How did slaves' resistance affect existing authorities in The Americas

Enslaved people rarely accept and live with being denied their God given rights such as the freedom to decide their own destiny and to live in charge of their own life. As such enslaved Africans and slaves everywhere most often fought against their captivity, some in dramatic, revolutionary ways and others just by peacefully working for mutual understanding. Some choose to leave the society that enslaved them all together, forming communities of escaped slaves and free Africans, these communities were called maroons. Maroons and other signs of rebellion served as symbols of resistance for freed and captive slaves alike. these symbols challenged authorities whose task it was to enforce laws even if those laws were corrupted and unfair. However despite an effort to exterminate Maroons they and other signs of resistance stayed active for much longer than authorities expected.

Smith, Bonnie G., Richard Von Glahn, and Kris E. Lane. Crossroads and Cultures: A History of the World's Peoples. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.

"PortCities Bristol." The Maroons of Jamaica.  Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

How did rebellions in the Americas and Europe reflect Enlightenment ideals?

Rebellions and revolutions in the Americas and Europe often occurred due to the rise of new ideals of government based upon Enlightenment philosophies. In France, dissatisfaction with the existing monarchy led to the formation of a Republic. The monarchy previously in power was overthrown and the monarchs were executed. This new system of a Republic employed represented the interests of all of the citizens. Focuses of Enlightenment included personal freedoms, natural rights, and the elimination of the abuses of a Monarchy, all of which were attempted to achieve in the formation of a Republic. Napoleon Bonaparte, a student of Enlightenment though and a military leader, also used Enlightenment ideals while ruling countries in Europe. In North America, colonists became increasingly connected with other countries and in turn new ideas brought forth by the Enlightenment. With exposure to these new ideals in government, rebellions began to occur in the colonies. Colonists protested taxation without representation, and later emerged as an independent country. The Declaration of Independence of the colonies also emphasized an Enlightened Doctrine of Rights, that included the rights of, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." In South America, revolutions also were led by leaders educated with Enlightenment ideals. New ideaologies of government inspired by the Enlightenment included conservatism, romanticism, and nationalism (which coordinated with liberalism). These government forms evolved after rebellions in the Americas in Europe in response to protests of the current government.
Below: the First French Republic

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_First_Republic
Smith, Bonnie G., Richard Von Glahn, and Kris E. Lane. Crossroads and Cultures: A History of the World's Peoples. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.

What new political ideas the individual, natural rights, and the social contract did the Enlightenment develop?

One of the major and most influential ideas during the enlightenment period was the idea that political power should be held in the the hands of the people, and that the government should be run by the elected representatives (ie. Parliament, Congress, The of Respresentatives, etc.) resulting in the many rebellions to overthrow thet totalitarian governments of this time period.

“Men have rights by their nature... We give up our right to ourselves exact [revenge] for crimes in return for [nonjudgmental] justice backed by overwhelming force. We retain the right to life and liberty, and gain the right to just, impartial protection of our property." -John Locke

One of the most fought for ideas of the enlightenment was that of natural rights. Natural Rights us the philosophy that all men, women, and children are born with natural rights, freedoms, and responsibilities that cannot be taken away by any form of government. The most common natural rights today would be the Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Assembly, and the Freedom to own property. The quote above from John Locke lists several others that led to revolutions from 1750-1900. 

Another important philosophy at this time would have been social contracting (most commonly promoted by John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rossesu). According to Wolfram Alpha Social contracting is defined as "an implicit agreement among people that results in organization of society". Some of the most commonly known examples are the egalitarian ideas and thet idea that all races are equal.


http://i1.cpcache.com/product_zoom/37241549/philosophy_john_locke_wall_clock.jpg?height=460&width=460&padToSquare=true

Smith, Bonnie G., Richard Von Glahn, and Kris E. Lane. Crossroads and Cultures: A History of the World's Peoples. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.

What role did the Enlightenment play in making political revolutions &rebellions possible?

The Enlightenment resulted in people being able to voice in government and public affairs. By being able to voice their own opinion they had the desire to decide what happens to themselves by the hands of the parliament and their ruler. Through wanting to be able to control the fate of their country, through voting, they began to lead rebellions and establishing governments where the general population would rule over the themselves instead of a single sovereignty and elect representatives to guide them and make the major decisions that could either harm or help them.

http://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/women-and-patriotism-in-eighteenth-century/
Smith, Bonnie G., Richard Von Glahn, and Kris E. Lane. Crossroads and Cultures: A History of the World's Peoples. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.

How did subject people relate to their ruling government?

During this time period there was a lot of resentment against sovereign rulers who tended to oppress their citizens, which in most cases sparked revolts against kings, queens, tyrants, and any other form of single ruler. During the enlightenment people began to become more learned and therefore were able to see that their rulers had been given too much power over their countries and people. When this was seen many philosophers began to spread ideas which created resentment against rulers who refused to rule fairly and forfeit some power.

http://02varvara.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/a-good-king-21-january-the-memorial-day-for-king-louis-xvi/the-execution-of-king-louis/
Smith, Bonnie G., Richard Von Glahn, and Kris E. Lane. Crossroads and Cultures: A History of the World's Peoples. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.

How did governments use these new ideas(nationalism and National Identity)on their populations?

The ideas of national identity and nationalism bound people together based on where they lived, where they were from, and what their ethnicity is. Government, local and nationwide, used this sense of similarity to unify people's from certain areas. They often accomplished this by developing an enemy or rival to rally against, for example people who are from the East of a City or a country might be more competitive with people from the West then they would against their fellow Eastsider. Even in modern day politicians use these techniques to get more support from people who identify with one side or another (Ex. Democrats v.s. republicans). During the Enlightenment identifying yourself with a country and claiming another was your enemy could help win you support from common people as distract them from how their own government was being run. This would have been an especially valuable skill to have during this time of Revolution and Reform.

http://www.peachpundit.com/
Smith, Bonnie G., Richard Von Glahn, and Kris E. Lane. Crossroads and Cultures: A History of the World's Peoples. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.