“John Locke (1632-1704) had argued the “social contract” between ruler and ruled should last only as long as it served the people well” (Strayer, page 500). I really liked this quote, because many times ever today, I don’t believe that the people are served “well”. Many times politicians tell the people what they want to hear and then do something else.
As Strayer points out in the book, the American Revolution has been taught to children since first grade, in a much more simple degree, as example America gained her independence by 1787 and created the federal constitution, that is why we celebrate July 4! Many times I hear people talk, and I have been guilty of this, questioning why the schools don’t tell the “truth” about history. I have thought about this many times during the class, because it feels like I am learning the same things over and over, but just not the lovey-dovey side. As I was looking at my son, I realized that, even though our country and other countries have done some evil things to people, we don’t want our children being raised to question why our government was so mean, and even question or doubting the United States.
During the American Revolution, countries looked to the United States, and many do today. The US was the first to have Constitution- with the Bill of Rights. US, was practicing separation church and state, which I believe is a big progress. Many countries to this day do not even allow their people to practice what religion he or she chooses.
The French Revolution was from 1789-1815, and was completely different than the American Revolution. The French Revolution was a revolt against the social classes. The Third Estate (National Assembly) stated the revolt. They were tired of being miss treated, and wanted some respect even if they were the poor, but yet the majority. The revolt was so powerful, it got rid of the King and Queen at the time, and I believe the Queen was Marie Antoinette. Slavery was ended for a short and unlike the Americas; the French were looking for a new beginning, stated over, made a new calendar.
Napoleon Bonaparte took leadership from 1799-1814. He created civil quality, religious freedom, and many other rules/laws. In 1815 Britain and Russia brought down Napoleon, which ended the French Revolution. Many countries learned off of each other during the Revolutions’ and some lasted for a while and some didn’t. I believe there needs to be a since of respect for what happened back then, even if it was done as to what we think is an evil way, but yet that was the way back then.
The Revolutions were a big Era for the women too. While people were fighting for rights, women didn’t want it to be just between the social classes but also between men and women. Women wanted to be educated too. By the 1900’s women had bad a big change that has affected women today, they were able to attend universities, own property, some areas liberated divorce laws, so it just wasn’t up the male. Women help jobs, teaching and nursing. Im not a big feminist, I don’t believe that women should have the same roles as men, but I am grateful for the hard work that the women did before us to make us where the US is today. I look at other countries and how they treat their women with disrespect and it is truly sad.
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