Editing Atlantic Revolutions (section)

==History==
[[File:Erster Freiheitsbaum Mainz.jpg|right|thumb|A [[Liberty Tree|tree of liberty]] topped with a [[Phrygian cap]] set up in [[Mainz]] in 1793. Such symbols were used by several revolutionary movements of the time.]]
It took place in both the Americas and Europe, including the [[United States]] (1775–1783), [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] (1788–1792), France and French-controlled Europe (1789–1814), [[Haiti]] (1791–1804), [[Ireland]] (1798) and [[Spanish America]] (1810–1825).<ref>Wim Klooster, ''Revolutions in the Atlantic World: A Comparative History'' (2009)</ref> There were smaller upheavals in Switzerland, Russia, and Brazil. The revolutionaries in each country knew of the others and to some degree were inspired by or emulated them.<ref>Laurent Dubois and Richard Rabinowitz, eds. ''Revolution!: The Atlantic World Reborn'' (2011)</ref>

Independence movements in the [[New World]] began with the [[American Revolution]], 1775&ndash;1783, in which France, the Netherlands and Spain assisted the new United States of America as it secured independence from [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]]. In the 1790s, the [[Haitian Revolution]] broke out. In 1810s, which marked Colombia became one of the first South American nation to declare independence from the Spanish at the beginning of the [[Colombian War of Independence]]. With Spain tied down in European wars, the mainland [[Spanish colonies]] secured independence around 1820.<ref>Jaime E. Rodríguez O., ''The Independence of Spanish America'' (1998)</ref>

[[File:Bastille-day-belfast-1791.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|right|Bastille Day, 1792, Belfast, Ireland. Volunteer companies parade "The Colours of Five Free Nations, viz.: Flag of Ireland – motto, Unite and be free. Flag of America – motto, The Asylum of Liberty. Flag of France – motto, The Nation, the Law, and the King. Flag of Poland – motto, We will support it. Flag of Great Britain – motto, Wisdom, Spirit, and Liberality."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Madden |first1=Richard |title=The United Irishmen, Their Lives and Times |date=1843 |publisher=J. Madden & Company |location=Belfast |page=179 |edition=30 May 2020 |url=https://archive.org/stream/s1unitedirishmen01madduoft/s1unitedirishmen01madduoft_djvu.txt}}</ref>]]

In long-term perspective, the revolutions were mostly successful. They spread widely the ideals of [[liberalism]], [[republicanism]], the overthrow of aristocracies, kings and established churches. '''For instance, the Genevan revolutionaries in Europe were under rebellion against their revolutionary government by noblemen of the Small Council. The revolutionaries confronted them by spreading the ideals of their republic like liberty to the whole world.'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Polasky |first=Janet |date=2016 |title=Revolutionaries Between Nations, 1776–1789 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44015366 |journal=Past & Present |issue=232 |pages= |issn=0031-2746}}</ref> They emphasized the universal ideals of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]], such as the equality of all men, including equal justice under law by disinterested courts as opposed to particular justice handed down at the whim of a local noble. They showed that the modern notion of revolution, of starting fresh with a radically new government, could actually work in practice. Revolutionary mentalities were born and continue to flourish to the present day.

The common Atlantic theme breaks down to some extent from reading the works of [[Edmund Burke]]. Burke firstly supported the American colonists in 1774 in "[[On American Taxation]]", and took the view that their property and other rights were being infringed by the crown without their consent. In apparent contrast, Burke distinguished and deplored the process of the French revolution in ''[[Reflections on the Revolution in France]]'' (1790), as in this case property, customary and religious rights were being removed summarily by the revolutionaries and not by the crown. In both cases he was following [[Montesquieu]]'s theory that the right to own property is an essential element of personal freedom.

The American Revolution, a pivotal event in the broader context of Atlantic revolutions, led to the emergence of the United States as an independent nation. Its ripple effects resonated across the Atlantic, influencing subsequent independence movements and revolutions in Europe and the Americas. For instance, the Haitian Revolution erupted in the 1790s, challenging colonial rule and inspiring aspirations for freedom and equality. Similarly, mainland Spanish colonies secured their independence around 1820 amid the turmoil of European wars. '''In addition, the Dutch, people of the Netherlands in Europe, were called in 1781 by van der Capellen, a Dutch nobleman, to rise up against the [[Stadtholder|Stadholder]], their abusive ruler. Van der Capellen reminded readers in his work, "[[Aan het Volk van Nederland]]" (To the People of the Netherlands), that the Dutch managed to defeat their ruler and they gained power, ruling themselves.'''<ref name=":1" /> These interconnected revolutions, fueled by ideals of liberalism and republicanism, sought to overthrow entrenched aristocracies and establish governments based on the principles of the Enlightenment. The revolutionary fervor underscored the belief in the possibility of creating radically new governments founded on the principles of justice and equality, a sentiment that continues to resonate in modern times. However, the Atlantic theme of revolution faced complexities and nuances, as highlighted in the contrasting views of figures like Edmund Burke, who supported the American colonists' fight against unjust taxation but criticized the French Revolution for its perceived violation of property and religious rights.