Revolutionary Movements: Haiti, Mexico, Texas, and the Philippines

Did you know that the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) changed European political boundaries and, indirectly, sparked global revolutions? Beginning with colonial revolutions and concluding with the Cuban Revolution of the 1900s, this course investigates the immediate and long-term causes of various revolutionary movements. We start by discussing the Haitian Revolution and how France adopted the same mercantilist policies Britain imposed on its 13 colonies, which ended up being the United States.

After that, we explore the Peninsular War, a military battle fought between Napoleon's empire and the allied forces of Spain, Britain, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula. We then learn how the Enlightenment ideas influenced the uprisings in Latin America and Mexico. Next, we discover how Mexico's instability following its independence from Spain in 1821 contributed to the revolt in Texas. Pancho Villa and his acts, symbolizing the ordinary people's rebellion against the ruling elites, are then covered.

The course continues by describing the South American Revolutions and how the United States used its Monroe Doctrine and Roosevelt Corollary to cement itself as the keeper of independence in the Americas. Following that, we learn about U.S. involvement in Filipino independence, the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro's ambitions. Finally, you'll learn how to appropriately explain the Cuban Revolution using the theories of notable theorists Crane Brinton's Uniformities and Marx and Engel's depictions of communism and dialectical materialism.