The Most Important Outcome of the Age of Revolutions - Essay Example

2. the most important outcome of the Age of Revolutions? Introduction In the period 1775 to 1848, various revolutionary movements which were very significant occurred in both the Americas and the Atlantic oceans. During that period of revolutions, governing systems changed to republics and constitutional states from the previous absolutist monarchs. The revolution age includes: revolt of slaves and independence movement of nations, both occurred in Latin America; American Revolution; Haitian Revolution and the French revolution. The revolutionary period weakened the imperialist states in Europe. In the whole of the new world, the imperialists lost main assets1. Revolutionary processes The 1780-1820 world crises started due to the growing imbalance between the military’s financial capacity and the needs of the state on the level of the performance of the military. The military felt that the state expected high performance levels from them and at the same time allocated them little resources. The resulting tension affected the states of South and West Asia because they were porous, large and multiethnic. After the year 1760, it was evident that American colonies and the Western Europe were bringing down the entire European monarchies by the end of 1789. Military defeats and financial crisis were the major causal factors for the regimes’ fall2. The fall also awoke economic tensions that were still underlying and were arising due to slow growth in the economy. Unequal economic reward distribution as well as penalties was also a reason for the tensions. The ruler’s right to rule was questioned due to the high levels of poverty, social conflicts and deprivations which were experienced everywhere. During that error, it was hard to establish a distinction between economy and culture especially in countries facing starvation. The buoyant political associations and printing growth experienced in the eighteenth century in America and Europe made citizens to be very hostile and skeptical to the ruling authorities. The culture of oppositions’ nature played a key role in changing the economic conflicts to social crisis. In this regard different societies had different projections in the revolution periods3. The revolution process occurred in a global context and was aimed at sharpening people and equipping them with ideas of resisting oppressions. A belief that all people had rights and could creatively act made the revolutionary processes reach all the sections of the world. For example before the age of revolution, Indian cottons were deprived off the European markets. This clearly indicated oppressions in the European markets which did not allow some countries to sell their commodities. Positive Effects of Age of Revolutions The age revolutions were initiated by the Spanish government. The Spanish government was more liberal to issues concerning race relations. They gave the black people land hence former slaves could own property. During the revolutionary age, a Congressional Act was passed on 26th June 1834 which gave power to people who faced patriot invasion to recover their loses as well as damages by filing a case against the US government. The age of revolutionary helped those who were previously slaves to erase the slavery stigma. The slavery activities that people were subjected to adversely affected their lives. That caused problems in people like mental problems, stigmatization and physical injuries4. The new error gave space for people to get involved in political matters, had representatives hence their voices were heard. The slaves were given rights to education. They easily accessed and read periodicals, held scientific discussions, read letters and were involved in art activities. They also had access to international news for example news on imperial politics and international wars. Because the revolution process was taking place on a global context, people easily got information about world wide actions against oppression. In that regard, they also joined the world in intimidating and stopping the activities of the oppressors5. The age of revolutionary created space for interactions between people and their leaders and this made it easy for them to access any assistance that they needed. The revolutionary age also increased the people’s ability to fiercely resist oppression from those ruling them. During that age, people were introduced to powerful revolutionary concepts, more were involved in military operations and engagements hence were well placed to protect themselves. With those changes, racist plantation regimes and absolutist monarchs were threatened6. Revolutions brought about happy and inspirational moments which could easily be accomplished. It enabled recounting for future as well as the present generations. People could enjoy prosperity using their fertile soils without being interrupted and the location issues were not a problem. This enhanced productivity from personal activities like farming hence people’s well being was improved. The leaders were guided by the interests of the nation and had to mould their conduct to rhyme with people’s spirit. Leaders had more respect to people’s traditional rights, their freedoms and privileges. Having their traditions respected made people feel that their cultural backgrounds are valued and that boosted the society’s positive interactions7. Previously leaders violated the inaugural and social pact. But with the revolution the natural law of reciprocity and the national laws permit people to be favored by success. People do not necessarily obey issues that negatively impact them. The age revolution made them enter into a state of independence and complete liberty. Citizens in that regard had power of depriving inhuman governments that had been humiliating them with an aim of enslaving them. They were also empowered to make a decision of living independently or dying. Before revolutions were effected, people had faced several years by forbearance and credulity, conquered by other armies like the French armies. The revolutions saved people from the conquerors since they realized that they had nothing in common with the ill minded people. Before revolutions people could not interact well with their family members, friends and relatives8. The conquerors had restricted them and did not give them time for interactions. But with the revolutions having been implemented, people had time to interact, plan well their activities and other development matters. People are well placed to intimidate the conquerors and recover their liberty and maintain it. In that regard they were able to make themselves more free, imitated their growing children, and told them of their strength which were useless under the rule of the conquerors. Unlike when they were being ruled, in the revolution error, people reap the benefits of their labor. When they were slaves they tirelessly worked and their labor’s fruit’s eaten by conquerors that were not appreciative. In the error of revolution people live independently and freely. Each community has its own cultural history which it adheres to in all its operations. This history shapes the communities and gives meanings to their daily operations9. Communities have high respect to their cultural history, they believe in it, and without it they are unlikely to live. In the revolutionary error, every citizen has a right of practicing his cultural activities10. That was not the case during the period before revolution in which people were not allowed to respect their cultural history. Their attitudes and beliefs were termed useless and anyone found practicing them faced stern punishment. This denied citizens their freedom. Apart from making people live independently and freely, age revolutions have also positively impacted nations’ economical development11. Given the fact that people are not oppressed as they were before and that they are satisfied with they way they are treated, their industrial performance increases. Freedom from oppression resulted in relaxed minds that could innovatively think and came up with strategies of properly managing industries. People acted independently, had their voices heard and their contribution to industrial matters appreciated. That was great encouragement to them hence were more willing to assist in enhancing the industry’s operations. People’s satisfaction was boosted by the fact that their efforts benefited them since they were well paid. In addition to that, their efforts benefit their own country unlike in the previous operations in which the products of their labor were being exported. Bearing in mind that their efforts will benefit their country motivates them to perform better12. Prior to the start of the European and American revolutions smaller states was suffering from great social tensions. Upon revolution localized resistance movements accessed and used univerlistic ideas against world empires. Conclusion People are always efficient and effective in their operations if they are not oppressed by their rulers. Age of revolutions marked a change in people’s lives from a state or oppression to free and independent lives. Prior to the revolutions, people were subjected to harsh conditions like forced labor but did not enjoy the fruits of their sweat. Under such oppressive circumstances, individuals performance rate was low leading to minimal economic gains from industrial and other activities. Revolution processes created a conducive working environment that gave people opportunity to freely express themselves13. In that regard, creativity in people was enhanced, this resulted in increase in industrial productivity. Revolutions also ensured that people enjoy the fruits of their labor and as well appreciated for excellent performance. World wide age revolutions have positively impacted nations and this is due to the conducive operating environment that citizens are subjected to. References Belich, James, Replenishing the Earth: The Settler Revolution and the Rise of the Anglo world, 1783-1939 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009) Benjamin.  Thomas. The Atlantic World: Europeans, Africans, Indians and their Shared History, 1400-1900. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Burke, Peter. What is Cultural History? Cambridge: Polity, 2004. (2nd Ed 2008) Davis, Mike. Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World. London & New York: Verso, 2001. Deborah Kennedy. Helen Maria Williams and the Age of Revolution. London: Bucknell University Press, 2002. Fass, Paula S. "Cultural History/Social History: Some Reflections on a Continuing Dialogue." Journal of Social History 37.1 (2003): 39-46 (Note that this is a special issue, there may be other articles of relevance.) Hensel, Silke, "Review: Was There an Age of Revolution in Latin America? New Literature on Latin American Independence" Latin American Research Review,  Vol. 38, No. 3, 2003:  237-249 Hobsbawm, Eric. The Age of Revolution, 1789-1848. New York: Vintage, 1996. (1962) Jane, Landers. Atlantic Creoles in the age of revolutions. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2010. Jenkins, Keith and Alan Munsloweds, The Nature of History Reader. London: Routledge, 2004. Klein, Herbert. The Atlantic Slave Trade. Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1999. Klein, Herbert. The middle passage: comparative studies in the Atlantic slave trade. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press c1978. Solow, Barbara L. “Capitalism and Slavery in the Exceedingly Long Run,” Journal of Interdisciplinary History 17 no.4 (1987): 711-737. Webster, Anthony. "The strategies and limits of gentlemanly capitalism: the London East India agency houses, provincial commercial interests, and the evolution of British economic policy in South and South East Asia, 1800–50." Economic History Review LIX, 4 (2006): 743–764. Williams, Raymond. The Country and the City. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975. Read More