AOR: Overview

Age of Revolution: 1750 - 1850 CE

Introduction

Enlightenment. In Module 1, it was a search for universal truth. In Module 6, it meant to criticize the society and government that was forged in the Age of Exploration. But before electricity, to light something also meant you had to spark a fire.

Once the Enlightenment thought was published, some people became so critical that they risked their lives to lead revolutions to change the government. What started out as a small flame became a wildfire; a revolutionary spirit burned through three continents.

But revolutions are difficult: and the revolutionary ideals were even more difficult to uphold through the decades and various leadership changes that it took to build a new government. Some issues were fixed immediately. Some aspects of government and society were changed gradually. And others were left dormant and unaddressed, glowing embers for further conflict.

Essential Questions

• How were the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment linked?
• What were the major ideas of the Enlightenment? How did they impact society?
• How does an Absolute monarch compare to a constitutional monarch?
• What caused the Age of Revolutions? What were some commonalities between the revolutions?
• How did Political Revolutions and Rebellions change the norms of societies around the world?
• Who was Napoleon? Why was he defeated?

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

Key Terms

Absolute Monarchy vs. The Enlightenment

The Glorious Revolution

The American Revolution

The French Revolution

The Age of Napoleon

The Haitian Revolution

Latin American Revolutions:

• • • Mexican Independence
    • South American Independence
    • Brazilian Independence

The Wider Web of Revolutions

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