Glencoe World History: Modern Times, California Edition

Chapter 2: Revolution and Enlightenment

Chapter Overview

The Enlightenment sparked revolutions in England, France, and America. The results of these revolutions were representative governments and increased personal freedoms.

Section 1 The Glorious Revolution
England was consumed by struggle in the 1700s as Catholics and Protestants vied for control of the throne and Parliament and absolutist monarchs wrestled for control of the country. The battle between Parliament and the king heated up during the Eleven Years' Tyranny, when Charles I ruled without Parliament. Civil war broke out between supporters of the king, or Royalists, and supporters of Parliament, or Roundheads. The English Revolution resulted in Charles I of England being executed by Oliver Cromwell, a military genius who led a revolt against the Crown. The monarchy was later restored, but the conflict simmered. In 1688, King James II fled to France and the Dutch king, William of Orange, took power with almost no bloodshed. In exchange for the crown, William and his wife, Mary, accepted a Bill of Rights, laying the groundwork for a constitutional monarchy. These events inspired philosopher John Locke to write Two Treatises of Government, in which he defended the Glorious Revolution based on his theory of natural rights.

Section 2 The Enlightenment
The Scientific Revolution gave rise to the Enlightenment, an eighteenth-century movement that stressed the role of philosophy and reason in improving society. Enlightenment intellectuals, known as philosophes, were chiefly social reformers from the nobility and the middle class. They often met in the salons of the upper classes to discuss the ideas of such writers as Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Diderot. In the economic sphere, Adam Smith put forth the doctrine of laissez-faire economics. The later Enlightenment produced social thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and an early advocate of women's rights, Mary Wollstonecraft. Salon gatherings, along with the growth of books, magazines, and newspapers, helped spread Enlightenment ideas among a broad audience. The Enlightenment greatly influenced the colonists in America, especially John Locke's theory of natural rights, as it justified their rebellion.

Section 3 The American Revolution
In North America, British control over its colonies began to unravel over issues of taxation. Multiple crises led the colonists to declare their independence in 1776 and to fight Britain until its defeat in 1783. The Articles of Confederation that formed the United States were soon replaced with a Constitution, which created a stronger central government. The Bill of Rights added important freedoms derived from the natural rights expressed by the philosophes.