As we’ve been studying the French Revolution and the individuals who played key
roles in its beginning and its outcome, it is important to remember that it is
ideas which are the great force that moves the course of history. God’s Word
sets forth truth, yet humanity seems bent on finding its own way. For
generations an idea proclaimed to be truth will create a political, social, and
economic status quo, only to have another idea, usually its opposite, sweep it
away.
Take recent theories on parenting, for instance. The generation
that survived the Great Depression raised their children strictly, insisting on
hard work, stern discipline, and thrift. The children came through World War II
and experienced a fantastic economy in their early adulthood. The result is that
they raised their children in a manner that was completely opposite to their own
Spartan childhoods – they raised the Baby Boomer generation, which gave us the
hippie movement and Jerry Garcia.
In like manner, the Enlightenment was
a rejection of the conservatism and religious effects of the Reformation. Your
assignment this week is to read about the Enlightenment and its chief pupil,
Napoleon Bonaparte. Read an essay about the Enlightenment then read an essay about the life of Napoleon . After reading them both and answer these questions: How did the Enlightenment
gain such popularity with Europeans? How did the ideas of the Enlightenment
shape Napoleon? How much impact does the Enlightenment have on today’s society?
(Give examples).
Remember the requirements of these assignments and make
every effort to complete your work on time.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15th, 1769 in Corsica into a gentry family. He was Educated at military school, and was rapidly promoted and in 1796, was made commander of the French army in Italy, where he forced Austria and its allies to make peace. In 1798, Napoleon conquered Ottoman-ruled Egypt in an attempt to strike at British trade routes with India. He was stranded when his fleet was destroyed by the British at the Battle of the Nile. France now faced a new coalition - Austria and Russia had allied with Britain. Napoleon returned to Paris where the government was in crisis. In a coup d'etat in November 1799, Napoleon became first consul. In 1802, he was made consul for life and two years later, emperor. He oversaw the centralization of government, the creation of the Bank of France, the reinstatement of Roman Catholicism as the state religion and law reform with the Code Napoleon. In 1800, he defeated the Austrians at Marengo. He then negotiated a general European peace which established French power on the continent. In 1803, Britain resumed war with France, later joined by Russia and Austria. Britain inflicted a naval defeat on the French at Trafalgar (1805) so Napoleon abandoned plans to invade England and turned on the Austro-Russian forces, defeating them at Austerlitz later the same year. He gained much new territory, including annexation of Prussian lands which ostensibly gave him control of Europe. The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, Holland and Westphalia created, and over the next five years, Napoleon's relatives and loyalists were installed as leaders..
ReplyDeleteGood Essay, Amanda your essay was well written and very informative. you definitely seem to know what your are talking about. I think it is amazing all that Napoleon was able to conquer during his reign. The only problem with your essay is that we were supposed to mention the Enlightenment and how it affected Napoleon.
DeleteNapoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader and the emperor in the 19th century. He conquered much of Europe during his leadership. He was 26 years old when he became emperor, and made a huge impact on Europe. It would be way different if it weren’t for him. He was born on August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajacco, which was Corsican. His dad was Carlo Buonapore and his mom was Letizia Romolino. He wad 10 brothers and sisters and he was the fourth oldest child.
ReplyDeleteIn 1785 Napoleon Bonaparte became a French in France. He was very very short. Like 5 foot 9 inches. Then, he conquered Britain and got promoted. In 1774 he got put In jail because he failed at his military. He finally became the emperor of France in 1804 because of his awesome military strategy. He married a chick named Josephine de Beauharnais and then had a son named Napoleon II. Then they divorced. The ideas of the enlightenment shaped napoleon because he was really good at conquering people. Another one of his great accomplishments was developing a code called Napoleon’s code. It was adopted through most of Europe and even after his defeat people still used it. It was a code that really influenced a lot of people. Neapolitan is still known very well today for his leadership and for all the people he conquered. I don’t know how great he was as a person, but I suppose he was a pretty descent leader.
This week`s assignment is about the Enlightenment and how it changed dramatically how people see and understand the world that we are living.
ReplyDeleteThe Enlightenment is the name of an era in history in which, philosophers and scientists started viewing the world with other eyes. At first and for many centuries all the things that happened in the world were considered, by the population, caused by God. That was always the explanation for everything since thousands of years ago, and we now can understand that the reason for that is because those people didn`t have the knowledge to explain why things happened, such as simple things like rain and storms, back in time people thought that because God was mad/angry the storm happened or when an eclipse happen. Now a days we know that those things were and are caused by the nature.
In this era philosophers and scientists reject any supernatural explanation an focused to explain things based on science and researches, not spiritual reasons.
Since it was a completely new way to view how the universe could be explained, it caught the attention of thousands of people and quickly gain popularity among the europeans.
Enlightenment had a huge impact in todays society, because of that we no longer try to explain why things happen based on spirituality, but in science. what made us possible to accomplish amazing things through many years of evolution/research, because of science humans could do what was considered the impossible such as going to space and explore other planets, discover new galaxies and realize that we are not the center of the universe, but just another planet among billions of many others in this universe. And maybe other universes.
Of course all this is based on what scientists said, but we know that God is he reason for all of that.
In the middle of the eighteenth century there was something that happened called the Enlightenment. It was called this because they were shedding light on some new inventions and many other things. Three many people who were influences during this time were Rousseau, Diderot and Voltaire. During the enlightenment age there was a lot of questioning of the monarch and the aristocracy. All these new ways of thinking, the bad economy, and bad harvest made the common French man angry and hungry. So finally in 1789 they was a war, the French Revolution, where all the revolutionaries were like can we limit the kings power? (This document was called the Declaration of the Rights of Man.) But the idea of the constitution failed and the revolution entered a more radical stage. The king, Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were beheaded because they were thought to be loyal to the monarch.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon was a really great military guy. While leading a battle in France Napoleon became a Frenchman. Napoleon was educated in France and entered the military. The other people always taunted him because he was very very short, 5 foot 9 inches. He conquered a lot of Europe during his leadership; He was still a young man when he became an emperor. He had a huge impact on Europe during his reign. Everything would probably be much different if he hadn’t changed it so much. The ideas of enlightenment shaped how Napoleon ruled because he did a very good job at conquering people.
How did the Enlightenment gain such popularity with Europeans? How did the ideas of the Enlightenment shape Napoleon? How much impact does the Enlightenment have on today’s society? These are all interesting and important questions. The Enlightenment period began in France. It is a period where man turned away from God's explanation for man's. In the mid-eighteenth century science and reason became more popular than Christianity. This came about by the French Revolution. The royalty and church had been suppressing the French for a long time, and when they finally overthrew their government the French not only blamed the government, but also the church. During the Enlightenment period reason, freedom, justice, and the equality of people were their ideals. The Enlightenment period turned all the Catholic churches into temples and goddesses of the above ideals. Napoleon Bonaparte's ideals were shaped during this period. Napoleon began low in society, but he worked his way up the social ladder through the army. One of the ideals that inspired Napoleon Bonaparte to do "great" things was the equality of man, which he constantly tried to prove. Napoleon Bonaparte can be thought of doing many horrible things, but the French people admired him and held him up as hero. The Enlightenment period still affects us today. Many of the "free-thinking" ideas remain today. Evolution and the superiority of man sadly still prevail today. The Enlightenment period also brought about the metric system, which is popular in most other nations.
ReplyDeleteLydia, I really liked your essay on the Enlightenment because reading it helped me to know more about that time. You described what happened then and how people changed their thinking from depending on God to depending on science and reason. And I think you are right when you said that Enlightenment ideas do affect our society today. Science and reason are valued by many more than belief in God. Faith in God is more important than the ability to reason well or understand science. God created the world and we should study what His Word teaches us about the earth and creation.
Delete1700-1800 was known as the Age of Enlightenment. It changed the way Europeans thought, and then eventually the Americans. During this time many advances in science and technology were made. New ideas about the government and church were developed as well. Rousseau even wrote a book about how the king does not receive his power from God, but from the people. As they moved more away from Catholicism, new beliefs began to show up. One was called Deism, that there is a God, but not the same one from the Old and New Testament. He also stayed out of human affairs instead being involved. On top of this they included the encouragement of questioning and reasoning. So how did this gain popularity with the Europeans? I believe it allowed them to be more rebellious. They now had the freedom to speak outwardly of their beliefs. Before they could have been jailed, beheaded, or some other kind of torture. They no longer had to keep ideas secret from the public. With the process of abusing and moving away from the church, they could be rebellious and almost feel ‘free’ from judgment. Before Napoleon came to rule, the French Government was under a huge mess. He was able to sort out the French government and return it to normal. Later he restored relations with the Roman Catholic Church, balanced the French budget, and created a fair tax structure. Today the Enlightment ’thinking’ is still prevalent. It is normal and sometimes even encouraged for anyone to outwardly express their beliefs. Scientific advances have also came a long way, and new discoveries are regularly being found.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your essay, Patricia! it was very well thought out and well written!
DeleteNice work on your essay this week, Patricia! It was very well thought-out. It was also very informative. I agree with the way you described how the Enlightenment affects life and society today. The facts you shared about the Enlightenment helped me to better understand it. Also, you told why the ideas of the time period gained popularity and how these ideas influenced Napoleon Bonaparte. You answered the questions asked very well. Good job.
DeleteThe Enlightenment gained popularity among Europeans in a variety of ways. Because of the difficult circumstances many citizens were in, there was a great deal of suffering. Kings ruled most of Europe and the common people had very little control over many parts of their lives. For instance, in France the economy got so bad the country almost went bankrupt. It was the common people who did very poorly. The kings and monarchs were fine during these times. A great deal of resentment toward royalty developed as people watched their families suffer greatly while the kings and their families prospered. Napoleon Bonaparte, as a great military leader conquered and thus ruled much of Europe. He balanced the French budget which led to economic recovery. He also developed a fair tax structure which the common people were to follow. This eased the burden on families whose finances were stretched to the limit. Napoleon obviously believed that people should be able to survive and even do well. This idea would line up with the Enlightenment view that human beings and society should be allowed to improve and even prosper. By setting up a fair tax system, Napoleon made a way for people’s lives to improve. The Enlightenment period does have an impact on society today. In American society the rights of individuals are to be honored. Not only the wealthy but all people are given a say in government by the rights they have to vote. While America’s tax system is not perfect, it is based on income. Thus, individuals making very little money do not bear an unfair burden. Before the Enlightenment the opinions of the people were not respected and they were viewed as inferior to those of the wealthy and royalty. In modern society each person has the freedom to express their opinions on matters and their views should be respected.
ReplyDeleteThe middle of the 18th century was a time period called the Age of Enlightenment. Enlightenment is the world that means the idea of shining some light on something or making it clear. Many of the great scientists and leaders at this time wanted to try and improve the knowledge of science, nature, and the world around them. They wanted for people to understand the fundamentals and basics of science. The enlightenment promoted judgement of the failure of King Louis XVI, and aristocracy. The people who were dedicated to this enlightenment discouraged art for not fitting their standards, and desired to have a new form instead to teach citizens the difference between right and wrong. The enlightenment became so popular with people when finally, they could understand how things were created and how things happened more easily.
ReplyDeleteAs a military & French leader, Napoleon Bonaparte was considered a hero and was crowned "emperor of France." He played a huge part in the French Revolution. The time period before this was the enlightenment. This helped to shape Napoleon's whole view on the world and science. He would then believe and understand the systems of every day life.
Enlightenment truly still keeps an impact on our society. We are fortunately able to arrange our theories and test them. For example, we are able to make space ships and rockets and rovers to explore what we don't see in our universe. Through picture of these wonderful creations, we are also able to believe the philosophies more clearly. Also, through combinations of several elements together, new substances, fabrics, and materials can be used to produce goods. Through the knowledge of chemistry and physics, we are able to know where and how to obtain these elements.
Enlightenment is always a good thing. It’s like when you are stuck on a problem or a big rut and then all of a sudden you are enlightened! How did the enlightenment gain such popularity with the Europeans? During this time there were a lot of things that changed. In the article it said it shifted, and when things begin to change and shift people become excited or enlightened. Equality and the new monarchy system was a big change for them because they had not experienced it especially equality. How did the enlightenment shape Napoleon? Napoleon was considered the best smart leader. He is a great example of this change that Europe had been experiencing. Napoleon, as we know, helped the Roman Catholic Church and that really made people think he was a real hero and to them he was, but he and his army was not ready for the harsh winter that was coming their way. The Enlightenment may have made Napoleon change in his standards. Like being in control and it shows when he left his army because he didn’t know what to do or how to help when the harsh winter came. How much impact does the enlightenment have on us today? It still affects us today. One of the enlightenment had upon was the Darwinism, modernism, and evolution. Today we can see people accept those ways and believe that these are correct and unfortunately we know it’s false. Also, this period lets man think more relaxed and not as tough.
ReplyDeletegreat job on your essay, bethany! your essay was very informative!
DeleteThe Enlightenment is a very good thing it encouraged several revolutions and helped governments. It influenced the American Revolution and then the French revolutions. The Enlightenment was an 18th century European movement in which thinkers attempted to apply the principals of reason and scientific method to all aspects of society. It influenced the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of the rights of man and of the Citizen. These political, economic, and social changes from the Enlightenment influenced the Documents.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15,1769, n the Corsican city of Ajaccio. He was the fourth of eleven children of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Romolino.Napoleon began his education at a boys' school in Ajaccio. Then, at age ten, he was allowed to enter French military schools for aristocrats and was sent there in 1779. While at school in France, he was made fun of by the other students for his lower social standing and because he spoke Spanish and did not know French well. His small size earned him the nickname of the "Little Corporal." Despite this teasing, Napoleon received an excellent education. When his father died, Napoleon led his household. By 1785 Napoleon was a second lieutenant in the French army, but he often returned to Corsica. In 1792 he took part in a power struggle between forces supporting Pasquale Paoli (1725–1807), a leader in the fight for Corsican independence, and those supporting the French. After Paoli was victorious, he turned against Napoleon and the Bonaparte family, forcing them to flee back to France. Napoleon then turned his attention to a career in the army there. The French Revolution (1789–93), a movement to overthrow King Louis XVI (1754–1793) and establish a republic, had begun. Upon his return from Corsica in 1793, Napoleon made a name for himself and won a promotion by helping to defeat the British at Toulon and regain that territory for France. After being imprisoned for ten days on suspicion of treason and refusing assignment to lead the Army of the West, Napoleon was assigned to work for the map department of the French war office. His military career nearly ended, but when forces loyal to the king attempted to regain power in Paris in 1795, Napoleon was called in to stop uprising. As a reward he was appointed commander of the Army of the Interior. Later that year Napoleon met Josephine de Beauharnais 1763,and they were married in March 1796.Landing at Fréjus, France, in October 1799, Napoleon went directly to Paris, where he helped overthrow the Directory, a five-man executive body that had replaced the king. Napoleon was named first consul, or head of the government, and he received almost unlimited powers. Napoleon had his marriage to Josephine dissolved and then, in March 1810, he married Marie Louise, the daughter of Emperor Francis II of Austria. Despite this union, Austria declared war on him in 1813. In March 1814 Paris fell to a coalition made up of Britain, Prussia, Sweden, and Austria. Napoleon stepped down in April. Louis XVIII (1755–1824), the brother of Louis XVI, was placed on the French throne. Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba, but after ten months he made plans to return to power. He landed in southern France in February 1815 with 1,050 soldiers and marched to Paris, where he reinstated himself to power. Louis XVIII fled, and Napoleon's new reign began. The other European powers gathered to oppose him, and Napoleon was forced to return to war.The Battle of Waterloo was over within a week. On June 18, 1815, the combined British and Prussian armies defeated Napoleon. He returned to Paris and stepped down for a second time on June 22. He had held power for exactly one hundred days. Napoleon at first planned to go to America, but he surrendered to the British on July 3. He was sent into exile on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. There he spent his remaining years until he died of cancer on May 5, 1821.
Good essay, Elizabeth. your essay was very well written and extremely informative. you seem to really know a lot about Napoleon. Napoleon can be very interesting to learn about as he really did change the world in many ways. I think it very interesting how Napoleon came to power so fast and fell so fast.
DeleteEnlightenment, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is” a philosophic movement of the 18th century marked by a rejection of traditional social, religious, and political ideas and an emphasis on rationalism.” Enlightenment gained extreme popularity with the Europeans because it was a gateway for the people to reject moral standards and live the “easy way;” according to http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/1700-1800-Age-of-Enlightenment it also allowed the people to openly criticize the government, Louis XVI and the Aristocracy at the time in history. However, the ideas of enlightenment were also a catalyst to many inventions and ideals that we use today. The Enlightenment movement influenced Napoleon Bonaparte because it shaped his views on politics and religion. Because of the new ideas and inventions, Bonaparte was inspired to explore and conquer; Napoleon Bonaparte was also very inspired to ensure the equality of man. The ideas that came out of the enlightenment age are still used and practiced in society today. An example of something that came out of the enlightenment age is the legendary musical compositions of Mozart or the discoveries and works of Sir Isaac Newton. The age of Enlightenment was also very influential in the founding of our country. Many of the founding fathers and influential colonists were greatly inspired by the ideas of the enlightenment period in history. For example, Alexander Hamilton (the first secretary of the treasury), Thomas Paine (writer of Common Sense), Benjamin Franklin (great American politician, writer, and inventor) were all influenced somehow by the enlightenment age.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Rebecca Dunmore
Lydia Ramsey- I really enjoyed reading your essay for this week’s assignment. The enlightenment period in history was very influential in both good and bad ways. Like you mentioned the enlightenment period brought about a rejection of the church, but also brought about the metric system which is still prevalent today. Anyway, overall your essay was well written, easy to read and informational as usual. Great job!
ReplyDeletePatricia- I also really enjoyed reading about your essay for this week’s assignment. The enlightenment period, like Lydia also mentioned, brought about significant changes regarding the church and religion at that time. Aside from religion the people also had “free passes” to say whatever they wanted that would’ve imprisoned or killed them if they had said it before. Overall, I thought your essay was very interesting and full of concise and easy to read information. Great job as usual!
Thank you,
Rebecca Dunmore
Great job on your essay, Amanda!
ReplyDeleteYour essay was full of information. I liked how you used several facts about Napoleon Bonaparte's early life. Again, great job.
Great job on your essay, Bethany! It was full of information and written quite well. I liked how you restated the questions throughout your essay. Again, great job on your essay.
Great job on your essay, Rebecca! As always, you have written an excellent essay. Your essay was full interesting facts and details that were neat to read. I liked how you included composers from the time period. Again, great job on your essay!
Great job on your essay, Patricia! I liked how you tied the Enlightenment period to the scientific advances of today. Again, great job.
Great job on your essay, Sara! Your essay was full of information and written well. Again, great job.
During the middle of the 18th century was a period of time called the Age of Enlightenment. The word enlighten means to give intellectual or spiritual light to. Many of the great leaders and scientists wanted to improve the knowledge of science, nature, and the world around them and they wanted people to simply understand the basics of science. Another change made was equality and the new monarch system.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon Bonaparte was a military and French leader who was a thought of as a hero to the Roman Catholic Church and crowned “emperor of France.” He played a very big role in the French Revolution, however he wasn’t prepared for the harsh winter that came and fled from his army. So how did the enlightenment shape Napoleon? It helped to shape his whole view on the world and science, which helped him to believe and understand the things of everyday life.
The Age of Enlightenment still affects us today. We are able to do more and more all the time with technology. There are so many amazing and mind blowing things that we can do now. Technologically we keep growing, but spiritually I think we, as a nation, are continuing to go down hill. America keeps growing farther away from God. With Darwinism, modernism, evolution, and many of the other false religions today, it has caused many people to turn away from Him. We know these things aren’t true, but sadly other people fall in to the false beliefs of these religions.
this weeks essay ia about the enlightenment and nepolean bonaparte which both interest me very much but i know little about them. why did the Europeans like the enlightenment so much? i think it is because it provided reason and equality for them. one big thing the enlightenment did for the eropeans was give them the power to control the king in a way which gave them a sense of power and control. and napolian Bonaparte the worlds greatest military leader that led the french army. through several battles. one major loss was to the Russians.. but nepolian was very effected by the ideas of the enlightenment and the enlightenment was very important in some of his decisions and the way the people looked at him. The enlightenment still effects us in the united states today years later We are awe are more advanced with technology.for example computers used to take up more than a room and did so much less than they do now. and now over 70% of americans have a cell phone that could be classified as a computer and it weighs less than a pound and can be less than an inch thick. but i do think there and several negative and false beliefs that come from the enlightenment that still effect us today like evolution and darwinsm. these beliefs have the us going down hill faster and faster.
ReplyDeleteThe Age of Enlightenment was a time when many news ideas started, many in opposition to the Bible. One reason that people accepted these teachings was because they were taught by leading scientist and philosophers of the day. Another reason that the Age of Enlightenment spread was because the Age of Enlightenment tended to be against monarchies and nobility who the commoners were growing sick of. The Enlightenment also rejected the Catholic Church which was growing more and more corrupt.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon was a brilliant military leader who just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. France in Napoleon’s time was a mess. The nation was falling apart, broke, and was completely separated from the Catholic Church. Napoleon was able to restore France’s economy and relationship with the Church. Napoleon was a man very much influenced by the Enlightenment in many different ways. First off, even though Napoleon restored Frances relationship with the Catholic Church, he refused to let his power be from the Pope, and when the Pope crowned him emperor, he took the crown from the Popes hand and put it on his own head. Also, because the Enlightenment tended to reject Christian teaching in favor of Deism (the belief that there is a God who created the world but that he doesn't care what happens here), human life lost its value, meaning that Napoleon didn't see a problem with torturing people or abusing his army. Also, the Enlightenment’s rejection of Christianity led to people feeling a freedom from moral restraints, which is why Napoleon did not have a problem running around from woman to women.