Background: Europe Before the Scientific Revolution

1. Unit 1: Reviewing the Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, and Imperialism Question to think about: What ideas, events, people, etc. originated during this time period that still impact the world we live in today?

2. Background: Europe Before the Scientific Revolution • What was Europe like before the scientific revolution? • Politically? • Socially? • Religiously? • When people had questions about why things happened, what types of answers did they come up with?

3. Scientific Revolution • When? Early 1500’s to early 1700’s • Where? Started in Europe spread all around the world • What? New way to think about the world and answer questions about the universe • Old=magic, superstition, religion • New=observation, experimentation, reason, scientific method • Examples: spiders, planets, gravity, lightning, etc • Major figures: Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Bacon

4. Enlightenment • When? Late 1600’s to late 1700’s • Where? Europe, but later North America, and the rest of the world • What? Took the lessons of the scientific revolution and applied them to humanity, not just to nature • What’s that mean? • What type of questions about humans and society/government would you ask if you lived in Europe in the 1600’s?

5. People and Ideas of the Enlightenment • The Philosophes (Voltaire, Diderot, others) • People have basic rights that the government and society shouldn’t infringe upon • Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from being imprisoned without cause, freedom from torture • John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau • Governments are formed by the people not by God • Governments exist to serve and protect the rights of the people, not the other way around • If the government abuses the rights of the people, the people have the right to do what to the government?

6. Effects of the Enlightenment? • Who do you think would be very afraid of the new ideas of the enlightenment? • Who do you think would be in favor of the new ideas of the enlightenment? • “Enlightened” Monarchs • Made some reforms to their kingdoms, but not many • Revolutionary War in the British Colonies • Beginning of the USA

7. French Revolution 1789-1815 • Background: France was unequal and unfair • 3 estates • Only the 3rd estate paid taxes • King had almost total power, no input from the vast majority of ordinary people • Revolution Timeline • Revolution Begins (1789) • King overthrown, executed (1793) • Napoleon made dictator then emperor (1799) • France conquers almost all of Europe, spreads revolution • Napoleon finally defeated, French Revolution collapses (1815)

8. New Ideas that came out of the French Revolution • Nationalism: When people feel like they are united by race, language, ethnicity, religion, ideas, etc. they belong to a nation. Nationalism is pride in and loyalty to your nation—Napoleon and his soldiers were very nationalistic • Liberalism: Idea that people are born free and equal. People create governments to protect their rights, people should have a say in the decisions their government makes, there should be limits on what the government can and cannot do to individuals, and any laws that the government makes should apply equally to everyone regardless of how rich or poor you are • Conservatism: Backlash against the French Revolution. Conservatives wanted to maintain (or conserve (wink)) things the way they were, they were resistant to change

9. Fun Review Activity! • Make your own “Thought Map” • Think of a list of 8 ideas/people/events from the time periods we talked about today in class that you think are especially important with your list, I want you to do the following: • 1: for each item in your list make an illustration that visually describes what that item is • 2: once you have illustrated each item organize them in a “thought map” link them together in a way that you think makes sense • 3: each group must do a write-up that explains why you picked the items in your list, your illustrations, and how you organized them in your thought map • 4: each group must present their illustrations and thought maps to the rest of the class