A History of the Enlightenment Inspired Revolutions

The Haitian Revolution and American Revolution were both inspired by the Enlightenment Ideals. However, while the American Revolution was created to gain independence of British rule, the Haitian Revolution catered more to slaves. Eventually, the Americans gained freedom, and the Haitian Revolution lead to interference from other countries in their land.

The American Revolution started with rebellion of the Stamp Act by Britain. The Stamp Act was set upon the colonies in an attempt to help pay for the expenses of the French American War.

Americans, who were already used to having colony run governments, attempted to gain liberty from the British. Haitians, on the other hand, began as a group of unsatisfied slaves. They were angry at the odd social rules that had been set, with the Europeans at the top and slaves and natives art the bottom. Toussaint Louverture of the Saint Domingue colony, as an example, gathered thousands of slaves from the various Caribbean and revolted. The Caribbean revolution was created against the unfair rule and enslavement imposed upon them by the French.

Both revolutions seeked freedom and liberty, but stemmed from two different types of people for two different types of freedom.

The Patriots of the American Revolution gained exactly what they wanted- a chance to truly set up an independent government and nation, with no strings attached to Britain. The revolution gave the Americas freedom from Britain, and the Americans adapted generally well to it. They wrote documents such as the Declaration of Independence, with the foundations of the country being heavily inspired by the slogan “liberty and freedom” of the Enlightenment.

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Though the Haitian Revolution drew inspiration from the American Revolution, they struggled with their after-revolution era. The Haitians were worn down from battles with Napolean’s army, but eventually won. The country gained independence, but brought various other nations into a fight in the Caribbean. The Haitians were able to turn the nations against one another and, in doing so, brought European attention to themselves.

The Enlightenment in Europe inspired all the Revolutions that were set in the 1700s and after. The French, American, Haitian, and Latin Americas based their revolution off of the “freedom” that the Enlightenment embraced. Revolutions focused on the ideas of individual, natural-born rights and the idea of popular sovereignty, as seen when the Americans declared independence from King George.