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American Revolution Dbq

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The Enlightenment was a time of revolution in art, science, philosophy, and literature that changed world governments forever. It began in Europe, and spread west over the Atlantic to the Americas. It was a movement of reason, which challenged authority and heightened tensions between subjects and rulers. The main ideas of the Enlightenment were individualism, progress, and democracy. Despite the failure of many Enlightenment uprisings, ideologies changed to more progressive beliefs, such as inalienable rights, criticizing governments, and desire for unity shaped the revolutions of the Atlantic World from 1750 to 1900. Natural rights was a concept established by an English philosopher, John Locke. These are rights that are fundamental and universal …show more content…

Document five was excerpted from a letter written by Toussaint Louvre, a Haitian general. He was the leader of the Haitian Revolution, driving Haiti to independence from France. Inspired by Enlightenment thinkers and their take on equality of man, Louvre sought to abolish slavery completely, inspiring other revolutions in Latin America. His letter is a criticism of the French government, warning the recipients that their only goal is to reinstate slavery wherever they can. Both documents were influenced by changing philosophies, and their actions contributed to this change to a great extent. The Haitian Revolution was not only the most successful uprising, but the most relevant regarding the Enlightenment. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was read by thousands, compelling the colonists to reject British authority. Their common purpose was to undermine authority and encourage independence from European rule. Liberty and unity was the predominant idea that motivated nations to revolt. Most, if not all, of the revolutions wanted freedom from an oppressive government that was exploitative and neglectful. Colonized by Great Britain, Jamaica was primarily used for sugarcane production for its ideal

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