Similarities Between The French Revolution And The American Enlightenment

A part of the European Enlightenment John Locke believed that the governments should get their authority from the peoples they rule. And people have fundamental rights that the government has a duty to protect these rights. After Pontiacs Rebellion in which the British gave the Indians a “gift” of blankets infected with smallpox as the solution to put down the rebellion, the British issued a proclamation forbidding the settlement of anything west of the Appalachian Mountains. This was the beginning of colonial unhappiness and then eventual split of America from the British. Next came many taxes that they colonials saw as “taxation without representation” which then lead to The Boston Tea Party. In July 1776 Congress issued The Declaration of Independence listing the 13 …show more content…
Also for the first-time African slaves demonstrated that they could beat European armies and play the Europeans off each other. This was shown when Toussaint struck a deal with the Spain to help rid the French. But then later he rejoined the French to push back the Spanish and British (who were invited by the white slave owners to put down the revolution). I found it interesting that the Haitian Revolution seemed to be more centered around one man Toussaint Louverture who once was a slave. He was taught to read and write and became freed in the 1770’s. He himself had money in the plantations. In 1791 Toussaint became the “leader” of the Haitian Revolution. He became the General and named himself as Governor and in 1797 he deported his French competition. After Napoleon took over Paris and declared the French Revolution to be over, Toussaint tried to convince his followers to return to the sugar trade and plantations but this did not go over well. They wanted to grow their own produce and had no interest in the trade