Team Meiji
Chapter 28 The Meaning of Revolution - 1 Nicholas Walker, Tyler W., Melissa Robles, Ian
History Ch. 28 Responses
The Meaning of Revolution
A Revolution is defined as “an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of
an established government or political system by the people governed.”1 (Dictionary.com).
Comment [CM1]: All quotes must be cited as
footnotes in Chicago style.
Revolutions can occur from any number of different triggers. One thing that revolutions have in
common is that a very large portion of the governed people strongly disagrees with something
that is happening in their government and have a belief that they could handle the situation better
without the government. Once this happens, they revolt. Most revolutions are violent and the
people literally attack their own government. Whether or not these revolutions achieve their
goals is first a question of whether or not they win. If they win the battle against their
government then they are on the right track to achieving their goals. If they lose, they are most
likely in a worse off position than they were before. There are still many hurdles to jump over if
and when victory is claimed. The new leader, in many cases, has a very short fuse with the
restless people and one mistake could send them into yet another revolution. To summarize, a
revolution is a rebellion and takeover of government and if it plays out flawlessly (in the eyes of
the rebels) it can achieve its goals.
n im n ol var’s quote, “those who have served the revolution have plowed the sea.” it
Comment [CM2]: Need an apostrophe to
show possession.
important to notice that he says to have “plowed the sea.” This is important because to plow the
sea would be an impossible never ending job. As soon as you separate, or plow water, it caves
right back in on itself. This continues to describe what a fragile event a revolution is, like water
1. Insert footnote information here.
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After: 10 pt
Team Meiji
Chapter 28 The Meaning of Revolution - 2 being plowed, it will hold off only momentarily before all the work is lost and every goes back to
exactly the way it was originally.
With the exception of The American Revolution, a majority of revolutions end in failure
Comment [CM3]: the
Comment [CM4]: need comma.
or do not accomplish their initial purpose. Take, for example, the French Revolution. When
compared to the American Revolution it is clear to see why some revolutions fail or deviate from
their set course. Whereas the Americans fought for their sovereignty from an oversea king with a
fairly linear set of goals from start to finish, the French fought against the structure of their own
country and the radical, violent nature of the revolution itself made their goals devolve. It is
difficult for a revolution to accomplish what it initially sought out to do when the goals are
changing due to the radical nature of most revolutions.
Jefferson was not happy with the political realities vested within the constitution. He
believed that too much power was given to the national government to truly ensure liberty to the
individual. He viewed the federal government as what the French called a “monarchie masque”.
Jefferson was a fervent anti-federalist as well, carrying states right as the primary form of
decision making in the fledgling United States. Thus Jefferson was not entirely happy with the
constitutions realities because he believed they encroached too far over the lines of a republican
government.
Unlike the American Revolution, who only granted equality to white men, or the French
revolution who never really gained complete freedom due to the extremist brought to power and
the reign of terror that followed, the Haitian rebels achieved their goals completely. The Haitian
revolution basically had two goals, to end slavery and gain independence from French rule. Not
only did they succeed in the freedom aspect of revolution but also granted equality to all the
people of Haiti. Why each revolution had different outcomes all depends on each revolutions
Team Meiji
Chapter 28 The Meaning of Revolution - 3 situation, which explains why “different revolutionaries understood the implications of freedom
and equality in very different ways”2 (Jerry Bentley & Herbert Ziegler 637). In this case the
Haitian slaves had more at stake, after years of inhumane treatment, the fight for freedom and
equality was at the utmost urgency. Their choice was to either die a slave, or fight for freedom.
Their values showed through when the decision for equality to all was announced which is
something the American and French revolution did not grant to their people. The American
revolution were more fighting for the right of man, which in their terms were white males, and
political independence which are important but not on the same level of urgency as the Haitians.
The French revolution after many different setbacks and radical events took place, destroyed the
ancien r
but only improved political and legal rights temporarily until Napoleons reign.
Formatted: Font: Italic
Under Napoleon however they still had restrictions such as limited free speech and women were
not equal as well. Therefore, like America their views on equality didn’t exactly apply to the
likes of women and blacks. Although their situation wasn’t well off in reality, in comparison to
the Haitian’s they were fantastic. The Haitian revolution stayed the most true to the values of
equality and freedom these three nations tried to achieve, which is why they resulted in achieving
equality and freedom to its greatest extent.
The French Revolution is a prime example for the saying “revolutions devour their
young”. This can be taken in two perspectives; the first is in relation to violence. The reign of
terror was started after the execution of Louis XVI was enacted by the National Convention
which included the likes of Maximilien Robespierre, Georges Jaques Danton, and Jean Paul
Marat. During the reign of terror there were thousands of citizens sent to guillotine without a
formal trial under this policy of terror the National Convention held. Trying to move forward
2. Insert footnote information here.
Comment [CM5]: Good sentence.
Team Meiji
Chapter 28 The Meaning of Revolution - 4 with the revolution they tried to improve and show benefits but never followed through due to
the raging conflict with the National Convention. “The excesses of the Terror led to the
overthrow of the committee and Robespierre on 27 July 1794, and the Reign of Terror came to
an end with Robespierre's execution on 28 July”3 (French Revolution), and many other leaders in
the national convention ended in execution, thus the cycle of the revolution starting with these
men projecting violence only to be swallowed by their actions resulting in the death of these
men. Another perspective is that if revolutions devour their young, the young will never mature
into completed from meaning there never really is much change, kind of like a repeating cycle.
n the “Anatomy of Revolution”, rinton states, “...a dictator comes to power who ultimately
brings back a revised version of the old regime...”4 (Crane Brinton), this is in comparison to the
National Convention coming to power, they don’t really do a better job than the king before so
do not instill much change. t was merely a revised version of Louis XV ’s rule, another cycle in
revolution.
Olympe de Gouges and Robespierre were two revolutionaries that paid the ultimate
sacrifice in order to do what they thought was best for the country. Even though these two
revolutionaries are in the same period of time they did not share the same goal.
Olympe de Gouges (May 1748 – November 1793) was born as a butchers daughter that
grew into a very important activist for women’s rights. he wrote many pamphlets on women’s
rights throughout her time. She is best known for writing of Declaration of the Rights of Woman
and the Female Citizen (1791). In this publication she challenged the way that male authority and
the inequality between women and men had. This publication is one of the main reasons she was
3. Insert footnote information here.
4. Insert footnote information here.
Comment [CM6]: Excellent supporting
example from an authoritative source.
Team Meiji
Chapter 28 The Meaning of Revolution - 5 arrested while Robespierre was in charge. Gouges not only attacked him for not listening to her
appeals but challenged the way he ran is dictatorship. After Robespierre had her arrested they
found a manuscript in her house that read as follows.
"the placard-makers, these paper scribbling, are not worth a Marat, a Robespierre;
in the specious language of patriotism, they overturn everything in the name of
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the people; they appear to be serving propaganda and never have heads of factions
better served the cause of kings; at one and the same time they serve two parties
moving at a rapid pace towards the same goal. I love these enterprising men; they
have a thorough knowledge of the difficult art of imposing on human weaknesses;
they have sensed from the beginning that in order to serve me it was necessary to
blaze a trail in the opposite direction; applaud yourself, Calonne, this is your
work."
In the end they accused her of treason and she was sentenced to death by guillotine for
her beliefs. It was not so much her beliefs in women rights but that she started throwing in
political ideas which Robespierre thought was trying to get the formal monarchy back. He took
this as a personal attack on his dictatorship.
aximilien Fran ois
arie sidore de Robespierre was a French lawyer, politician, well-
known figures of the French Revolution. At first Robespierre was a radical and a democrat. He
would say that “rights of man” should be extended to all men, from slaves to poor He also stood
against the death penalty which later he sent the King and queen to. Later after he made his move
to over through the government that was in shambles he turned his new government “the national
Convention into a reign of terror. From arresting priest and nuns to dragging 2,000 of these
people who were seen as threats to the new government out in the streets and put to death. In
Robespierre reign of terror he executed 40,000, imprisoned 300,000, and allowed laws to pass
that would allow executions of citizens for just being accused never proven of being a “counter-
Comment [CM7]: Quotations longer than
three lines must be put in block quotes
(indented from both the left and right margins by
0.5 inches).
Team Meiji
Chapter 28 The Meaning of Revolution - 6 revolutionary”. n the end his mad tactics ended up upsetting the people who thought that
Robespierre stood for quality and the best interest of France. When he passed the execution law
it not only concerned the people of France but of his government to. Eventually they conspired
and over through him from his dictatorship. After attempting to kill himself by shooting himself
in the jaw he was convicted and guillotined.
Very well done. Yes, there are issues here and there, but all relatively minor and easily mastered.
Excellent for the initial team effort. Logical, cogent, cohesive, narrative, well supported. Nice!
Thank you, Team Meiji.
~CM~
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Bibliography
Bentley, Jerry H., and Herbert F. Ziegler. “Revolutions and National tates in the
AtlanticWorld.” n Traditions & Encounters, 621-47. Traditions and Encounters: A
Global Perspective on the Past. Vol.C Fifth 5th ed. Vol. C. A Global Perspective on the
Past. New York, NY: Chritopher Freitag, 2011. See next entry:
Comment [CM8]: Bibligographic entries are
listed in alphabetical order. Also, the heading in
a bibliographic page usually has triple line
spacing.
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Bentley, Jerry H., and Herbert F. Ziegler. Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on
the Past. Vol C 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010.
Brinton, Crane. The Anatomy of Revolution.Causes of revolution and the three stages that takes
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Declaration of the Rights of Women, 1791." Modern
History Sourcebook. Last modified August 1997.
Accessed 2012.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1791degouge1.
asp.¶
Kreis, Steven. "Maximilien Robespierre, 17581794." The History Guide. Last modified 2000.
Accessed May 2005.
http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/
robespierre.html