Five Historical

Revolutions
EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
(1765 – 1783)
Tensions between the British and their 13 American colonies began to mount in 1765 with the
introduction of the Stamp Act.
This act was a decree, imposing unpopular taxes on the colonies as a means to pay off the expenses
from Seven Year’s War with France
Pockets of violence broke out as protestors, resenting the new taxes, voiced their unhappiness.
A notable act of rebellion happened in 1773, when a group of protestors known as the Sons of
Liberty dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest taxation on tea, an event that
became known as the Boston Tea Party.
In 1774, 12 delegates from the thirteen colonies came together to discuss the situation, forming the
Continental Congress which served as the governing body of the colonies in the transition to
independence.
At first, they did not openly demand independence, but they denounced taxation without
representation within the British Parliament.
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
(1765 – 1783)
War broke out in 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord when the King’s forces were
sent to confiscate American military weapons and supplies.
On July 4 of the following year, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of
Independence, an official proclamation rejecting the British monarchy , ultimately laying the
groundwork for the formation of the United States of America.
The violence continued for several years until George Washington’s troops alongside the French
army, won a decisive victory over the British at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
(1789-1799)
By the late 18th century, the people of France were living mostly in squalor, all except the nobility who lived lavish and
expensive lifestyles.
Frustrated with the monarchy that collected heavy taxes but offered nothing in return, the citizenry turned their widespread
discontent on King Louis XVI.
In January 1793, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine, sparking ten monhs of unnecessary bloodshed as the Jacobins’
Reign of Terror swept through France.
In the end, between over 17000 so called enemies of the revolution were executed and at least another 10000 died in prison
awaiting their trial.
The death of Robespierre marked a new period in which the French revolted against the excess use of violence.
By August 1795, executive power lay with the Directory, a five-member collective appointed by parliament, but the state of
the country did not improve.
After four more years of hardships, corruption, and discontent, the conflict came to an end in 1799 when Napoleon Bonaparte
seized power through a coup d’etat.
The French Revolution is notable for the abolishment of the French monarchy that had ruled for centuries, it demonstrated the
power of the people and their ability to truly make a difference.
THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
(1917)
By the beginning of the 20th century, Russia was one of the most underdeveloped and
impoverished countries in Europe.
Struggling because of the state of their country, workers protested against the monarchy in
1905, which led to the Bloody Sunday massacre and a failed uprising. Nonetheless,
revolutionary fervor was not easily forgotten.
WWI crippled the Russian economy and resulted in high death tolls. Tsar Nicholas II left the
country to command the army and inspire his troops, but he turned out to be an ineffective
leader.
Moreover, he left the country in the hands of his wife, a woman of German descent, unpopular
among the population, who was under the influence of Grigori Rasputin, a Russian mystic and
self-proclaimed prophet.
 THE CHINESE REVOLUTION
(1911)
Because of the series of failed wars, the Qing dynasty was quickly losing prominence in Asia.
Nationwide frustrations soon sparked rebellious thoughts among the common citizens.
As a result, in the earliest years of the 20th century, the Revolutionary Alliance was formed in an attempt to
abolish the imperial system.
Dubbed the Father of the Nation, politician and physician Sun Yat-sen played and instrumental role in the
movement.
Several revolts were launched, all of which were quashed by the Qing army. But in the fall of 1911, un uprising
in Wuchang turned the tide.
In the interest of stopping the bloodshed, the Qing court began discussing the possibility of a constitutional
monarchy, going so far as naming Yuan Shikai as the new premier.
Even with the promise of reform, the various Chinese provinces declared their allegiance to the Revolutionary
Alliance.
THE CHINESE REVOLUTION
(1911)
Representatives of the provinces gathered for the first national assembly where they elected
Sun Yat-sen as the provisional president of the new Republic of China.
In 1912, the emperor abdicated the throne, bringing an end to the imperial system and the
centuries-long rule of the Qing dynasty.
After negotiating, Yuan Shikai agreed to the formation of the Republic as long as he was named
the first official president.
The revolution of 1911 was a critical moment in Chinese history because of how it paved the
way for the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949, an uprising that established the People’s
Republic of China under the rule of Mao Zedong.
THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION
(1791-1804)
Saint Domingue– modern day Haiti --- was a French colony on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola
since 1659.
Insoired by the French Revolution, group of slaves rose up to fight their oppressors on August
22, 1791.
Over 100000 former slaves joined the cause, killing plantation owners and destroying their
property.
The French colonizers had been prepared for fear of an uprising, but this did not matter much.
Led by former slave, Toussaint L’Ouverture, the revolutionaries had taken control of a 1/3rd of
the island by 1792.
THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION
(1791-1804)
To stop the bloodshed, the National Assembly back in France granted rights to the men of color in Saint Domingue.
In 1793, the white population made a pact with Britain.
Britain, concerned about revolts in their own Caribbean territories, notably Jamaica, agreed to conquer the colony and
restore slavery.
Spain also entered the conflict, as their colony Santo Domingo was also located on Hispaniola island.
After France officially abolished slavery in Saint Domingue in 1794, L’Ouverture went from fighting against them to
fighting for them.
The British eventually gave up their conquest after a series of defeats. By 1801, L’Ouverture had declared himself
Governor-General for life over the island of Hispaniola.
However, the revolutionary leader was eventually captured by Napoleon’s troops who were sent to reclaim Saint
Domingue.
L’Ouverture died in a French prison, but one of his generals, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, led the man’s forces to victory at
the Battle of Vertiers in 1803.
THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION
(1791-1804)
On New Year’s Day 1804, Haiti became the first Black republic when Dessalines renamed the
colony and declared its independence.
Historians consider the Haitian Revolution to be the most successful slave rebellion in the
Western world, its impact felt across the Americans

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