Chapter 16: Atlantic Revolutions, Global Echoes(Introduction To Part Five and First Two Section)

I found the Introduction to part five, The European Moment In World History, interesting because it discusses European advancement in a way that in not Eurocentric. It talks about the "long nineteenth century" (Strayer 689), which lasted from 1750 to 1914. This time period saw the creation of "modern" human society that emerged from the Scientific, French, and Industrial Revolutions. The long nineteenth century also saw the influential power of these new modern societies. This was also the beginning of a new era called the Anthropocene or the age of man. This is because humans had an increasing impact on the environment and rapidly reshaped the planet. Since the Europeans gained so much power they rewrote geography and history, placing themselves at the center. This section also explained how it was going to avoid an Eurocentric view. First, is to remind the readers that the European movement occurred only recently and it was brief; other countries around the world have also had their moment. Secondly, the authors want to remind the readers that the rise of Europe happened in an international context, with some aspects of the European movement being highly influenced by other cultures and regions. Third, is a reminder that the European movement was not an easy or automative process. Fourth, the chapters to come will remind the readers that other cultures borrowed and benefited from the European advancements. Lastly, the author would like the readers to remember that the Europeans were not the only region or culture that was advancing at this time.
While reading the first two sections of Chapter 16: Atlantic Revolutions, Global Echoes, I was intrigued because from the eighteenth to mid-nineteenth century many parts of the world had political and social changes, or revolutions. The Atlantic revolutions had some aspects that were not seen in these other revolutions. First, the Atlantic revolutions took place in a global networks, affecting many other parts of the world. Secondly, the Atlantic revolutions weren't just connected to other parts of the world, they were also closely connected to each other. However, the Atlantic Revolutions did differ from each other in causes, social and political tensions, and outcomes. The North American Revolution was from 1777 to 1787. This revolution was more of a conservative movement to preserve the liberties that had been established in Britain's absence. The American Revolution did not grow out of social tensions, instead it grew out of England's increased control of the colonies. The French Revolution last from 1789 to 1815. This revolution was fueled by conflicts within French society, unlike the American Revolution. During this time the Terror of 1793-1794 occurred. Another difference between the American and French revolutions was that France spread its ideas through conquest with the help of their leader Napoleon Bonaparte. The era of the French Revolution ended when national resistance from other European country, particularly Britain and Russia, brought down Napoleon. The Haitian Revolution occurred from 1791 to 1804, and echoed the French Revolution. This revolution meant different things to the different social classes that resided in Saint Domingue. It represented the world's only completely successful slave revolt. The last of the Atlantic revolutions was the Spanish American Revolution from 1808 to 1825. It lasted longer than the other revolutions partly because Latin America was so divided. These divisions were in race, class, and region.