Saturday, February 04, 2006
Ch. 8: Nationalist Revolutions Sweep the West
Revolution in Haiti
St. Dominque is also known as Haiti.
The Fight for Freedom
August 1791 – An African slave named Boukman raised to call for a revolution.
Within a few days 100,000 slaves rose in a revolt.
A leader emerged, Toussaint L’Ouverture, ex-slave.
Became a skilled general and diplomat.
He moved into Santo Domingo and freed the slaves after taking control of the territory.
January 1802 – 16,000 French troops landed in St Domingu to despose Toussaint.
Toussaint was seized and sent to prison in the French Alps.
In the cold mountain jail he died 10 months later (April 1803)
Haiti’s Independence
Toussaint’s general Jean-Jacques continued after Toussaint in the fight for freedom.
January 1, 1804 General Dessailines declared the colony an independent country.
Latin America Sweeps to Freedom
The top people in society were the Peninsulares. These were men who had been born in Spain.
These are the only people that can hold high office in Spanish Colonial Government.
Creoles are Spaniards born in Latin America.
The Philosophers of Industialization
Laissez-faire Economics
In Nov. 1776 Adam smith signed a decree ordering a capitalism, this closes all ports stopping trade/communication between Great Britain and other European countries.
This plan of action called “” made Europe self-sufficient
This can destroy Britain’s commercial/industrial economy.
Not very efficient, smugglers still managed to bring goods from Britain to Europe
Not everyone followed the Blockade. Napoleon’s brother Louis, who was the king of Holland, defied the policy.
Blockade weakened British Trade but did not destroy it.
Britian responded with its own blockade.
British navy stronger, more likely to make blockade work. Europe navy weak, blockade more likely to not work.
American ship stopped by British blockade.
Americans angered, declared war on Britian in 1812.
Continental System hurt Napoleon more than enemies
Weakened economies of France
Malthus and Ricardo
Napoleon made a second costly mistake (1808)
Portugal Ignored Continental System so Napoleon sent army through Spain to invade Portugal. Spanish people protested and rioted. So Napoleon desposed Spanish King and put his brother Joseph on the throne.
This infuriated the Spanish people because they were happy with there current situation.
For five years (1808-1813) Spanish peasants known as guerrillas struck at the French armies in Spain.
They could not be defeated easily. They attack French then run. The British sent troops to help the guerrillas attack.
During this Peninsular War 300,000 French troops were lost. This weakened French Empire
Nationalism, the concept were people were loyal to their country was weakening Napoleon.
Spanish guerrillas, Germans and Italians and other conquered people turned against the French.
