Age Of Revolution Essay

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The Age of Revolution • A period of political upheaval beginning with the American Revolution, leading through the French Revolution, and ending at around 1848 • Caught up many social groups with diverse motives Forces of Change • Three forces were working to shatter Europe’s calm by the mid-18th century o Cultural  Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued for a government based on a general will o Ongoing commercialization  Businesspeople challenge the idea that only aristocrats should hold high office o All social levels  The population revolution was partly the result of better border policing, which reduced the movement of disease bearing animals  Improved nutrition, due to the introduction of the potato • Led to reduced death rates  Increase in population leads upper class families to tighten their grip on existing offices • Consequently it becomes harder for non-aristocrats to gain a high post • Population pressure drove many people into the working class, which led to the creation of motives for protest • Population growth sparks a rapid expansion of domestic manufacturing in western...

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