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By the mid-1700s, the world was on the brink of tremendous change.

The old social order—with powerful kings ruling at the top and lowly peasants working at the bot-tom—was about to be ripped apart.

A powerful force was unleashed into the world that would blast apart empires and establish new nations--REVOLUTION.

Political Revolutions and Their Legacies

REVOLUTION

V i d e o T r a n s c r i p T s

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Ordinary people, inspired by extraordinary ideas, fought to free themselves from oppression.

These people were fighting for their own freedom, for the right to make their own decisions and for the right to rule themselves.

But these changes didn’t come easily or willingly. The old social order was strong and firmly estab-lished. Those who held power weren’t willing to share it with commoners.

So the commoners had to take it for themselves.

V i d e o T r a n s c r i p T s

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The world erupted in more than a century of warfare and revolutions that took place in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Every battle, every war was unique to itself, but they all shared one thing in common:

They were fighting for the right to rule themselves.

Each battle, each struggle, each war arose out of the same ideals—that the privileged few should no longer rule over the masses.

THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO RULE THEMSELVES

Louis XVI, king of France

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V i d e o T r a n s c r i p T s

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That the people have the right to a voice in their own government.

That freedom should be a right, not a privilege.

The outcomes of these struggles were quite different.

Some revolutions ended with representative de-mocracy. Some resulted in years of chaos, blood-shed, and instability. One revolution put an em-peror back on his throne. Yet another overthrew an ancient dynasty in favor of a republic.

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain, addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress

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Vive la Liberté (Long live liberty)

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Each one of these revolutions is a fascinating tale of yearning, struggle, violence, and hope. Let’s take a journey through this turbulent era to discover:

What drove these nations to revolution?

How were these revolutions similar?

How was each revolution unique?

WHaT dROVE THESE NaTIONS TO REVOLUTION?

HOW WaS EacH REVOLUTION UNIqUE?