Political Strategies in America During the Eighteenth Century
Political Strategies in America during the Eighteenth Century
Introduction
The eighteenth century was a period of many changes in both America and Europe. Many wars took place in different battlefields including the entire American continent, All Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. Many groups of people awakened and fought for independence in the British Colonies. And European and American philosophers defined the period as of the enlightenment.
By the year of 1650 the European population was 103 million and by the end of the eighteenth century that quantity had increased to 192 million. [2] A total increase of 89 million people was a result of the many reforms of the enlightenment. But the question that comes up is how these reforms contributed to the prosperity of each nation?
To answer to the question, in this paper it will be analyzed how the political movements for the Spanish and British Empires during the colonial period differed. It will be first considered the antecedents for each nation and from that point it will exposed the major political events that happened in both Empires. And inside these antecedents, it will be discussed how Immanuel Kant defined “enlightenment”.
What is Enlightenment?
In December 1783 the philosopher Johann Friedrich Zöllner asked the question “What is enlightenment?” in a footnote of an article published in the journal Berlinische Monatsschrift (the leading journal of enlightenment though in Germany) [2]. Many philosophers soon published responses to the question in the same journal and in others. However, Inmanuel Kant wrote an outstanding response in December 1784 in his essay “In answer to the question: What is Enlightenment?”. The contents of his essay are summarized in the following paragraph.
Kant’s idea of enlightenment was viewed as a self –incurred immaturity. And from Kant’s viewpoint, immaturity was a concept defined as the inability to make use of one’s own understanding without the guidance of another. [3] In
Introduction
The eighteenth century was a period of many changes in both America and Europe. Many wars took place in different battlefields including the entire American continent, All Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. Many groups of people awakened and fought for independence in the British Colonies. And European and American philosophers defined the period as of the enlightenment.
By the year of 1650 the European population was 103 million and by the end of the eighteenth century that quantity had increased to 192 million. [2] A total increase of 89 million people was a result of the many reforms of the enlightenment. But the question that comes up is how these reforms contributed to the prosperity of each nation?
To answer to the question, in this paper it will be analyzed how the political movements for the Spanish and British Empires during the colonial period differed. It will be first considered the antecedents for each nation and from that point it will exposed the major political events that happened in both Empires. And inside these antecedents, it will be discussed how Immanuel Kant defined “enlightenment”.
What is Enlightenment?
In December 1783 the philosopher Johann Friedrich Zöllner asked the question “What is enlightenment?” in a footnote of an article published in the journal Berlinische Monatsschrift (the leading journal of enlightenment though in Germany) [2]. Many philosophers soon published responses to the question in the same journal and in others. However, Inmanuel Kant wrote an outstanding response in December 1784 in his essay “In answer to the question: What is Enlightenment?”. The contents of his essay are summarized in the following paragraph.
Kant’s idea of enlightenment was viewed as a self –incurred immaturity. And from Kant’s viewpoint, immaturity was a concept defined as the inability to make use of one’s own understanding without the guidance of another. [3] In
Bibliography: [1] | «World Population Growth History,» Vaughn Aubuchon, 14 May 2012. [En línea]. Available: http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/history/world-population-growth.htm. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. | [2] | M. Kuehn y H. Klemme, «Johann Friedrich Zöllner (1753-1804),» Manchester College , 2010. [En línea]. Available: http://www.manchester.edu/kant/bio/FullBio/ZollnerJF.html. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. | [3] | l. Kant, «What Is Enlightenment?,» 30 September 1784. [En línea]. Available: http://www.ualberta.ca/~rmorrow/Resources/Kant-Enlightenment%20(Schmidt.pdf. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. | [4] | «Crossing the Atlantic on an 18th Century Ship,» [En línea]. Available: http://www.kurtz.me/Kurtz/Alantic_Crossing.html. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. | [5] | C. Anhalzer, Atlantinc History Course Contents: COLONIAL POLICIES, Quito: Universidad San Francisco de Quito, 2012. | [6] | «Los virreinatos,» Claseshistoria.com, 20 May 2012. [En línea]. Available: http://www.claseshistoria.com/america/colonial-virreinatos.html. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. | [7] | «Politics in Spanish Colonization,» Shmoop University, 2012. [En línea]. Available: http://www.shmoop.com/spanish-colonization/politics.html. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. | [8] | «England in 1700,» [En línea]. Available: http://www.spanishsuccession.nl/englishmain.html. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. | [9] | A. Gómez, «LAS REFORMAS BORBÓNICAS,» 2 August 2005. [En línea]. Available: http://peruborbon.blogspot.com/2005/08/el-reinado-de-felipe-v-1700-1746.html. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. | [10] | «Eighteenth Century History : 1700 – 1749,» Did you know?, 2 March 2010. [En línea]. Available: http://didyouknow.org/history/18thcentury/. [Último acceso: 20 May 2012]. |