Enlightenment and Revolution: Political and Social Change
The Social Critique in Politics
The social critique in politics. Thinkers like Voltaire claimed political freedom and religious tolerance with unified state institutions. Montesquieu proposed a controlled monarchy with a constitution, and a separation of legislative, executive, and judicial power. Rousseau saw government as a contract that should reflect the general will of all individuals, marking the first affirmation of national sovereignty.
Absolutism
Some monarchs and rulers embraced the spirit of the Enlightenment and used it against the Church or the power of the nobility. They planned reforms favorable for the people, but without their input. Progress across the economy, improved standards of living, and the level of education of the population could only be achieved by altering the foundations of social order, which they never intended to do. After the French Revolution, the monarchs of Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Spain left Enlightenment ideas, defending absolutism and acting more like enlightened despots.
The First Democratic Constitution
The North American Constitution of 1787 was the first charter that picked up these political ideas. In 1787, 55 representatives of the former colonies met in Philadelphia to draft a constitution. A pact was made between the various tendencies, and a unique federal government was created, with a President of the Republic and two legislative houses. Each state could have an autonomous government with many competencies. The policy was based on the principles of equality and liberty, establishing a republican regime. The declaration of the rights of man was not clearly stated, and the issue of slavery was one of the causes of the Civil War.
Early Revolutionary Actions
The King and the most conservative sectors refused to accept the popular liquidation of absolutism. The crowd revolted, coming to seek gunpowder and weapons, and squatted on July 14th, a day that was converted into a national holiday. The revolution extended to cities and villages. The field was shaken by an agrarian rebellion. The peasants stopped paying taxes and destroyed stately archives and any other symbol of feudalism. The National Assembly decided to abolish slavery and personal tithes, and seigniorial justices were eliminated entirely. The National Assembly destroyed the feudal system, proclaiming liberty, equality, and national sovereignty.
The Constitution of 1791
It established a constitutional monarchy based fundamentally on the division of powers. The King had limited executive power, and the National Assembly had all the legislative power. The electoral system was based on a census, so only male citizens with a minimum of wealth could vote. The Constituent Assembly established a direct and fairer tax system. It nationalized all the assets of the clergy, and bishops and parish priests were elected and received their salaries from the state. The dissolution of religious convents was also established.
The Legislative Assembly (1791-1792)
After the constitution was approved, 745 deputies were elected, and different parties or political clubs appeared, representing different interests and political opinions. The Jacobins, with Robespierre as their mastermind, dominated the left, along with the more radical Cordeliers. They defended universal suffrage. The Girondins were the most moderate group, defending census suffrage, constitutional monarchy, and moderate reforms.