Atlantic Revolution
Atlantic Revolutions in the Period between 1800 and 1914
Before the revolution, people were governed by very oppressive monarchies. The rights of the noble outweighed those of the society, and there was no equality before the law. The practice triggered the rise of a new class of individuals who held different opinions on how the territory should be run. The group was called the socialism thinkers whose ideas were against the individualism practiced by the state. The socialists are also known as enlightenment thinkers whose ideas were founded on liberalism and nationalism. The socialists were against the authority of aristocratic rulers and fought for individual freedom. The rejection triggered the establishment of new states with a representative form of government and a new constitution.
The period was marked with the shift from absolutist monarchies to democratic governments whose powers were enshrined in a constitution and formation of new states. The new ideas put forth by the enlightenment individuals led to the start of the American Revolution, which triggered the beginning of the age of revolution across Europe and America. The revolution in America inspired the French Revolution, which extended to the rest of Europe through War. Social thinkers looked at the state as a mechanism of liberating the oppressed[1]. Socialists such as Karl Marx believed that the only way of overthrowing the capitalist oppressors was to begin a revolution.
These groups of enlightenment individuals rejected the authority of aristocratic leaders who they perceived as oppressive. The revolution led to the establishment of new countries formed on the foundation of democratic rule[2]. The revolution happened in America as they fought for their independence, the revolution in French, the revolution of the Haitians, and Latin America. These group of revolutions was joint together by a system of ideas, trade, and global events that were occurred around the globe for several dramatic decades.
As socialist were fighting for transformation in the economic aspect of the state, the political transformation started taking its shape. The French Revolution caused a lot of change from 1820 through1848. The economic grievances raised by the socialist in the early industrialization phase led to the uprising of new revolutions, especially after 1848. However, the social classes were not the source of the revolutionary messages[3]. New political ideas focused on institutions and social arrangements that occurred before the development of industrial order led to revolutions. Although it was not their intention, their actions led to economic and political changes. The socialists’ efforts led to political unrest, which led to the shaping of a new Europe on the foundations of economic forces. The revolution led to the shrinking of European empires in America and the rise of new nations across the American continent.
The ideals of enlightenment, such as individual freedom, led to the revolution. Enlightenment thinkers believed that the government is established to promote the greatest happiness for all citizens and not to narrow interest to just a few individuals. Thus they became hostile to the political powers which were held by the Roman Catholic Church and the tax exemption that was applied to a particular group of people[4]. The revolutionists also rejected the powers of the aristocracy. The socialist had a diverse way of to which the state should be governed, raging from absolute democracy to more efficient monarchy states. However, they agreed that individuals should be given religious and cultural freedom. The socialist wanted to establish a new state which was to be ruled through a representative form of government and ruled using a constitution. According to these revolutionary, the constitution would lead to the equality of all the citizens before the law.
The conception of liberalism led to the Atlantic revolution in America, France, Haitian, and Latin America. The revolution in the Atlantic was inspired by individual freedom who wanted to break the chains of oppression of the monarchist government in British America territory, French-controlled Europe territory, and Spanish American territory. The revolution led to revolts from individuals against the abuse they were receiving from the state[5]. The revolutionist wanted to break out from the oppression they were receiving from the state by minimizing the country’s intervention to individual’s lives. The revolts were aimed at overthrowing aristocratic leaders, kings, and church leaders who were supporting their activities. The revolution was successful o in the long run leading to the creation of new countries on the foundation of liberalism and republicanism ideals. The revolution wanted to achieve equality of all individuals under the doctrines of the law. This ideals proposed by enlightenment age was a shift from the traditional ideals of the Atlantic territories where the law and the poor oppressed favored the nobles.
The revolution put the monarchy in bad shape as the financial muscles were strained. The efforts to reform the taxation system were highly opposed by people calling for economic, social, and political changes. The aristocrats were calling for new changes in the political system. The middle-class citizen started a revolution for the more political right, which could have matched their commercial importance[6]. The upper class also called for the establishment of a government that would take care of their interests. The lower class individuals were pressed by an increased population, which made them seek more land from the church and the aristocrats. They also called for tax relief and removal of the remaining manorial dues and services. All these actions by socialist thinkers triggered a new revolution in Europe and America.
The socialist revolution was based on the belief that although monarchies and aristocrats would remain oppressive after the revolution, the state could provide the freedom of the individual citizen. Unlike an earlier revolution, the socialist revolution was fighting for the rights of the individual, equality of all before the law, and eradication of oppression of the citizen by the noble using the state as a mechanism. The socialists believed that the freedom from philosophy was greater to fight for than freedom, which was postulated by the Atlantic revolutionists. The socialists thought that an individual was not free if their daily needs, such as food, water, and shelter, were not secure[7]. According to socialists, the only way a state would render its citizens free was through the provision of such necessities. They argued that such citizens were free, unlike those found in liberal states.
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References
Encyclopedia Britannica. (2020). History of Europe – The age of revolution. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 July 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-age-of-revolution.
Encyclopedia.com. (2020). Socialism | Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 8 July 2020, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-and-government/political-science-terms-and-concepts/socialism.
Khan Academy. READ The Atlantic Revolutions (article) | Khan Academy. Khan Academy. Retrieved 8 July 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-6-the-long-nineteenth-century-1750-ce-to-1914-ce/61-liberal-and-national-revolutions-betaa/a/read-the-atlantic-revolutions-beta.
Rees, J. The socialist revolution and the democratic revolution. Pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2020, from http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj83/rees.htm.
[1] Encyclopedia.com. (2020). Socialism | Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 8 July 2020, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-and-government/political-science-terms-and-concepts/socialism.
[2] at Khan Academy. READ The Atlantic Revolutions (article) | Khan Academy. Khan Academy. Retrieved 8 July 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-6-the-long-nineteenth-century-1750-ce-to-1914-ce/61-liberal-and-national-revolutions-betaa/a/read-the-atlantic-revolutions-beta.
[3] Encyclopedia Britannica. (2020). History of Europe – The age of revolution. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 July 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-age-of-revolution.
[4] Encyclopedia Britannica. (2020). History of Europe – The age of revolution. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 July 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-age-of-revolution.
[5] Khan Academy. READ The Atlantic Revolutions (article) | Khan Academy. Khan Academy. Retrieved 8 July 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-6-the-long-nineteenth-century-1750-ce-to-1914-ce/61-liberal-and-national-revolutions-betaa/a/read-the-atlantic-revolutions-beta.
[6] Encyclopedia.com. (2020). Socialism | Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia.com. From https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-and-government/political-science-terms-and-concepts/socialism.
[7]. The socialist revolution and the democratic revolution. Pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2020, from http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj83/rees.htm.