Sunday, June 26, 2011

Part Five : European Moment in World History

The revolutions of the Atlantic began with the North American Revolution and seemed to have snow-balled from there.  These are described by Strayer as the "democratic revolutions. 
We, as students in the United States, are well accustomed to the events leading to and the outcome of the American Revolution, however, it's interesting to see how our independence greatly influenced the revolutions that were to follow.  It makes me wonder if this sparked the beginning of the US's belief in being a world leader. 
The French Revolution coat-tailed on the American Revolution.  The French soldiers that provided assistance to the American colonists returned home full of republican enthusiasm and wanted to make changes on their own homelands. Men such as Napoleon Bonaparte have always been viewed as cruel dictators, although his intentions were for "the good of the people".  What was interesting to me is that the Revolution, while brutal and more violent than the American Revolution, had good intent.  It was just that their leader used gruesome force, especially the tactics used by Maximilien Robespierre, prior to Bonaparte. What started out as a local revolution, turned into a quest for world-domination.
In the present day, can the US be viewed in this way as well?  Occupying lands, "restoring order", where it wasn't necessarily asked?  Or is that my own ignorant view as I am not fully knowledgable as I should be with current events.
The Haitian Revolution is one that interests me to great extent and am surprised this was not discussed more in my highschool education.  That slaves were completely successful in their revolt is amazing and deserves a lot more recognition than it has been given, and not in a negative manner as it was looked upon during the time. 
I wonder how different our world would be and how much more the dynamics and importance of Latin America would be today had those in the Spanish American Revolutions bonded and had a united front.  Strayer states they were originally the wealthiest areas and with more sophisticated cultures.  Their lands and resources were ideal. 
I enjoy learning history and find it interesting to see how when people find a voice, great changes good and bad come to be.

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