Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Karl Marx

2007-06-04T02:08:19Z

JBT: this better?

[[Image:KarlMarx.jpg|right|frame]]
'''Karl Marx''' (1818-1883) was a [[Germany|German]] economist who sought to set [[socialism]] and [[communism]] on, what he saw as, a scientific basis. Marx was born in Prussia, educated in Germany, and a writer in London.

Marx saw "primitive" socialist thought as fundamentally a moral movement with no base in a practical science. Marx's solution was to ground an analysis of society on his principle of dialectical materialism.

Dialectic was a principle created by German philosopher [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel]] which, although ferociously complex in his works, is based on the fairly straightforward conception of action and reaction. A situation arises that is less than perfect ("thesis") which provokes a reaction ("antithesis"), eventually a settlement is reached ("synthesis") which, is still far from perfect and provokes its own antithesis. Hegel saw the driving force of changes being the "Geist", variously translated as "spirit" or "mind". Marx took the dialectic and replaced Geist with materialism, at root the metabolism of man. To put it bluntly: you've got to eat!.

The necessity for material sustenance gives rise to an imperfect means of production, which changes as the internal contradictions of thesis and antithesis work themselves out. A key feature of Marx's sociology was that the competition for resources splits society into mutually antagonistic classes ("The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.") whilst the operation of the dialectic serves to continually reduce the numbers of classes until, in the industrial age, society was almost wholly split between "bourgeoisie" and "proletariat".

"''Das Kapital''" ("''Capital''") seeks to demonstrate that the bourgeoisie make profits by exploitation of the proletariat. The exploitation arises where the value of the goods produced by workers is much more than the wages paid, and this "[[surplus value]]" is literally stolen from workers by owners. Marx sought to show that the competition amongst the bourgeoisie forced them to exploit their workers as much as possible. If an individual bourgeois refused to continue the exploitation he would soon be forced into bankruptcy or be taken over by someone who would. The result is a relentless increase in the misery of the proletariat who, eventually, would rebel and replace the existing capitalist system with a socialist/communist system. This replacement was described in the "''Communist Manifesto''," in which Marx described how he believed capitalism would eventually collapse into communism. As well as proposing an economic system Marx also had modern views on education, he advocated education for all including women and the lower classes who at the time were without any education.

Mikhail Bakunin observed how rather than discussion of issues, the tried and tested method of leftism and Marxism was spread through the art of character assassination, <ref>Guy A. Aldred, ''Bakunin'', Strickland Press, Glasgow, (1940). </ref> close associates of Marx were adept in the art of
{{Cquote|cowardly, odious and perfidious insinuations. They seldom make open accusation, but they insinuate, saying they "have heard - it is said - it may not be true, but', and then they hurl the most abominable calumnies in your face.}}

===Views on Religion===
Marx is considered very controversial in religious circles for his statement, "Religion...is the opium of the masses." This was written in his 1843 work "A Contribution to the [http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1843/critique-hpr/intro.htm Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right]" and expresses Marx's belief that religion offers a false palliative to assuage the suffering of "the oppressed", which in his view essentially blames faith in God as the hinderance to carrying out the Marxist program.

Karl Marx is often labeled an [[anti-semite]] or a self-hating Jew for his statements such as, "Money is the jealous god of Israel, in face of which no other god may exist", "The god of the Jews has become secularized and has become the god of the world. The bill of exchange is the real god of the Jew. His god is only an illusory bill of exchange", and "What is the worldly religion of the Jew? Huckstering. What is his worldly God? Money".

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marx, Karl}}
[[Category:Political people]]
[[Category:Communists]]

Karl Marx

2007-06-04T02:07:47Z

JBT: considering how it's his most-famous work, shouldn't it at least be mentioned?

[[Image:KarlMarx.jpg|right|frame]]
'''Karl Marx''' (1818-1883) was a [[Germany|German]] economist who sought to set [[socialism]] and [[communism]] on, what he saw as, a scientific basis. Marx was born in Prussia, educated in Germany, and a writer in London.

Marx saw "primitive" socialist thought as fundamentally a moral movement with no base in a practical science. Marx's solution was to ground an analysis of society on his principle of dialectical materialism.

Dialectic was a principle created by German philosopher [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel]] which, although ferociously complex in his works, is based on the fairly straightforward conception of action and reaction. A situation arises that is less than perfect ("thesis") which provokes a reaction ("antithesis"), eventually a settlement is reached ("synthesis") which, is still far from perfect and provokes its own antithesis. Hegel saw the driving force of changes being the "Geist", variously translated as "spirit" or "mind". Marx took the dialectic and replaced Geist with materialism, at root the metabolism of man. To put it bluntly: you've got to eat!.

The necessity for material sustenance gives rise to an imperfect means of production, which changes as the internal contradictions of thesis and antithesis work themselves out. A key feature of Marx's sociology was that the competition for resources splits society into mutually antagonistic classes ("The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.") whilst the operation of the dialectic serves to continually reduce the numbers of classes until, in the industrial age, society was almost wholly split between "bourgeoisie" and "proletariat".

"''Das Kapital''" ("''Capital''") seeks to demonstrate that the bourgeoisie make profits by exploitation of the proletariat. The exploitation arises where the value of the goods produced by workers is much more than the wages paid, and this "[[surplus value]]" is literally stolen from workers by owners. Marx sought to show that the competition amongst the bourgeoisie forced them to exploit their workers as much as possible. If an individual bourgeois refused to continue the exploitation he would soon be forced into bankruptcy or be taken over by someone who would. The result is a relentless increase in the misery of the proletariat who, eventually, would rebel and replace the existing capitalist system with a socialist/communist system. This replacement was described in the "''Communist Manifesto''," in which Marx described how capitalism would eventually collapse into communism. As well as proposing an economic system Marx also had modern views on education, he advocated education for all including women and the lower classes who at the time were without any education.

Mikhail Bakunin observed how rather than discussion of issues, the tried and tested method of leftism and Marxism was spread through the art of character assassination, <ref>Guy A. Aldred, ''Bakunin'', Strickland Press, Glasgow, (1940). </ref> close associates of Marx were adept in the art of
{{Cquote|cowardly, odious and perfidious insinuations. They seldom make open accusation, but they insinuate, saying they "have heard - it is said - it may not be true, but', and then they hurl the most abominable calumnies in your face.}}

===Views on Religion===
Marx is considered very controversial in religious circles for his statement, "Religion...is the opium of the masses." This was written in his 1843 work "A Contribution to the [http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1843/critique-hpr/intro.htm Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right]" and expresses Marx's belief that religion offers a false palliative to assuage the suffering of "the oppressed", which in his view essentially blames faith in God as the hinderance to carrying out the Marxist program.

Karl Marx is often labeled an [[anti-semite]] or a self-hating Jew for his statements such as, "Money is the jealous god of Israel, in face of which no other god may exist", "The god of the Jews has become secularized and has become the god of the world. The bill of exchange is the real god of the Jew. His god is only an illusory bill of exchange", and "What is the worldly religion of the Jew? Huckstering. What is his worldly God? Money".

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marx, Karl}}
[[Category:Political people]]
[[Category:Communists]]

Talk:Iran Hostage Crisis

2007-06-04T02:06:04Z

JBT:

[http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Iran_Hostage_Crisis&diff=next&oldid=188125 This] has been taken out. I understand the reasoning. However, I believe that it shows that the Iranians have been known to deny the obvious. [[User:Izquierda|Izquierda]] 16:42, 3 June 2007 (EDT)
:LOLZ you've been blocked. [[User:JBT|JBT]] 22:06, 3 June 2007 (EDT)

DMCA

2007-06-04T01:45:38Z

JBT: Redirecting to Conservapedia:DMCA Agent

#REDIRECT [[Conservapedia:DMCA Agent]]

Homeschooled

2007-06-04T01:45:08Z

JBT: Redirecting to Homeschooling

#REDIRECT [[homeschooling]]

Evan O'Dorney

2007-06-04T01:44:52Z

JBT:

[[Image:Evan O'Dorney.jpg|150px|right|thumb| Evan O'Dorney seen with his parents after winning the 2007 Spelling Bee]]'''Evan O'Dorney''' is a [[homeschooled]] child who won the 80th Scripp's National Spelling Bee on May 31st, 2007. The [[liberal]] media, however, have used [[deceit]] to hide the fact that he is homeschooled.

Patrick R. Hatlestad

2007-06-02T06:58:03Z

JBT:

'''Patrick R. Hatlestad''' is a [[Republican]] that is a [[House of Representatives|Representative]] for District 1 of [[North Dakota]]. He took office in 2007. He is part of the Human Service committee and Political Subdivisions committee. He got his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from UND. He is also part of the ND coaches hall of fame.

== References ==
http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/house/representatives/bios/patrickrhatlestad.html

Flying Tigers

2007-06-02T06:54:46Z

JBT:

The '''Flying Tigers''', also known as the '''American Volunteer Group''', were [[American]]volunteer fighter pilots who fought for [[China]] during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] (the Pacific front of [[World War II]] prior to U.S. entry)<ref>http://www.flyingtigersavg.com/tiger1.htm</ref>. Led by Lt. General Claire L. Chennault, they were very successful against he [[Japanese]], who expected to encounter poorly-trained Chinese pilots.

==References==
<references/>

Debate:Was the European colonization of the Americas good for the native people?

2007-06-02T06:36:04Z

JBT: /* YES */

{{debate}}

==YES==

Do you mean the countless millions of dead ones or the handful who survived and were put into the "ghettos" we like to call "reservations?"--[[User:Eastfernstreet|Eastfernstreet]] 15:05, 26 May 2007 (EDT)

The European colonists brought Christianity to the Americas and ended the Central American practice of [[human sacrifice]]. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 05:22, 21 May 2007 (EDT)
:I wonder how many people were killed to achieve this (latter) laudable aim? [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 05:32, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

They sensibly replaced it with the human sacrifice to the concept of justice (capital punishment). The improvement here is that efforts are often made to avoid sacrificing innocent individuals. Thus the blood-lust of the population could be nurtured without arbitary victimisation of innocents. [[User:Auld Nick|Auld Nick]] 05:28, 21 May 2007 (EDT)
: North American Indians did not practice human sacrifice. [[User:Poblano|Poblano]] 10:45, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

Yes, it was definitely good for the natives. Look at how they lived before Europeans came to America. They lived in tepees and were practically naked all the time. Wouldn't you want help if you were in that situation? Thanks to our colonial ancestors, native people now have a much higher quality of life due to casinos, yet are still able to maintain some of their old ways on their reservations. It is the duty of civilized peoples to raise their inferiors up from savagery. Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" comes to mind:

:Take up the White Man’s burden—
:Send forth the best ye breed—
:Go bind your sons to exile
:To serve your captives’ need;
:To wait in heavy harness,
:On fluttered folk and wild—
:Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
:Half-devil and half-child.

--[[User:Conservateur|Conservateur]] 14:12, 21 May 2007 (EDT)
::I sincerly hope that the above opinion is not serious, and if it is, that it is not the opinion of the majority of contributors on this site. What a shame.[[User:Jnl001|Jnl001]] 19:49, 22 May 2007 (EDT)

I'm hopeing this is a Devils advocate posting or one based on sheerignorance of history and contemporary life in Indian Country, because it is one of the most racist, bigotted things I've read in a long time. Maybe this is what the next round of media articles about Conservapedia will focus on. I can see the headlies now. "New Wiki becomes bastion of skinheads and American Nazis"--[[User:Third Day|Third Day]] 09:58, 23 May 2007 (EDT)

I don't really see how one could argue otherwise. The Europeans taught the Indians that it was wrong to kill each other in the name of their false gods, and taught them Christianity. It is unfortunate that many were killed by diseases, but at least their souls were saved. And I agree with Conservateur's point that the whites improved their living conditions immensely. [[User:JBT|JBT]] 02:36, 2 June 2007 (EDT)

==NO==

Am I allowed to argue on both sides? I don't think this is a black and white issue.

If the reports of "smallpox blankets" and Caribbean slavery are true, then Columbus took advantage of several thousand native Americans. Also, I've heard that the native population was reduced 90% by European colonists - presumably through conquest and starvation. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 05:37, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

I'm not sure what the point of this debate is, the question seems bit of a Trojan Horse, but I would imagine that those who survived would say no. Bringing disease, alcohol and superior firepower to wipe many of them out, then settling their land out can hardly be a good thing from their point of view. Hopefully a few of them will respond here. Of course from the colonists' point of view everything has turned out pretty good. Also European colonization of the Americas covers a very wide range of incomers and indigenous peoples so there can be no simple answer. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 05:45, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

No. Just look at the [[Trail of Tears]] and the [[Wounded Knee Massacre]]. I don't think after the North American Indians (who did NOT practice human sacrifice) who surivived mass slaughter, deportation, the rape of their women, the capture of their land, the deliberate and inadvertant spread of disease were thinking: and they brought us Christianity! What benevolent people! [[User:Poblano|Poblano]] 10:45, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

My God. I cannot believe that anyone is so historically ignorant that they even could ask such a question. Let’s put it this way: If invaders raped your women, forced their religion on you, stole your land, and exposed your people to diseases that resulted in population loss of 90%, would you be OK with that? I did not think so. White man’s burden? Who asked for your help? We were just fine until you jackasses showed up.--[[User:Davyjones|Davyjones]] 14:30, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

:I hate to ruin your liberal-taught preconceived ideas of how America was colonized, but you have been grossly misinformed. There was not nearly as much raping going on as is claimed by anti-European groups. And for the most part, at least in North America, land was not stolen. It was bought by the British/US governments from tribal leaders, but some of the tribe members refused to leave and had to be evicted or killed. And don't pretend like native tribes were having one big peacefest prior to the arrival of Europeans. The fact is that tribes had been at war with each other for centuries, committing atrocities that rivaled or even surpassed those of the colonials. Even when uniting against the so-called "invaders" would have been in their best interests, they didn't do so.
:If it wasn't for European colonization, there would still be wars between tribes going on today. You're welcome.--[[User:Conservateur|Conservateur]] 14:42, 21 May 2007 (EDT)
DO you have any sources to back that up?--[[User:Davyjones|Davyjones]] 14:54, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

::I thought "scalping" was common knowledge. Do you really need me to give a source for the practice? Torture was so common among some tribes that it is became a mark of courage to endure it with no outcry. Maybe the 'courage' thing needs a reference, but *sheesh* can't you just go to Google when someone makes a point in a debate?

::Are we airing our different points of view to find out how others think, or do we imagine a huge audience is watching to see who wins? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 19:55, 22 May 2007 (EDT)

Good to know that that rape and murder is something to be thankful for. So remember, the next time someone breaks into your home, kills you, rapes your wife, and carries your children off and sells them into slavery, you are supposed to thank them! No wonder people think conservatives are stupid and racist! They never miss a chance to prove they are!--[[User:Davyjones|Davyjones]] 15:04, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

Conservateur, moral equivocation doesn't make what colonists did either helpful, good, or justified in any way. Just because some of the tribes were at war with each other, or that they commited atrocities that "rivaled or even surpassed" those of the colonists, doesn't make it alright that we devastated them with disease, took any of their lands whatsoever, and commited any acts of violence for the goal of westward conquest. The fact is, colonists were the result of their decimated population, and the loss of their tribal lands, whether through sale or force, and that has to be recognized. And even if it was our intervention that stopped their warring (though clearly, that was not the goal when we set out to expand "our" country), it cost them more than any of their tribal conflics ever did. The natives got the short end of the bargain.--[[User:Stereophile|Stereophile]] 20:45, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

One almost does not know where to begin. As the above poster noted, it is hard to fathom why this question is even asked in 2007. Nervertheless, I will try to address some of the misconceptions I see above. Most native peoples did not practice human sacrifice. As for the person above who states that jative land was not stolen, I agree with the poster who challenged him to provide sources. I noticed that none were forthcoming. As for not uniting in the face of European invasion, you have to remember that Native Americans viewed themsleves as over 500 different nations. Would France, Spain, et. al. have united in the face of an invasion? I also wish to address the remark concering scalping. Around 1980 or so, James Axtell published an article in the William and Mary Quarterly called "The Unkindest Cut" that showed that scalping was a European innovation. European officals paid Indians a bounty for each enemy scalp they brought in. In the eighteenth century, on the Carolina frontier, colonists also collected these bounties. So, who really is the "savage" here? I do not agree with the rather forceful tone of davyjones, but posters on Conservapedia may want to consider this: Some of the things they post can be used against conservatives. If you post something that could be made out to sound "stupid" or "racist," I assure you, there is someone out there who will use it that way. Since what we want is to win people to the conservative side, think before you post. I'm not saying do not say what is on your mind, but think how it can boomarang on conservatives.--[[User:Lobo|Lobo]] 12:35, 24 May 2007 (EDT)

:That's the second time you've inserted that nonsense:
:*"Historical records, archaeology, and other sciences strongly indicate the practice [of scalping] originated among certain Native American tribes." [http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/1998/scalping.html]

Flying Tigers

2007-06-02T05:21:18Z

JBT: New page: The '''Flying Tigers''' were American fighter pilots who flew with Chinese airmen during the Second Sino-Japanese War (the Pacific front of World War II prior to U.S. entry...

The '''Flying Tigers''' were [[American]] fighter pilots who flew with [[Chinese]] airmen during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] (the Pacific front of [[World War II]] prior to U.S. entry). They were very successful against he [[Japanese]], who expected to encounter poorly-trained Chinese pilots.

Second Sino-Japanese War

2007-06-02T05:19:58Z

JBT: /* International Involvement */

The '''Second Sino-Japanese War''' (July 7, 1937 - September 9, 1945) was a major war fought between the [[Republic of China]] and Imperial [[Japan]]. from the [[Bombing of Pearl Harbor]] onward, the war was considered a part of [[World War II]].

==Japanese Invasion==
In 1932, Japan had invaded [[Manchuria]] and established the puppet state of [[Manchukuo]]. In 1937, Japanese military forces attacked the Marco Polo bridge in near [[Beijing]], defeating the Chinese nationalist defenders and gaining a strategic river crossing. Three days after the battle, [[Chiang Kai-Shek]] declared [[Total War]] on Japanese forces in China.

Immediately following the battle of Marco Polo bridge, Japan sent close to 400,000 soldiers to attack [[Shanghai]] (See [[Battle of Shanghai]]), [[Nanjing]], and [[Shanxi]]. Japanese military forces eventually gained control of all three cities, though were met with fierce Chinese resistance.

At the outbreak of the war, the Republic of China had little to no mechanized forces, inferior equipment, and poorly trained soldiers. Due to this, Japanese forces quickly swept through China and captured most of the developed portions of the country.

==Resistance Fighting==
Though Japan had no problem conquering most of China, [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] fighting continued throughout the conquered areas.

==International Involvement==
*Prior to 1939, China and [[Nazi Germany]] had seen close economic and military ties. After the outbreak of war in Europe, Germany was generally reluctant to help Chinese forces.
*The [[Soviet Union]] provided the largest amount of foreign aid to China during the war, some $250 million worth of supplies.
*The [[United States]] aided in supplying materiel to China until the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Soon after going to war with Japan (see [[Pacific front of World War II]]), the US developed a volunteer fighter wing known as the [[Flying Tigers]], which saw great success over Chinese skies (300 kills compared to 12 losses).

==External links==
*[http://www.warbirdforum.com/avg.htm The Flying Tigers]
*[http://www.kangzhan.org/history?PHPSESSID=cab2c37ca3af8124262d42de34943761 KangZahn Archives]

[[Category:Wars]]

HMS Hood

2007-06-02T05:18:45Z

JBT: New page: The '''HMS Hood''' was a British World War II ship. It was Britain's most powerful ship, but was destroyed by the German battleship Bismarck during the [[Battle of the Denm...

The '''HMS Hood''' was a [[British]] [[World War II]] ship. It was Britain's most powerful ship, but was destroyed by the [[German]] [[battleship Bismarck]] during the [[Battle of the Denmark Strait]].

Battle of the Denmark Strait

2007-06-02T05:17:34Z

JBT: New page: The '''Battle of the Denmark Strait''' was one of history's most famous naval battles. During World War II, the German battleship Bismarck was attempting to break out into the ...

The '''Battle of the Denmark Strait''' was one of history's most famous naval battles. During [[World War II]], the [[German]] [[battleship Bismarck]] was attempting to break out into the [[Atlantic Ocean]] during her first sortie. She was met by the [[HMS Hood]] and [[HMS Price of Wales]] in the Denmark Strait. After some twenty minutes of exchanging salvoes, the Hood, the pride of the [[British]] navy, was blown up. The Prince of Wales was badly damaged, and withdrew. The Bismarck would later be pursued by several British ships, and sunk around a week later.

Battleship Bismarck

2007-06-02T05:15:22Z

JBT: New page: The German battleship '''Bismarck''' was one of the largest and most powerful ships the world had ever seen. It was in service during World War II. Commanded by Admiral Günther L...

The [[German]] battleship '''Bismarck''' was one of the largest and most powerful ships the world had ever seen. It was in service during [[World War II]]. Commanded by Admiral Günther Lütjens, it is famous for sinking the [[HMS Hood]], the pride of [[Britain]]'s Royal Navy, in the [[Battle of the Denmark Strait]]. Pursued by dozens of British and [[Poland|Polish]] ships, it was finally sunk by the collective efforts of the HMS King George V, HMS Rodney, and others. The ship was named after Chansellor [[Otto von Bismarck]], who unified the German states in the 1800s.

War of 1812

2007-06-02T05:12:22Z

JBT: /* Trade interference */

The '''War of 1812''' was a three-year conflict between the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]] and the [[United States of America]], lasting from June 18, 1812 to February 18, 1815. The war resulted in little change, and neither side claimed victory in the subsequent [[Treaty of Ghent]].

==Reasons for War==
===Trade interference===
At the time, [[Europe]] was embrioled in the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. The [[France|French]] [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Emperor]] was rapidly expanding his territories, and an alliance, including Britian, was set against him. The United States, as urged by [[George Washington]] in his Farewell Address, had declared neutrality. Both England and France, however, sought to sabotage and/or restrict American efforts to trade with their enemy. Because Britain had a superior navy, the British attempts were more successful, and compounded the grievence of impressment. Because of this, the French incursions were largely disregarded by the American public.
====Impressment====
The British Royal Navy suffered from low enlistment rates, and to 'recruit' new sailors, British vessels frequently boarded American merchant ships, under pretences of reclaiming deserters. Most notable of such encounters was the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair of 1807. The HMS Leopard fired upon and boarded the USS Chesapeake in American coastal waters, killing three and impressing four. Three of the 'deserters' were actually American citizens.
====Embargo Act of 1807====
Napoleon in 1806 issued his [[Continental System]], which put an embargo on trade with Britain. In response, Britain issued the [[Orders in Council]], blockinig trade with France. To avoid a declaration of war, President [[Thomas Jefferson]] pushed for an [[Embargo Act in 1807]]. This law prohibited the United States from trading with any foreign nations. This proved disasterous to the New England shipping industry, and was quickly repealed and replaced with the [[Non-Intercourse Act]].

====Non-Intercourse Act====
The Non-Intercourse Act was slightly more effective than the Embargo Act, but still did not achieve much. This act prohibited trade solely with beligerent nations, in an effort to continue trade but remain neutral. [[James Madison]], the new President, also ensured that if one country recognized the free trade rights of the United States, the US would cease trade with its enemy and resume trade with that country. Napoleon quickly promised to stop interference with American shipping, and the embargo resumed on British goods. Napoleon, who had no intention of following through on his promise, only wished to add to the American-British tension, and he succeeded.

===Expansionism===
Also at issue was American expansionism. After the [[American War of Independence]], the British continued to occupy several forts along the US-Canadian border, several of which were actually on American soil. In the [[Treaty of Paris]], which ended the Revolutionary War in 1783, the British had agreed to give up control of these stations. Rather than fufil their agreement, however, the British had held the posts and even supplied local [[Native American]] tribes with weapons, and encouraging them to raid American settlements to prevent expansion.<ref>Stagg (1983)</ref>
===War Hawks===
Several [[Senators]], seeing their countrymen pressed into foreign navies and raided by Indians inspired by foreign powers, cried for war with Britain. Prominent among these so-called [[War Hawks]] was [[Henry Clay]] of [[Kentucky]]. Most of the War Hawks hailed from Western and Southern states, while New England and the now-regional [[Federalist Party]] adamantly opposed war. At the [[Hartford Convention]] in late 1814, New England even threatened secession. Many of the War Hawks also looked at [[Canada]], believing it to be poorly-defended while the British were tied up in the Napoleonic Wars. Some also thought that an American invasion would be greeted by the Canadians as a liberation. Thomas Jefferson in 1812 wrote that "the acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching, and will give us experience for the attack of Halifax the next, and the final expulsion of England from the American continent." The assumptions of the Americans would be proven wrong soon into the war. On June 18, 1812, after hearing a speech by President Madison, [[Congress]] declared war on Great Britain.

==The War==
===Invasions of Canada===
The first phases of the war featured repeated American invasions of Canada. The Americans invaded from the west, near [[Detroit]], rather than first striking the more strategic cities of [[Montreal]] and [[Quebec]]. The first invasion was repulsed by the British under Major General [[Isaac Brock]], who continued south and captured Detroit without a fight on August 16. At the [[Battle of Queenston Heights]], the Americans (now attempting an invasion from New York) were met by Brock in Ontario. The Ameican forces were once again decisevly repelled, but General Brock was killed in the battle.
===Northwest campaign===
General [[William Henry Harrison]], given control of the American Army of the Northwest after the fall of Detroit, tried unsuccessfully to retake the fort in 1813. The British Colonel Henry Procter, with an Indian alliance under the command of [[Tecumseh]] (Harrison's nemesis from the [[Battle of Tippecanoe]] in 1811), invaded Ohio. At the naval [[Battle of Lake Erie]], the Americans under Captain [[Oliver Hazard Perry]], defeated the British for control of the Lake, forcing the British Army to withdraw from Detroit for fear of being cut off and surrounded. After the battle, Perry famously reported to Harrison, "We have met the enemy and they are ours." Harrison then again invaded Canada, and decisively defeated the Indian coalition at the [[Battle of the Thames]] on October 5. Tecumseh himself was among the dead. The loss of his leadership destroyed the coalition.
Meanwhile, American forces under General [[Henry Dearborn]] had burned York (now Toronto) after the [[Battle of York]]. The famous American explorer and soldier, [[Zebulon Pike]], was killed in the battle. [[Winfield Scott]] and [[Zachary Taylor]], both of whom would be high-ranking generals in the [[Mexican-American War]], earned experience commanding small forces in the American West during the War of 1812.
===Washington and Baltimore===
The British successfully captured and burned [[Washington, DC]] (including the [[White House]]), in 1814, in retaliation for the destruction of York a year earlier. [[First Lady]] [[Dolley Madison]] famously removed valuables from the [[White House]], including the portrait of George Washington, moments before their arrival.
The British Navy had blockaded the Atlantic Coast for most of the war, while allowing anti-war New England to enjoy some open ports. The British often bombarded coastal forts. The unsuccessful bombing of Fort McHenry in 1814 during the [[Battle of Baltimore]] inspired [[Francis Scott Key]] to write [[The Star-Spangled Banner]], which would eventually become the National Anthem.
===Battle of New Orleans===
With Tecumseh rallying Native Americans in the Northwest, many Southwestern tribes rose up against the Americans during the war. Some historians include these conflicts with the War of 1812, while others argue that they were distinct wars in themselves. In 1814, General [[Andrew Jackson]] led a [[Tennessee]] militia into victory over Creek Indians at the [[Battle of Horseshoe Bend]].
On [[Christmas Eve]] of 1814, delegates met in [[Ghent]], [[Belgium]] to discuss peace. The [[Treaty of Ghent]] was ratified by [[Congress]] on February 16. Fifteen days after the signing (but due to the travel time between Europe and the United States, news of the peace would not reach for over another month), General Jackson led his militias to defend a British assult into the [[New Orleans]] area. At the [[Battle of New Orleans]], Jackson routed the invaders. Fame from the victory eventually made Jackson so popular he was elected president in 1828 and 1832. Soon after the battle, news of the treaty arrived, and both sides laid down their arms.

==Impact of War==
===Treaty of Ghent===
The American delegation, consisting of [[John Quincy Adams]], [[James A. Bayard, Sr.]], [[Henry Clay]], and [[Albert Gallatin]], had no chips to bargain with to greatly influence the peace terms. As both sides had their shares of victories and defeats, the British faced the same problem. As Napoleon had been defeated in 1814 by the [[Sixth Coalition]], the issues of impressment and trade interference were no longer relevent. The Native Americans had been suppressed. Pre-war boundaries were re-established, and peace was declared.
===Era of Good Feelings===
After the so-called Second American Revolution, in which the Americans felt they had successfully resisted the British a second time, an era of strong nationalism and unity took hold. The weakening [[Federalist Party]], due to its opposition of the war, finally collapsed for good.

==References==

<references/>

[[Category:Wars]]
[[Category:Napoleonic Wars]]

Democratic Party

2007-06-02T05:11:00Z

JBT: /* History */

[[Image:democraticpartyusalogo.png|right|thumb|200px|Official logo of the Democratic Party.]]

The '''Democratic Party''' is one of the two major political [[parties]] in the [[United States of America]]. It is generally seen as being politically between center and [[leftist | left]] of center, while the rival [[Republican Party]] is positioned to the [[rightist | right]] of center (see [[political spectrum theory]]). Members and supporters of the Democratic Party are known as Democrats.

The Democrats currently control the United States [[House of Representatives]] and the [[Senate]], together with the majority of State governorships and legislatures. <ref>[http://www.multistate.com/Site.nsf/Elections2006PostMaps?OpenPage Multistate.com] Post-Election 2006 Maps</ref> According to a Pew Research Center poll, 50 percent of Americans identify themselves with the Democratic Party as opposed to 35 percent for the Republican Party.<ref>[http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312 Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007] Pew Research Center, 22 March 2007</ref> However, Democrats have served out only three of the last ten presidential terms. Democrats in the US Congress currently have a 58% disapproval and a 32.6% approval rating according to the RealClearPolitics Average of several dozens of Congressional Job Approval polls conducted 05/07 - 05/23. <ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/?poll_id=18 RealClearPolitics Congressional Job Approval Poll], 05/07 - 05/23 </ref> ''Investor's Business Daily'' remarked, "For all the promises of its new Democratic leaders, Congress seems truly interested in doing only one thing: surrendering in [[Iraq]]. No wonder its public approval ratings have sunk below the president's." <ref>[http://ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=264123134498383&kw=For,all,the,promises The Do-One-Thing Congress], ''Investor's Business Daily, May 15, 2007.</ref>

Like the Republicans, the Democrats are currently selecting their candidate for the 2008 presidential election; the front-runners in the contest are Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] of [[New York]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]] of [[Illinois]]. The most recent president who was a Democrat was [[Bill Clinton]], who served from 1993 to 2001.

==History==
The Democratic Party was founded in 1792 by [[Thomas Jefferson]] as a congressional caucus to fight for the [[Bill of Rights]] and to oppose the elitist [[Federalist Party]] led by [[Alexander Hamilton]], which fought for the [[Constitution]].

In 1798 , the party was officially named the "Democratic-Republican Party", and in 1800 Jefferson was elected as the first Democrat [[President of the United States]]. Jefferson, a member of the landed gentry and a slave owner, served two terms as president with distinction, and was succeeded by another Democrat, [[James Madison]], in 1808 . During Madison's tenure, the United States fought the [[United Kingdom]] to a draw in the [[War of 1812]]. James Monroe, another Democratic-Republican, was elected president in 1816 and led the nation through a time commonly known as "The Era of Good Feelings". In this period, the party dominated American politics with little opposition. Monroe was followed by John Quincy Adams who won the hotly contested election of 1824, becoming the first son of a former president to be elected president.

[[Andrew Jackson]], defeated Adams in the 1828 election and signed into law the [[Indian Removal Act of 1830]] <ref>[http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/UHS/APUSH/1st%20Sem/Articles%20Semester%201/Artiles%20Semester%201/Remini.htm Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal], by Robert Remini.</ref> according to the Democratic National Committee's website is "considered — along with Jefferson — one of the founding fathers of the Democratic Party." <ref>[http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/06/our_history.php Democratic National Committee, ''Our History''], retrieved 25 March 2007.</ref> Annual Jefferson-Jackson Day celebrations nationwide by local chapters of the Democratic Party commemorate the two founders of the Democratic Party. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001949.html String of Successes Enlivens Democratic Party], Michael D. Shear, ''The Washington Post'', 22 February 2007.</ref> The Indian Removal Act, enforced through a series of dishonest dealings with native people such as the Treaty of Dancing Rabitt Creek and the Treaty of New Echota, resulted in the wholesale deportation of Native Americans from the Southeastern states to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma). <http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/>

The Jacksonian period also saw the expansion of the voting franchise as most states did away with, or decreased property requirements for voting. The beneficiaries of the expansion of the franchise however, were nearly all white males. Annual Jefferson-Jackson Day celebrations nationwide by local chapters of the Democratic Party commemorate the two founders of the Democratic Party. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001949.html String of Successes Enlivens Democratic Party], Michael D. Shear, ''The Washington Post'', 22 February 2007.</ref>

Democrat [[Franklin Roosevelt]], who served as President from 1933 to 1945, led the United States during the [[Great Depression]] and throughout most of the [[Second World War]]. Under his successor, [[Harry Truman]] the United States emerged a victor from World War II and articulated the Doctine of [[Containment]] which committed the U.S. to stop the spread of global [[Communism]]. Truman ordered the Berlin airlift in 1948 and sent U.S. troops to Korea in 1950.

==Policies and criticism==

In June 2005, while Democrats held a mock impeachment inquiry in President's Bush's foreign policy, [[anti-Semitic]] materials were distributed at the Democratic Party National headquarters. The literature claimed that an Israeli company had warning of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], and an "insider trading scam" on Wall Street had occured simultaneously. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601570.html Democrats Play House To Rally Against the War], Dana Milbank, ''Washington Post'', June 17, 2005.</ref>

It should be noted that the views of individual Democrats sometimes diverge from the party's official stance as expressed in its national platform. The same is true of individual Republicans. Nonetheless, Tyrell accuses Democrats of wearing ideological blinders:

:Can anything embarrass [[Speaker Pelosi]] and the rest of the Democratic leadership? Frankly I doubt it. They are all neatly shut off from the world in their fantasy of moral and intellectual superiority. [http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20070510-092027-4746r.htm]

===Economic policy===
In the field of economic policy, Democrats favor high progressive taxes, higher government spending and a relatively high minimum wage.'{{fact}}

The Democratic Party has historically had ties to [[union|organized labor]]. The [[National Education Association]],<ref>[http://www.nea.org/index.html National Education Association homepage]</ref> the largest union of public school teachers, is a backbone of the party, supplying the largest number of delegates to its national conventions.{{fact}}

===Foreign and military policy===
According to its platform, the Democratic Party has the objective of strengthening America. Democratic national leadership has been accused of being ambivalent about terrorism<ref>[http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=22045 "Democrats, ACLU Outraged Over Traveler Terrorism Screening Program"] C. Johnson, Associated Press</ref> and insufficiently patriotic <ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/01/smn.19.html CNN Saturday Morning News]Transcript: December 1, 2001 </ref>, such as Saxby Chambliss' campaign against Senator Max Cleland--a Vietnam veteran and triple amputee.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14474-2002Jun19.html "Dirty-Bomb Politics"] Mary McGrory, ''The Washington Post'', 20 June 2002</ref>

===Education===
An organization affiliated with the [[Democratic Leadership Council]] called the [[Progressive Policy Institute]] which claims a long standing opposition to school vouchers <ref>21st Century Schools Project Bulletin: Special Edition [http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=110&subsecID=900001&contentID=250630 ''Putting Vouchers in Perspective''], PPI E-newsletter 2 July 2002</ref> reported Jonathan Alter of ''Newsweek'' saying,
:"Can wealthy white liberals - many of whom send their kids to private school - really say to poor parents: 'We can have choices, but you must not?'...This is a glaring hypocrisy sitting at the heart of the liberal opposition to targeted vouchers… Right now, Democrats are in a highly compromised position on education." <ref>[http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=newsLetter&sectionID=29&NLissueID=4&articleID=11&altCol=2 Center For Education Reform, Monthly Letter to Friends No. 75], Back to School 2002.</ref>

===Environment vs Labor===
Two other important coalition groups also find themselves in direct conflict with each other within the Democratic party coalition--[[Environmentalist]]s and Labor Unions.{{fact}} While environmentalists support efforts like clean air and alternative fuels, for example, this creates tension with the workers of American automobile manufactures whose jobs are threatened by environmental policies such as increasing regulations and high costs. Such policies can lead to cutbacks and layoffs. Balancing these issues is difficult because some sacrifices of interests must be made by both sides.

===Healthcare===
The Democrat fondness for heavy government intervention into the marketplace{{fact}} and social engineering{{fact}} means that a significant proportion of their base and of their candidates for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election ideologically favor introducing a system of [[socialized healthcare]]{{fact}}; regardless of the crippling tax burden this would require to sustain itself{{fact}} and the low standard of care achieved by socialized health programs in other countries compared to the United States.{{fact}} Among the leading proponents for this idea include [[Barack Obama|Sen. Barack Obama]] and [[John Edwards|Sen. John Edwards]]; the latter formerly being the running mate to [[John Kerry|Sen. John Kerry]] in the disastrous [[2004 Presidential Election]].

===Homosexual Agenda===
Democrat lawmakers and opinion-formers consistently favor measures such as the establishment of same-sex civil unions, gay marriage and gay adoption of heterosexual children over defense of the traditional family. Likewise they are vigorous in attempting to amend [[hate crime|"hate crime"]] laws to make criticism of the homosexual lifestyle illegal;<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54535 Christian belief a 'hate crime' under plan], WorldNetDaily, March 3, 2007. </ref> while at the same time supporting efforts to [[propaganda|disseminate favorable opinions]] regarding [[homosexuality]] through channels such as the mainstream media and even the educational system in the face of opposition from churches and religious authorities, a broad coalition of [[Republican Party|Republican]] and Independent politicians and a clear majority of the American public{{fact}}. Democrats reject the idea of a [[Homosexual agenda]] preferring to speak in terms of [[Gay rights|"gay rights"]] when this issue is raised; the Democratic Party is the recipient and beneficiary of funding from homosexual lobbying groups and can be seen by their positions as the United States' largest and most powerful ''de facto'' supporter of the Homosexual Agenda. <ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.asp?ID=D000000158 Human Rights Campaign], opensecrets.org </ref>

===Other Policies===
Democrats frequently support the minimum wage, workplace protections, the right of women to choose to have an [[abortion]], [[gun control]], gay marriage, and the separation of church and state.

==Religion==
In the United States, there is some correlation between religious and political affiliation, though people of all faiths and denominations can be found among the supporters of each of the main parties.

Both historically and today, [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] voters have had a tendency to identify with the Democratic Party {{fact}}, and a number of Democratic office-holders, such as Senator [[Jim Webb]] of [[Virginia]], are Catholics. However, several general ideals of the Democratic Party's platform - most notably, the party's overall support for the legality of [[abortion]] - are contrary to the position of the [[Catholic Church]].{{fact}}

With regard to [[Protestant]] Christians, members of [[Evangelical]] churches in particular are associated with the [[Republican Party]]. One unusual feature of the Democratic Party, however, is that it draws substantial support both from committed African-American Protestant Christians and from secular and atheist white voters.{{fact}} The strong opposition to [[homosexuality]] found among many Black Protestant Christians (and, indeed, among orthodox Catholics) contrasts strikingly with the support frequently shown by other Democrats for the [[homosexual agenda]].{{fact}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.therealdemocratstory.com/ The Real Democrat Story], Open the File on the Freshmen Democrats.

[[Category:American Political Parties]]

User talk:Geo.plrd/Desk/Medal

2007-06-02T05:03:04Z

JBT: Redirecting to Template talk:GipperAward

#REDIRECT [[Template talk:GipperAward]]

The Virgin Mary

2007-06-02T05:02:39Z

JBT: Redirecting to Mary (mother of Jesus)

#REDIRECT [[Mary (mother of Jesus)]]

Mary

2007-06-02T05:02:30Z

JBT: Redirecting to Mary (mother of Jesus)

#REDIRECT [[Mary (mother of Jesus)]]

German Stick Grenade

2007-06-02T05:00:13Z

JBT: Redirecting to Stick grenade

#REDIRECT [[Stick grenade]]

Gaius Octavius

2007-06-02T04:59:22Z

JBT: Redirecting to Augustus Caesar

#redirect [[Augustus Caesar]]

French Revolution

2007-06-02T04:58:07Z

JBT: /* Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen */

'''The French Revolution''' is one of the most famous revolutions in all of history. It started out with hope and promise, but then there was a "[[Reign of Terror]]", a chaos wherein anyone could be killed at any time. At least 18,000 people were executed on the [[Guillotine]].

Before the Revolution, France had three levels in its social system: The First, Second, and Third Estates. The [[First Estate]] was about 1% of the population, but it controlled 10% of the land. The First Estate consisted of the clergy, and they did not pay any taxes. The [[Second Estate]] was about 2% of the population and they controlled 20% of the land. These were the nobility, and they too payed very little taxes. The [[Third Estate]] was everyone else, and they were badly overtaxed by the monarch. This overtaxing was a major cause of the French Revolution. Interestingly, taxes also helped to spark the [[American Revolution]].

The leaders of the Third Estate were the middle class, called the [[bourgeoisie]]. They were educated in the ideas of the [[Enlightenment]], most importantly [[Jean Jacques Rousseau]]. Rousseau's book, "The Social Contract" supported a [[direct democracy]], rather that the republican government that had been adopted in [[America]]. The social contract spoke against titles for nobility and demanded complete equality for all people. These ideas later inspired communist writers like [[Karl Marx]].

==Chronology of the French Revolution==

In 1785 a drought led to the poorest harvest in France for many years. Realizing the need to increase taxes, the King imposed measures such as building a wall around Paris to act as a customs post. In 1787 he called a meeting of 144 leading nobles to attempt to persuade them to pay tax in return for increased powers. The nobles refused his requests and were supported by the local assembly; the Parlement de Paris.

The King withdrew his demands at this challenge to his authority, which was greeted by thousands taking to the street to celebrate. When troops were ordered to "Get some lead into the bastards' backsides", they fired into the air instead. In hindsight this can be seen as the start of dissent. It is notable that the initiators of this unrest were the upper classes, who had little reason to think there was any thirst for revolution. In April 1787, [[Calonne]] resigned in disgrace and the middle classes, strengthened by the protests, began to demand an Estates-Generale, a Parliament in which they would be represented.

==1789 - Year of Revolution==

With growing unrest and France was near bankruptcy, the King agreed to call the Estates-Generale in May 1789. The [[Estate-Generale]] was divided into the three estates, with the first two estates (nobility and clergy) electing their representatives. The third estate representation required a series of elections in which all property owners over the age of twenty-five were eligible to take part. The elected a group of electors, who in turn chose delegates. The delegates themselves were overwhelmingly middle class, including the young lawyer [[Maximilien Robespierre]]. Furthermore, the Third Estate was required to produce a list of grievances.

Between 25,000 and 60,000 documents were filed with grievances. Thousands demanded a constitution, reorganization of the clergy, lessening of the tax burden and an end to Royal waste. Few of these demands could be resolved without challenging the basis of [[Absolute Monarchy]]. However, not one of these document has been found to advocate abolition of the monarchy, with the large majority requesting moderate reform and many including expression of adoration towards the King.

The Estates-General had not met in 175 years and retain many of the former characteristics. Each Estate had one vote in the Assembly, such that the First and Second Estates could always outvote the Third Estate. That was acceptable in the early 1600s, but the Third Estate would not allow this in 1789 after learning the Enlightenment ideas. By this time the alliance between the nobility and the third estate has broken down, the nobles may have called a march, but they drew the line at burning down tax offices. The Third Estate wanted a system of one vote per delegate, which would have given the Third Estate the same number of votes as the First and Second Estate combined.

The opening of the Esates-Generale did not bode well. The opening session was in an open coach house, which meant that the Third Estate struggled to hear the proceedings as they were on wooden benches at the far end of the room. Upon the entry of the King, the first and second estates were expected to remove their hats and sit down after the King, before replacing their hats. The Third Estate were expected to remain standing until after the first and second estates had replaced their hats, however, they chose to sit at the same time as the first and second estates. The First Estate were to ear glittering robes, the second estate were to ear silk coats, whilst the third estate were required to wear black coats. There was no question at this point of rudeness towards the King himself, and at this point none of the delegates (including Robespierre) was a republican in their beliefs. There then followed a speech by [[Necker]] on possible solutions to the economic crisis, that was of such length and dullness that Necker had to pass it on to a delegate to complete.

The Third Estate began to win votes in the Estates-Generale by attracting poorer clergy to their side. In an attempt to reassert his control, announced on 14 June that Estates-Generale was postponed. However, new of the postponement did not reach the delegates of the Third Estate, who arrived on the 20 June to find the room locked.

Following a period of confusion, Dr [[Guillotin]] (one of the Third Estate delegates) suggested it might be possible to convene at a nearby indoor tennis court and the group of over 500 delegate proceeded to meet at the court. The session was chaired by Bailly (a celebrity astronomer) and Mirabeau proposed that the delegation should not break up until a constitution was passed, which was opposed by only one delegate (Martin d'Auch). In effect the delegates had declared themselves the Government of France, pending a constitution to be organized by [[Mirabeau]].

The National Assembly approved the “[[Declaration of the Rights of Man]],” which combined ideas of the American Declaration of Independence with some Enlightenment concepts. The result of this combination had many debatable claims. The entire document is short and worth reading in full: [http://www.hrcr.org/docs/frenchdec.html] .

The King responded by ordering the delegate to disperse, however this had little effect. The following week the King sent a messenger, the Marquis de Breze, to order the finishing of the session. Mirabeau ordered the messenger to leave.

In the last week of June the royal Government ordered 20,000 troops to march on Paris. It became apparent that compromise was not. This was emphasized with the replacement of Necker by the hard line [[Baron de Breteuil]]. Thousands took to the street to demand the reinstatement of [[Necker]], possibly one of the most boring men in history to have ever prompted such a reaction. Mirabeau spoke to the assembly, invoking the oath taken at the tennis court. [[Camille Desmoulins]] had ridden to Versailles to report on events and galloped back to Paris to report on the replacement of Necker.

Crowds marched to [[Abbaye]] prison to demand the release the soldiers who had been arrested for not firing on crowds. Troops were offered drinks by the crowd if they shouted 'Viva le tiers-etat'. Dummies of [[Necker]] and [[Duc d'Orleans]] were stolen to be paraded as heroes.

The deputies were now faced with a dilemma, requiring a mass movement for defence of the National Assembly, but fearing crowds getting out of control. Militia were therefore established, that excluded all unemployed and vagrants, and many districts demanded employers' references before admission. Admission varied enormously across districts, with 1,200 being recruited in [[Le Petit-St-Antoine]], but [[Les Minimes]] mustering four.

==Storming of the Bastille==

With the militia formed to repel the royal troops, there was an urgent need for weapons. The royalist [[Swiss Guard]]s had stored 30,000 pounds to the Bastille, to be used against the National Assembly. On the morning of July 14, 1789 (“[[Bastille Day]]”), a crowd of about a thousand people made up predominantly of small tradesmen arrived at the prison to demand the gun powder be handed over. The prison Governor invited a delegation in for breakfast, which proceeded for three and a half hours. Meanwhile, rumours circulated that royalist troops were committing atrocities across Paris.

A demonstrator outside the Bastille realized he would be able to get to the chains of the drawbridge by climbing from a nearby perfume shop. At this point the prison Governor, [[De Launay]], broke off negotiations and late in the afternoon cannon shots were aimed at the crowd. Two companies of French Guards were persuaded to the Bastille to the defend protesters being killed by cannon fire.

A Swiss Guard handed over the keys to the second drawbridge, leading to a moat. A clerk from a pawn office visited a carpenter and returned with eleven pieces of wood, one of which was able to span the moat. Once inside, seven prisoners were freed, though contrary to what is widely though, this did not include the [[Marquis de Sade]] (he had been moved as he had shouting at passers by through a pipe he had been given to urinate through. This took time however, as the keys to release the cells were the same as the keys to open the first draw bridge and the man with the keys had gone home.

In total six defenders of the Bastille were killed, including De launay, and ninety protestors.

The aftermath was one of euphoria throughout much of Paris. Much of the nobility proclaimed support for the act, realizing that it was not healthy to oppose public opinion on the matter. Louis XVI recalled Necker to his job and agreed to recognise the National Assembly, which included the Third Estate delegates, poorer clergy and nobility sympathetic to the Third Estate cause. [[Lafayette]] was appointed head of the police and the army, which was to be known as the National Guard. Bailly became the Mayor of Paris.

The King agreed to come to Paris and accept the gift of a cockade that had become a symbol of the revolution, which the king fastened to his hat, whilst the crowd cheered "Vive le Roi!". Whilst the significance of the day was evident, that it would produce a republic was far from clear. The plan of the King to take Paris with 20,000 troops had failed, but he was able to satisfy the populace that it was not intended and a peaceful resolution was reached. The changes that had so far occurred in a brief period of time were so dramatic that the thought that things could change further was difficult to conceive.

==The Great Fear==

During the week following the storming of the Bastille, news of events spread to the rest of France. This led to a panic as to what the response of the nobility would be to the events, The [[Great Fear]] or panic resulted. Many villages defended themselves against imaginary threats by forming peasants militias riots occurred and peasants proceeded to burn wealthy homes.

The rural uprising prompted the National Assembly to pass a motion to 'destroy the [[feudal]] regime entirely', on the 4th August. However, in order to release himself a peasant would have to pay twenty times his annual rent to the landlord, making the measure ineffectual.

==Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen==

The Assembly also passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen on the 4th August. This annulled the right of nobles to demand taxes, tithes and labor from peasants working on their family land. The declaration was inspired by the American Revolution and was partially written by LaFayette.

Unlike the American declaration that “all men are created equal,” the French version declared that “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.”

Whilst the American declaration that all men have inalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the French version declared that all men have natural rights of “liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.”

Some declarations were troublesome; “Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law” left questions of definition. Also, the rights of French people to rebel were enshrined in the very constitution itself.

The water wheel was abolished as the method of execution in place of the more humane [[guillotine]]. It is notable that the only delegate to vote for the abolition of the [[death penalty]] [[Robespierre]].

==A New Government==

France remained a republic. Although a republic has been established in North America at this time and a previous English republic, a European republic was still alien to the thoughts of most French people, including revolutionaries. Negotiations over the new constitution continued, with Mirabeau and Lafayette appealing for calm less the King withdraw from negotiation. [[Jean Paul Marat]] took a less moderate line. Marat argued for universal suffrage and for the King to retain only an advisory role, a constitutional monarchy such as those seen in the [[United Kingdom]] or [[Sweden]] to this day.

==Royal Faux Pas==

On 1st October, 1789, a party was thrown at the [[Palace of Versailles]]. Louis XVI took the cap he had been presented with following the storming of the Bastille and trampled it underfoot. The king later denied this, however several witnesses recalled the incident and news of the incident spread to Paris. A contingent of women raided the Town Hall was raided for weapons and set off from Paris to Versailles, becoming a crowd of 10,000, who were later joined by the National Guard to ensure good order.

Upon the arrival for the group at the palace two guards opened fire, but were interrupted by decapitation. A small delegation of women were permitted to meet the Queen, however one fainted upon witnessing the beauty of the Palace of Versailles. The crowd became impatient by six o'clock the following morning and a militant group of fishwives broke in with a cry of "We are going to cut off her head, tear out her heart, fry her liver and that will not be the end of it"(Documents of the French Revolution, page 62). It was a forceful enough argument to force the Royal family back to Paris, where it was felt it would be possible to keep closer watch. It was also clear by now that the King was in no position to demand a veto.

Antoinette is reputed to have responded unsympathetically to the lack of bread for the peasants by declaring, “Let them eat cake!” Historians doubt she ever actually said that.

==Anniversary Pledge==

On the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille a large ceremony was held in Paris at which members of the Government and the King pledges themselves to uphold the 'law, the nation and the King'. This represents a compromise in that the King was still seen as central, however all pledges had previously been to the King alone, and the King was required to make no pledge.

==1791 - The King Strikes Back==

In the two years following the storming of the Bastille French society had been transformed. There were an estimated 133 political journals in Paris, Parish priests had been dismissed and replaced by elected Priests. Robespierre had advanced plans for the emancipation of [[Jews]] and [[Protestant]]s, equal treatment of all military ranks and the abolition of the property qualification for the National Guard. Robespierre remained incorruptible at this point, refusing to be the Duc d'Orleans let the luxury affect his judgement.

This situation was intolerable for the Royal Family, who began to organize a foreign force to invade France and restore their power. In December 1790 Louis wrote a secret note to the King of Prussia requesting a European army invade France. Furthermore, the King and Queen (herself Austrian) decided to flee Paris to help organise the invasion force from without France, let their presence in Paris compromise the invasion.

The royal couple decided to disguise themselves and flee across the border, which they did at night setting off at at a seven miles in part due to the weight requirements for the Queen to travel in the least luxury that she expected. The next morning the Kings letter to the National Assembly was found condemning all the measure which he had claimed to support for the previous two years.

The royal party reached [[Ste-Menehould]], where the papers of the party were checked by Drouet, who had been a staunch supporter of the revolution. Despite having seen the servant in the corner and 'struck by the resemblance of his face to the likeness of the King printed on the bank note', in disbelief he allowed the party to continue. Having discussed the incident with his colleague, Guillaume, the two raced to catch up with the party and spread word through the surrounding villages that the Royal family were attempting to flee. The family were captured and returned to Paris, with posters informing the gathering crowd "Whoever applauds the King will be flogged; whoever insults him will be hanged".

Most delegates wished to hold together a compromise, but the Head of State fleeing to lead a hostile invasion of the nation had created difficulties. Many insisted that the King must have been kidnapped. General Bouille wrote a statement confessing his involvement, but many insisted he was lying to implicate the King. While the only punishment towards the King was stripping of his powers of veto on laws and finance, talk began to emerge for the first time of the possibility of a republic. At this point Robespierre and most of the Paris commune strongly opposed the republic, whilst Lafayette rallied to the slogan 'The Revolution is Over'. By then the French Revolution was in full swing.

==Declaration of the Rights of Woman==

In 1791, a French journalist named [[Olympe de Gouges]] proposed a “[[Declaration of the Rights of Woman]],” (inspired by the writings of [[Mary Woolstonecraft]]) but the National Assembly rejected her proposal. She, like many other leaders of that time, was eventually executed by guillotine. Other sans-culotte groups were established including the [[Society of Revolutionary Women]]

==New Start==

Politics in France became divided between the moderate [[Girondins]] and the more radical [[Jacobins]]. At this point the Girondins appeared to be in the stronger position, however the Jacobins were growing in strength. By this point the [[Jacobins were led by [[Robespierre]] who made a strong speech in favor of a republic.

The French National Assembly established a [[constitutional monarchy]] and, in 1791, adopted a new constitution that created a Legislative Assembly. Three factions quickly formed in the new Legislative Assembly, known as the radicals (liberals), moderates (centrists) and conservatives, similar to those political movements today in the United States. The three factions sat in different sections of the large assembly hall, with the radicals (liberals) sitting on the left, the moderates sitting in the center, and the conservatives sitting on the right. That gave rise to the left-center-right terminology that we still use today in the United States to describe these three political groups.

==German Invasion==

A large number of noblemen had gathered in [[Koblenz]] to form an army to invade France and restore the King to full rule. The emigrants carried stories of atrocities and encouraged reaction against the National Assembly and atrocities associated with lower class democracy. The Duke of Brunswick declared "We will soon be marching on Paris".

This was a matter of some concern in France, as many of the officers that had been in the French army in 1789 had joined the emigrant army in Germany. The Girondins remained confident, but Robespierre saw little cause for initial optimism. The Royal Family strongly supported war with the Prussian and Austrian force in the hope that the French would be defeated and they be restored.

On April 1792, the King declared war on the [[Hapsburg Empire]], who wished to restore his power. The French army suffered a series of defeats along the border, creating optimism in the Royal house. The National Assembly ordered the dispersal of the Kings bodyguard who were supporting the foreign invasion, but this was vetoed by the King. The Assembly then voted for 20,000 French patriots to come from across France to protect Paris, but this was also vetoed by the King.

The use of the royal veto to undermine the defense of France prompted a strong reaction, with demonstrators managing to pour into the royal apartments. The King was forced to wear a red cap while being taunted for several hours with taunts of "Fat Louis" and "Tyrants must Tremble". The time of compromise was nearing an end.

Lafayette planned a coup to restore the old order to as it was in 1787, using the National Guard. This force was resisted by a volunteer group of citizens. Traditionally this latter group are portrayed as ne'er-do-well criminals, however it is questionable whether such groups would march typically 800 miles. The volunteer groups were greeted as heroes in towns they passed through and [[Rouget de Lisle]] composed 'La Marseillaise' as a call to arms.

The war started badly for the French and on 25th July the Duke of Brunswick prepared to March on Paris and pledged to restore the French Royal Family to their original statue, but that he had no intention of meddling in the internal affairs of France. He demanded total surrender or the Prussian and Austrian armies would "take an exemplary and never-to-be-forgotten vengeance, by giving up the town of Paris to military execution..and the guilty rebels to the death they deserve".

==Second Revolution==

Paris was divided, with 20,000 signing a petition to support the full restoration of an absolute monarchy and a foreign army was invading France rapidly. Moderates such as Mme Roland supported withdrawal from Paris, whereas Maton would accept no backward step. On 10th August a larger demonstration marched on the palace demanding the removal of the King.

==Valmy==

The National Assembly called for volunteers to defend the state, with assurances that this army would be different to the one that had gone before and collapsed before the troops of the Duke of Brunswick. The soldiers would sing Les Maseillaise into battle and officers and men would wear similar uniforms. The majority of the officers would be voted for by the soldiers.

The army was formed, and the Duke of Brunswick brought his army round to meet the French on by the village of [[Valmy]]. The French were grouped around a windmill in an area of uncommon tranquillity. The battle involved a day long exchange of cannon fire with little result. The significance of the battle is that the French volunteer troops remained firm.

[[Johann Goethe]] was present at the battle, as one of the troops of the Duke of Brunswick; "In the morning we had been talking of spitting and eating the French. Now everyone was thinking again. Almost everyone remained silent. Only a few men spoke and their reflections seemed illogical or frivolous".

In the opinion of Goethe, what had changed in the French was their spirit. They had won their freedom and did not wish to return to the days before the revolution, they had debated and were politically active. They were therefore able to stand firm. The news of the battle had a strong effect on French national morale, as the French came to believe they could win.

==Republic==

On the day following the [[Battle of Valmy]], the newly elected French Government (the Convention). The Convention declared France to be an 'Indivisible Republic'. The Convention was made of three factions; the [[Girondins]], the [[Montagnards]] Including Robespierre, Danton and Marat) and the [[Grenouilles de la Marais]]. Robespierre won an argument to allow a public gallery for debates.

All factions favored deposing the King, but were far from united beyond that point. The Montannards saw this as the first step to greater social equality, as opined by Robespierre, "Royalty has been destroyed, not the reign of equality is beginning". He attacked the wealthiest businessmen "those goods which are necessary to keep people alive as nothing more than an ordinary item of trade" - a sentiment echoed later by [[Karl Marx]]'s assertion that businessmen see objects not for their usefulness but for their value as commodities.

However, the Jocobin position was far from modern [[Socialism]], as they sought a nation of small property owners. The Government would be elected by property owners. Support for a republic was recently and had little idea of how to progress with the power they now found they had.

The Girdondins accused the Montagnards of preparing a dictatorship. However, the Girdondins had lost credibility by suggesting retreat from Paris and furthermore lacked the social roots that enabled the Montagnards to motivate thousands of volunteers. It reflects on the differing social backgrounds of the delegates that it was at this point Robespirre met a cabinet maker, M. {{Duplay]]. Duplay invited Robespierre back to his flat to meet his family and, finding that the family had been trying to let a spare room, Robespierre moved in. It is worth considering the contrast between the setting of the reign of Louis XVI to Robespierre who, whilst the most powerful man in France, has to queue behind his landlord to use the toilet in the morning.

==Trial of the King==

The King and family were detained in the Temple prison, but retained the trappings of luxury. The King had a library of 1,500 books, still ordered his shoes from his preferred cobbler and the family was provided with servants. The majority of servants remained utterly devoted to the family, feeling their employment to be a sacred duty.

This loyalty was not universal however, a former locksmith of the King revealed to the Paris Commune that there is secret cupboard containing correspondence between the King and invading powers showing collusion. Mirabeau and Lafayette were also implicated, though Mirabeau had no died and Lafayette had fled to [[Austria]].

The trial was debated by a number of key speakers. [[Louis St-Just]] debated the very validity of Kings, that to try the King as a bad King suggested it was possible to be a good, legal King, which was not acceptable. He was opposed by [[Thomas Paine]] who wished the King to be exiled to the [[USA]]. The vote was won for death by 387 to 334.

Louis XVI was executed in January 1793.

==Committee of Public Safety==

The Committee of Public Safety was formed in 1793, and passed a rule that Generals were to live in camp with the army. This had the practical effect of testing the belief in equality of the many Nobles in the army. [[General Dumouriez]] made overtures to the Prince of Coburg for the invasion of France and have Louis XVI's son proclaimed King Louis XVII.

By this time many countries, including Great Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Prussia and Austria, had formed a First Coalition to invade France and restore monarchy. The National Convention responded by drafting people into an army. Historians claim women were drafted, but such a politically inspired claim is worth investigating before accepting it. The war lasted for several years, on several fronts, but the First Coalition was eventually defeated.

The execution of Louis XVI led almost immediately to the Reign of Terror. [[Maximilian Robespierre]], head of the Committee of Public Safety, proceeded to guillotine numerous alleged enemies, including Marie Antoinette. In a classic illustration of Jesus’s teaching that “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword,” Jacobin leaders [[Georges Danton]] (a fiery orator) was guillotined, and [[Jean-Paul Marat]] (a scientist) was stabbed to death in his bathtub. Eventually Robespierre himself was guillotined in 1794, and the Reign of Terror ended with his death.

At last the government of France was in the hands of a legislature, and an executive branch of five men called the Directory. The Directory picked a young, highly successful military genius named [[Napoleon]] to lead the French army. The very next day Napoleon seized all power in France as its dictator, in November 1799.

==Legacy of the Revolution==

The influence of the French Revolution was immense throughout the western hemisphere, as other peoples felt that they, too, could rise up against their rulers and defeat them. Historians credit the French Revolution with spreading the ideas of the Enlightenment, limiting the power of nobility and clergy, and ending an absolute monarchy. But many who supported the French Revolution in its beginning were horrified by where it led, including numerous executions and terror. Some would say that France never fully recovered, as the French Revolution unleashed an hostility towards [[Christianity]] that continues to this day in France.

==References==

* [[Simon Schama]], 'Citizens', London 1989.
* 'The French Revolution'
* [[William Doyle]]. ''Oxford history of the French Revolution'', 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 ISBN 0-19-925298-X

== See also ==

*[[Alexis de Tocqueville]]

[[Category:France]]

French Revolution

2007-06-02T04:56:09Z

JBT:

'''The French Revolution''' is one of the most famous revolutions in all of history. It started out with hope and promise, until liberal leadership inspired a "[[Reign of Terror]]", a chaos wherein anyone could be killed at any time. At least 18,000 people were executed on the [[Guillotine]].

Before the Revolution, France had three levels in its social system: The First, Second, and Third Estates. The [[First Estate]] was about 1% of the population, but it controlled 10% of the land. The First Estate consisted of the clergy, and they did not pay any taxes. The [[Second Estate]] was about 2% of the population and they controlled 20% of the land. These were the nobility, and they too payed very little taxes. The [[Third Estate]] was everyone else, and they were badly overtaxed by the monarch. This overtaxing was a major cause of the French Revolution. Interestingly, taxes also helped to spark the [[American Revolution]].

The leaders of the Third Estate were the middle class, called the [[bourgeoisie]]. They were educated in the ideas of the [[Enlightenment]], most importantly [[Jean Jacques Rousseau]]. Rousseau's book, "The Social Contract" supported a [[direct democracy]], rather that the republican government that had been adopted in [[America]]. The social contract spoke against titles for nobility and demanded complete equality for all people. These ideas later inspired communist writers like [[Karl Marx]].

==Chronology of the French Revolution==

In 1785 a drought led to the poorest harvest in France for many years. Realizing the need to increase taxes, the King imposed measures such as building a wall around Paris to act as a customs post. In 1787 he called a meeting of 144 leading nobles to attempt to persuade them to pay tax in return for increased powers. The nobles refused his requests and were supported by the local assembly; the Parlement de Paris.

The King withdrew his demands at this challenge to his authority, which was greeted by thousands taking to the street to celebrate. When troops were ordered to "Get some lead into the bastards' backsides", they fired into the air instead. In hindsight this can be seen as the start of dissent. It is notable that the initiators of this unrest were the upper classes, who had little reason to think there was any thirst for revolution. In April 1787, [[Calonne]] resigned in disgrace and the middle classes, strengthened by the protests, began to demand an Estates-Generale, a Parliament in which they would be represented.

==1789 - Year of Revolution==

With growing unrest and France was near bankruptcy, the King agreed to call the Estates-Generale in May 1789. The [[Estate-Generale]] was divided into the three estates, with the first two estates (nobility and clergy) electing their representatives. The third estate representation required a series of elections in which all property owners over the age of twenty-five were eligible to take part. The elected a group of electors, who in turn chose delegates. The delegates themselves were overwhelmingly middle class, including the young lawyer [[Maximilien Robespierre]]. Furthermore, the Third Estate was required to produce a list of grievances.

Between 25,000 and 60,000 documents were filed with grievances. Thousands demanded a constitution, reorganization of the clergy, lessening of the tax burden and an end to Royal waste. Few of these demands could be resolved without challenging the basis of [[Absolute Monarchy]]. However, not one of these document has been found to advocate abolition of the monarchy, with the large majority requesting moderate reform and many including expression of adoration towards the King.

The Estates-General had not met in 175 years and retain many of the former characteristics. Each Estate had one vote in the Assembly, such that the First and Second Estates could always outvote the Third Estate. That was acceptable in the early 1600s, but the Third Estate would not allow this in 1789 after learning the Enlightenment ideas. By this time the alliance between the nobility and the third estate has broken down, the nobles may have called a march, but they drew the line at burning down tax offices. The Third Estate wanted a system of one vote per delegate, which would have given the Third Estate the same number of votes as the First and Second Estate combined.

The opening of the Esates-Generale did not bode well. The opening session was in an open coach house, which meant that the Third Estate struggled to hear the proceedings as they were on wooden benches at the far end of the room. Upon the entry of the King, the first and second estates were expected to remove their hats and sit down after the King, before replacing their hats. The Third Estate were expected to remain standing until after the first and second estates had replaced their hats, however, they chose to sit at the same time as the first and second estates. The First Estate were to ear glittering robes, the second estate were to ear silk coats, whilst the third estate were required to wear black coats. There was no question at this point of rudeness towards the King himself, and at this point none of the delegates (including Robespierre) was a republican in their beliefs. There then followed a speech by [[Necker]] on possible solutions to the economic crisis, that was of such length and dullness that Necker had to pass it on to a delegate to complete.

The Third Estate began to win votes in the Estates-Generale by attracting poorer clergy to their side. In an attempt to reassert his control, announced on 14 June that Estates-Generale was postponed. However, new of the postponement did not reach the delegates of the Third Estate, who arrived on the 20 June to find the room locked.

Following a period of confusion, Dr [[Guillotin]] (one of the Third Estate delegates) suggested it might be possible to convene at a nearby indoor tennis court and the group of over 500 delegate proceeded to meet at the court. The session was chaired by Bailly (a celebrity astronomer) and Mirabeau proposed that the delegation should not break up until a constitution was passed, which was opposed by only one delegate (Martin d'Auch). In effect the delegates had declared themselves the Government of France, pending a constitution to be organized by [[Mirabeau]].

The National Assembly approved the “[[Declaration of the Rights of Man]],” which combined ideas of the American Declaration of Independence with some Enlightenment concepts. The result of this combination had many debatable claims. The entire document is short and worth reading in full: [http://www.hrcr.org/docs/frenchdec.html] .

The King responded by ordering the delegate to disperse, however this had little effect. The following week the King sent a messenger, the Marquis de Breze, to order the finishing of the session. Mirabeau ordered the messenger to leave.

In the last week of June the royal Government ordered 20,000 troops to march on Paris. It became apparent that compromise was not. This was emphasized with the replacement of Necker by the hard line [[Baron de Breteuil]]. Thousands took to the street to demand the reinstatement of [[Necker]], possibly one of the most boring men in history to have ever prompted such a reaction. Mirabeau spoke to the assembly, invoking the oath taken at the tennis court. [[Camille Desmoulins]] had ridden to Versailles to report on events and galloped back to Paris to report on the replacement of Necker.

Crowds marched to [[Abbaye]] prison to demand the release the soldiers who had been arrested for not firing on crowds. Troops were offered drinks by the crowd if they shouted 'Viva le tiers-etat'. Dummies of [[Necker]] and [[Duc d'Orleans]] were stolen to be paraded as heroes.

The deputies were now faced with a dilemma, requiring a mass movement for defence of the National Assembly, but fearing crowds getting out of control. Militia were therefore established, that excluded all unemployed and vagrants, and many districts demanded employers' references before admission. Admission varied enormously across districts, with 1,200 being recruited in [[Le Petit-St-Antoine]], but [[Les Minimes]] mustering four.

==Storming of the Bastille==

With the militia formed to repel the royal troops, there was an urgent need for weapons. The royalist [[Swiss Guard]]s had stored 30,000 pounds to the Bastille, to be used against the National Assembly. On the morning of July 14, 1789 (“[[Bastille Day]]”), a crowd of about a thousand people made up predominantly of small tradesmen arrived at the prison to demand the gun powder be handed over. The prison Governor invited a delegation in for breakfast, which proceeded for three and a half hours. Meanwhile, rumours circulated that royalist troops were committing atrocities across Paris.

A demonstrator outside the Bastille realized he would be able to get to the chains of the drawbridge by climbing from a nearby perfume shop. At this point the prison Governor, [[De Launay]], broke off negotiations and late in the afternoon cannon shots were aimed at the crowd. Two companies of French Guards were persuaded to the Bastille to the defend protesters being killed by cannon fire.

A Swiss Guard handed over the keys to the second drawbridge, leading to a moat. A clerk from a pawn office visited a carpenter and returned with eleven pieces of wood, one of which was able to span the moat. Once inside, seven prisoners were freed, though contrary to what is widely though, this did not include the [[Marquis de Sade]] (he had been moved as he had shouting at passers by through a pipe he had been given to urinate through. This took time however, as the keys to release the cells were the same as the keys to open the first draw bridge and the man with the keys had gone home.

In total six defenders of the Bastille were killed, including De launay, and ninety protestors.

The aftermath was one of euphoria throughout much of Paris. Much of the nobility proclaimed support for the act, realizing that it was not healthy to oppose public opinion on the matter. Louis XVI recalled Necker to his job and agreed to recognise the National Assembly, which included the Third Estate delegates, poorer clergy and nobility sympathetic to the Third Estate cause. [[Lafayette]] was appointed head of the police and the army, which was to be known as the National Guard. Bailly became the Mayor of Paris.

The King agreed to come to Paris and accept the gift of a cockade that had become a symbol of the revolution, which the king fastened to his hat, whilst the crowd cheered "Vive le Roi!". Whilst the significance of the day was evident, that it would produce a republic was far from clear. The plan of the King to take Paris with 20,000 troops had failed, but he was able to satisfy the populace that it was not intended and a peaceful resolution was reached. The changes that had so far occurred in a brief period of time were so dramatic that the thought that things could change further was difficult to conceive.

==The Great Fear==

During the week following the storming of the Bastille, news of events spread to the rest of France. This led to a panic as to what the response of the nobility would be to the events, The [[Great Fear]] or panic resulted. Many villages defended themselves against imaginary threats by forming peasants militias riots occurred and peasants proceeded to burn wealthy homes.

The rural uprising prompted the National Assembly to pass a motion to 'destroy the [[feudal]] regime entirely', on the 4th August. However, in order to release himself a peasant would have to pay twenty times his annual rent to the landlord, making the measure ineffectual.

==Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen==

The Assembly also passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen on the 4th August. This annulled the right of nobles to demand taxes, tithes and labor from peasants working on their family land. The declaration was inspired by the American Revolution and was partially written by LaFayette.

Unlike the American declaration that “all men are created equal,” the French version declared that “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.”

Whilst the American declaration that all men have inalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the French version declared that all men have natural rights of “liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.”

Some declarations were troublesome; “Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law” left questions of definition. Also, the rights of French people to rebel were enshrined in the very constitution itself.

The water wheel was abolished as the method of execution in place of the more humane [[guillotine]]. It is notable that the only delegate to vote for the abolition of the [[death penalty]] [[Robespiere]].

==A New Government==

France remained a republic. Although a republic has been established in North America at this time and a previous English republic, a European republic was still alien to the thoughts of most French people, including revolutionaries. Negotiations over the new constitution continued, with Mirabeau and Lafayette appealing for calm less the King withdraw from negotiation. [[Jean Paul Marat]] took a less moderate line. Marat argued for universal suffrage and for the King to retain only an advisory role, a constitutional monarchy such as those seen in the [[United Kingdom]] or [[Sweden]] to this day.

==Royal Faux Pas==

On 1st October, 1789, a party was thrown at the [[Palace of Versailles]]. Louis XVI took the cap he had been presented with following the storming of the Bastille and trampled it underfoot. The king later denied this, however several witnesses recalled the incident and news of the incident spread to Paris. A contingent of women raided the Town Hall was raided for weapons and set off from Paris to Versailles, becoming a crowd of 10,000, who were later joined by the National Guard to ensure good order.

Upon the arrival for the group at the palace two guards opened fire, but were interrupted by decapitation. A small delegation of women were permitted to meet the Queen, however one fainted upon witnessing the beauty of the Palace of Versailles. The crowd became impatient by six o'clock the following morning and a militant group of fishwives broke in with a cry of "We are going to cut off her head, tear out her heart, fry her liver and that will not be the end of it"(Documents of the French Revolution, page 62). It was a forceful enough argument to force the Royal family back to Paris, where it was felt it would be possible to keep closer watch. It was also clear by now that the King was in no position to demand a veto.

Antoinette is reputed to have responded unsympathetically to the lack of bread for the peasants by declaring, “Let them eat cake!” Historians doubt she ever actually said that.

==Anniversary Pledge==

On the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille a large ceremony was held in Paris at which members of the Government and the King pledges themselves to uphold the 'law, the nation and the King'. This represents a compromise in that the King was still seen as central, however all pledges had previously been to the King alone, and the King was required to make no pledge.

==1791 - The King Strikes Back==

In the two years following the storming of the Bastille French society had been transformed. There were an estimated 133 political journals in Paris, Parish priests had been dismissed and replaced by elected Priests. Robespierre had advanced plans for the emancipation of [[Jews]] and [[Protestant]]s, equal treatment of all military ranks and the abolition of the property qualification for the National Guard. Robespierre remained incorruptible at this point, refusing to be the Duc d'Orleans let the luxury affect his judgement.

This situation was intolerable for the Royal Family, who began to organize a foreign force to invade France and restore their power. In December 1790 Louis wrote a secret note to the King of Prussia requesting a European army invade France. Furthermore, the King and Queen (herself Austrian) decided to flee Paris to help organise the invasion force from without France, let their presence in Paris compromise the invasion.

The royal couple decided to disguise themselves and flee across the border, which they did at night setting off at at a seven miles in part due to the weight requirements for the Queen to travel in the least luxury that she expected. The next morning the Kings letter to the National Assembly was found condemning all the measure which he had claimed to support for the previous two years.

The royal party reached [[Ste-Menehould]], where the papers of the party were checked by Drouet, who had been a staunch supporter of the revolution. Despite having seen the servant in the corner and 'struck by the resemblance of his face to the likeness of the King printed on the bank note', in disbelief he allowed the party to continue. Having discussed the incident with his colleague, Guillaume, the two raced to catch up with the party and spread word through the surrounding villages that the Royal family were attempting to flee. The family were captured and returned to Paris, with posters informing the gathering crowd "Whoever applauds the King will be flogged; whoever insults him will be hanged".

Most delegates wished to hold together a compromise, but the Head of State fleeing to lead a hostile invasion of the nation had created difficulties. Many insisted that the King must have been kidnapped. General Bouille wrote a statement confessing his involvement, but many insisted he was lying to implicate the King. While the only punishment towards the King was stripping of his powers of veto on laws and finance, talk began to emerge for the first time of the possibility of a republic. At this point Robespierre and most of the Paris commune strongly opposed the republic, whilst Lafayette rallied to the slogan 'The Revolution is Over'. By then the French Revolution was in full swing.

==Declaration of the Rights of Woman==

In 1791, a French journalist named [[Olympe de Gouges]] proposed a “[[Declaration of the Rights of Woman]],” (inspired by the writings of [[Mary Woolstonecraft]]) but the National Assembly rejected her proposal. She, like many other leaders of that time, was eventually executed by guillotine. Other sans-culotte groups were established including the [[Society of Revolutionary Women]]

==New Start==

Politics in France became divided between the moderate [[Girondins]] and the more radical [[Jacobins]]. At this point the Girondins appeared to be in the stronger position, however the Jacobins were growing in strength. By this point the [[Jacobins were led by [[Robespierre]] who made a strong speech in favor of a republic.

The French National Assembly established a [[constitutional monarchy]] and, in 1791, adopted a new constitution that created a Legislative Assembly. Three factions quickly formed in the new Legislative Assembly, known as the radicals (liberals), moderates (centrists) and conservatives, similar to those political movements today in the United States. The three factions sat in different sections of the large assembly hall, with the radicals (liberals) sitting on the left, the moderates sitting in the center, and the conservatives sitting on the right. That gave rise to the left-center-right terminology that we still use today in the United States to describe these three political groups.

==German Invasion==

A large number of noblemen had gathered in [[Koblenz]] to form an army to invade France and restore the King to full rule. The emigrants carried stories of atrocities and encouraged reaction against the National Assembly and atrocities associated with lower class democracy. The Duke of Brunswick declared "We will soon be marching on Paris".

This was a matter of some concern in France, as many of the officers that had been in the French army in 1789 had joined the emigrant army in Germany. The Girondins remained confident, but Robespierre saw little cause for initial optimism. The Royal Family strongly supported war with the Prussian and Austrian force in the hope that the French would be defeated and they be restored.

On April 1792, the King declared war on the [[Hapsburg Empire]], who wished to restore his power. The French army suffered a series of defeats along the border, creating optimism in the Royal house. The National Assembly ordered the dispersal of the Kings bodyguard who were supporting the foreign invasion, but this was vetoed by the King. The Assembly then voted for 20,000 French patriots to come from across France to protect Paris, but this was also vetoed by the King.

The use of the royal veto to undermine the defense of France prompted a strong reaction, with demonstrators managing to pour into the royal apartments. The King was forced to wear a red cap while being taunted for several hours with taunts of "Fat Louis" and "Tyrants must Tremble". The time of compromise was nearing an end.

Lafayette planned a coup to restore the old order to as it was in 1787, using the National Guard. This force was resisted by a volunteer group of citizens. Traditionally this latter group are portrayed as ne'er-do-well criminals, however it is questionable whether such groups would march typically 800 miles. The volunteer groups were greeted as heroes in towns they passed through and [[Rouget de Lisle]] composed 'La Marseillaise' as a call to arms.

The war started badly for the French and on 25th July the Duke of Brunswick prepared to March on Paris and pledged to restore the French Royal Family to their original statue, but that he had no intention of meddling in the internal affairs of France. He demanded total surrender or the Prussian and Austrian armies would "take an exemplary and never-to-be-forgotten vengeance, by giving up the town of Paris to military execution..and the guilty rebels to the death they deserve".

==Second Revolution==

Paris was divided, with 20,000 signing a petition to support the full restoration of an absolute monarchy and a foreign army was invading France rapidly. Moderates such as Mme Roland supported withdrawal from Paris, whereas Maton would accept no backward step. On 10th August a larger demonstration marched on the palace demanding the removal of the King.

==Valmy==

The National Assembly called for volunteers to defend the state, with assurances that this army would be different to the one that had gone before and collapsed before the troops of the Duke of Brunswick. The soldiers would sing Les Maseillaise into battle and officers and men would wear similar uniforms. The majority of the officers would be voted for by the soldiers.

The army was formed, and the Duke of Brunswick brought his army round to meet the French on by the village of [[Valmy]]. The French were grouped around a windmill in an area of uncommon tranquillity. The battle involved a day long exchange of cannon fire with little result. The significance of the battle is that the French volunteer troops remained firm.

[[Johann Goethe]] was present at the battle, as one of the troops of the Duke of Brunswick; "In the morning we had been talking of spitting and eating the French. Now everyone was thinking again. Almost everyone remained silent. Only a few men spoke and their reflections seemed illogical or frivolous".

In the opinion of Goethe, what had changed in the French was their spirit. They had won their freedom and did not wish to return to the days before the revolution, they had debated and were politically active. They were therefore able to stand firm. The news of the battle had a strong effect on French national morale, as the French came to believe they could win.

==Republic==

On the day following the [[Battle of Valmy]], the newly elected French Government (the Convention). The Convention declared France to be an 'Indivisible Republic'. The Convention was made of three factions; the [[Girondins]], the [[Montagnards]] Including Robespierre, Danton and Marat) and the [[Grenouilles de la Marais]]. Robespierre won an argument to allow a public gallery for debates.

All factions favored deposing the King, but were far from united beyond that point. The Montannards saw this as the first step to greater social equality, as opined by Robespierre, "Royalty has been destroyed, not the reign of equality is beginning". He attacked the wealthiest businessmen "those goods which are necessary to keep people alive as nothing more than an ordinary item of trade" - a sentiment echoed later by [[Karl Marx]]'s assertion that businessmen see objects not for their usefulness but for their value as commodities.

However, the Jocobin position was far from modern [[Socialism]], as they sought a nation of small property owners. The Government would be elected by property owners. Support for a republic was recently and had little idea of how to progress with the power they now found they had.

The Girdondins accused the Montagnards of preparing a dictatorship. However, the Girdondins had lost credibility by suggesting retreat from Paris and furthermore lacked the social roots that enabled the Montagnards to motivate thousands of volunteers. It reflects on the differing social backgrounds of the delegates that it was at this point Robespirre met a cabinet maker, M. {{Duplay]]. Duplay invited Robespierre back to his flat to meet his family and, finding that the family had been trying to let a spare room, Robespierre moved in. It is worth considering the contrast between the setting of the reign of Louis XVI to Robespierre who, whilst the most powerful man in France, has to queue behind his landlord to use the toilet in the morning.

==Trial of the King==

The King and family were detained in the Temple prison, but retained the trappings of luxury. The King had a library of 1,500 books, still ordered his shoes from his preferred cobbler and the family was provided with servants. The majority of servants remained utterly devoted to the family, feeling their employment to be a sacred duty.

This loyalty was not universal however, a former locksmith of the King revealed to the Paris Commune that there is secret cupboard containing correspondence between the King and invading powers showing collusion. Mirabeau and Lafayette were also implicated, though Mirabeau had no died and Lafayette had fled to [[Austria]].

The trial was debated by a number of key speakers. [[Louis St-Just]] debated the very validity of Kings, that to try the King as a bad King suggested it was possible to be a good, legal King, which was not acceptable. He was opposed by [[Thomas Paine]] who wished the King to be exiled to the [[USA]]. The vote was won for death by 387 to 334.

Louis XVI was executed in January 1793.

==Committee of Public Safety==

The Committee of Public Safety was formed in 1793, and passed a rule that Generals were to live in camp with the army. This had the practical effect of testing the belief in equality of the many Nobles in the army. [[General Dumouriez]] made overtures to the Prince of Coburg for the invasion of France and have Louis XVI's son proclaimed King Louis XVII.

By this time many countries, including Great Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Prussia and Austria, had formed a First Coalition to invade France and restore monarchy. The National Convention responded by drafting people into an army. Historians claim women were drafted, but such a politically inspired claim is worth investigating before accepting it. The war lasted for several years, on several fronts, but the First Coalition was eventually defeated.

The execution of Louis XVI led almost immediately to the Reign of Terror. [[Maximilian Robespierre]], head of the Committee of Public Safety, proceeded to guillotine numerous alleged enemies, including Marie Antoinette. In a classic illustration of Jesus’s teaching that “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword,” Jacobin leaders [[Georges Danton]] (a fiery orator) was guillotined, and [[Jean-Paul Marat]] (a scientist) was stabbed to death in his bathtub. Eventually Robespierre himself was guillotined in 1794, and the Reign of Terror ended with his death.

At last the government of France was in the hands of a legislature, and an executive branch of five men called the Directory. The Directory picked a young, highly successful military genius named [[Napoleon]] to lead the French army. The very next day Napoleon seized all power in France as its dictator, in November 1799.

==Legacy of the Revolution==

The influence of the French Revolution was immense throughout the western hemisphere, as other peoples felt that they, too, could rise up against their rulers and defeat them. Historians credit the French Revolution with spreading the ideas of the Enlightenment, limiting the power of nobility and clergy, and ending an absolute monarchy. But many who supported the French Revolution in its beginning were horrified by where it led, including numerous executions and terror. Some would say that France never fully recovered, as the French Revolution unleashed an hostility towards [[Christianity]] that continues to this day in France.

==References==

* [[Simon Schama]], 'Citizens', London 1989.
* 'The French Revolution'
* [[William Doyle]]. ''Oxford history of the French Revolution'', 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 ISBN 0-19-925298-X

== See also ==

*[[Alexis de Tocqueville]]

[[Category:France]]

Frances Folsom

2007-06-02T04:41:10Z

JBT: New page: '''Frances Folsom''' in 1886 married sitting President of the United States Grover Cleveland, the third time a President had married while in the White House.

'''Frances Folsom''' in 1886 married sitting [[President of the United States]] [[Grover Cleveland]], the third time a President had married while in the [[White House]].

Evan O'Dorney

2007-06-02T04:39:25Z

JBT:

[[Image:Evan O'Dorney.jpg|150px|right|thumb| Evan O'Dorney seen with his parents after winning the 2007 Spelling Bee]]Evan O'Dorney is a homeschooled child who won the 80th Scripp's National Spelling Bee on May 31st, 2007. The [[liberal]] media, however, have used [[deceit]] to hide the fact that he is homeschooled.

Evan O'Dorney

2007-06-02T04:39:09Z

JBT: