Human Evolution – Milestones and Family Tree
During the period of human evolution, the Earth’s climate has fluctuated between warm and cold. Some of the most important milestones in human evolution occurred during times of greatest fluctuations. Explore the relationship between climate and human evolution more deeply by clicking on the image. While the exact number of early human species is debated, […]
Age of Revolution – Glossary
Articles of Confederation: Document produced by the Continental Congress in 1777 as the charter setting out the relationship of the 13 colonies as parts of a new nation. Ayacucho: Last major battle in the wars for independence in Spanish America, where José Antonio Sucre defeated the royalist forces in southern Peru. Boston Massacre: Killing of […]
Age of Revolution – Timeline
1700 — Bourbons replace Hapsburgs as royal family in Spain.1763 — French and Indian (Seven Years’) War ends; westward migration in 13 colonies banned.1764 — English Parliament passes Sugar Act.1765 — English Parliament passes Stamp Act.1766 — Stamp Act repealed.1767 — English Parliament passes Townshend Acts.1768 — British troops sent to Boston.March 5, 1770 — […]
The Aftermath of Independence
In this final outline, we come back to a larger vision of the Americas in the aftermath of the wars for independence. The outline begins with the key concepts of revolution and wars for independence and reemphasizes the complex nature of the different wars for independence, as well as their common patterns. Within a half […]
Revolutions Made and Unmade
In this outline, we return to the “big picture” of the age of revolutions. We look at the general processes across all of the Americas and compare all the revolutions. In particular, the outline focuses on how the differing colonial traditions (political, economic, and cultural) shaped the revolutionary paths and the outcomes of the wars […]
The Strange Case of Paraguay
Paraguay is perhaps the most unusual country in Latin America in the 19th century. Isolated deep in the interior of South America, it was largely populated through the creation of Jesuit missions in the 17th and 18th centuries. Ostensibly under the control of the viceroyalty of La Plata at the beginning of the 19th century, […]
The British West Indies and Canada
The British West Indies and Canada provide us with two more counterpoints to the successful wars of revolution. The 13 colonies were unusual in their revolt against British colonial rule. Canada and the British possessions in the West Indies did not seek independence. Both regions would experience a gradual transition to independence. They present fascinating […]