of liberty. The Atlantic revolutions were also similar in their large global impacts.
Strayer describes how in some ways, the American Revolution was revolutionary due to the fact that the colonies had a successful military victory in gaining independence from oppressive British rule and became a new nation fresh with ideal political practices. However, he also illustrates the ways it was not revolutionary. One such example is that Britain was involved in its own affairs during the time. Another is that the colonies were already "free" with less class distinctions. The American Revolution grew from Britain's efforts to control the colonies and obtain funds for its national debt through tariffs; "No taxation without representation" was the political outcry of the colonists who did not have a voice in the British Parliament.
The French Revolution happened in response to political conflict. French revolutionaries were also enlightened by the American Revolution. King Louis XVI needed money as France was on the brink of bankruptcy from aiding the American Revolution, so the monarchy formed the Estates General and decided to reform the tax system. It differed from the American Revolution because it was driven by conflicts directly within French society, which included the population's disappointment with new taxes, whereas the North American colonies had an intense relationship with a remote rule. Further, the French Revolution was more violent than the American Revolution. We know this is especially true from reading about the political context of the foundresses of the Sisters of Notre Dame. France was also building a new society from scratch, giving rise to the question of female political equality more, though eventually unsuccessful, whereas America built on older freedoms. People started feeling like they belonged to a nation, and there was a focus on liberty. Napolean was responsible for spreading the French revolution through force and conquest.
Haiti was formerly Saint Domingue. Saint Domingue was one of the richest places in the world, was under French colonial rule, and functioned under forced slave labor. The Haitian Revolution was a slave rebellion, inspired by the example of the French Revolution. Slaves, whites, and free people of color battled one another. Saint Domingue was renamed "Haiti" and the primary outcome was that the country was free from slavery. The plantation system was destroyed, and there was disapproval for the initial preference of the lighter-skinned.
In the Spanish and Portugese colonies, a revolution took place because creoles (native-born elities) were frustrated by the efforts of the Spanish monarchy to impose tariffs and exercise power, and the result was independence. However, the process to reaching independence was slower in the Spanish American colonies because Latin American societies had many whites and was sharply divided by class. Differences in race had a large impact on the revolutions. Latin America differed from North America because the colonies were larger and therefore difficult to unite. Though independent, Latin America would become impoverished and underdeveloped whereas North America would advance and industrialize.
In my World Religions class, we are reading Karen Armstrong's text, The Case for God. We have just finished reading chapter nine, "Enlightenment.""Enlightenment" discusses the fresh generation of scientists and their use of scientific discoveries and technologies to confirm the divine existence in the eighteenth century following the Thirty Years War, but their newfound rationality leading them to conclude that God's existence couldn't be proved in the natural, physical world, yet through heart, mind, spirituality, and human compassion. I am sharing this in my blog because "Enlightenment" touches on some of the Atlantic Revolutions in their social, religious, and political contexts of the Enlightenment era. For instance, Armstrong shares that Americans of the revolutionary era found religion to be a "liberating force that was enabling them to respond creatively to the challenge of modernity and come to the Enlightenment ideals in their own way" (Armstrong 220). Likewise, Armstrong shares, "The French Revolution (1789), with its call for liberty, equality, and fraternity seemed to embody the principles of the Enlightenment..."(Armstrong 225) and "the revolution made a profound impression on Europeans who were hungry for social and political change." Strayer and Armstrong both note the differences among the Atlantic Revolutions. In America, there were the more common practices of Deism and Calvinism and the universal acceptance of God. In France, though, she notes, it was closer to atheism. Strayer discusses some of the common ideas the Atlantic revolutions shared, and one of them was the separation of church and state (Strayer 699). Armstrong explains this as a "paradoxical theology" (Armstrong 213) during the eighteenth century, which included the idea of the dualism of church versus state. Likewise, both texts mention William Wordsworth and the Cathedral of Notre Dame. It is always interesting to see when ideas and eras overlap in my classes because the overlap clarifies the content as I read the same subject from multiple perspectives.
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