Global Impact of the American Revolution (College Board AP® US History)
Study Guide
Written by: Kristin Marciniak
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Timeline
Summary
The Declaration of Independence and the Patriots’ war against Great Britain inspired independence movements around the world. Some people in France, Haiti, and Latin America were attracted to the Enlightenment philosophies of natural rights and liberty. Others took courage from the success of the American colonists.
France
French Revolution (1789–99)
Those who sought independence from the French monarchy were inspired by Enlightenment philosophers, just like colonial political leaders had been
They patterned their Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen after the Declaration of Independence
The Patriots’ defeat of Great Britain encouraged the French that they, too, could overthrow their oppressive government
Haiti
Haitian Revolution (1791–1804)
Enslaved African laborers who made up the population of Haiti rebelled against French slaveholders
Rebels were led by Toussaint L’Ouverture
Haiti became the first country founded by formerly enslaved people
Image: Map
Latin America
Wars of independence in Latin America occurred between 1808 and 1826)
Enlightenment philosophy and independence movements around the world contributed to Creoles’ suspicion of Spanish Bourbon rule in Latin America
When French ruler Napoleon imprisoned Spanish King Charles and his son Ferdinand in 1808, Creoles started fighting for independence
Creoles had previously experienced free trade and government autonomy when Spain was at war with Great Britain. They wanted those freedoms back
By 1826, all of Latin America except Cuba and Puerto Rico (which were still run by Spain) had shaken off European control
Worked Example
Which sentence best summarizes why so many different groups of people fought for independence in the late 18th and early 19th centuries?
A) The institutions of slavery and colonialism were outdated.
B) Independent nations were less likely to be drawn into a global conflict.
C) People wanted to establish new governments that would uphold their natural rights.
D) European nations were unable to adequately govern thousands of miles away in the Americas.
Answer:
C, People wanted to establish new governments that would uphold their natural rights. Although Haiti’s independence movement ended slavery in that country, the practice of slavery continued in the United States until the end of the Civil War. Remember also that the French subjects who pushed for revolution were ordinary French citizens who lived in France. They were not colonists, nor did they live in the Americas. The major thing France, Haiti, and the Latin American countries that fought for independence had in common was that they wanted to establish new governments that would protect their natural rights.
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