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Characteristics Of The Atlantic Revolutions

Decent Essays

The Atlantic Revolutions form 1750-1914 created widespread movements and connected the globe by sharing common ideas. Since 1914, the ideals of human society from the Atlantic Revolutions, such as independence, political changes, and freedoms for all, are confirmed by society’s constant attempt to attain such values. Those ideals set the foundation of modern society and maintain to be an essential characteristic of society’s evolvement. Prominently, the fight for independence shaped the Atlantic Revolutions. This desire for independence stemmed from the concepts of democracy, nationalism, and popular sovereignty. The ideas behind the struggle for independence developed with the European Enlightenment. Thus, for example, in America, the …show more content…

Essentially, revolutions provide the basis for the generation of freedom and independence. Equally important, the Atlantic Revolutions sparked the development of different political institutions. Initially, most revolutions began with the desire for further democracy. But, in some individual societies, this political idea transformed into different systems. After the French Revolution demonstrated the impact of human action, communism began to rise. To illustrate, communism in Russia was inspired by Karl Marx and surfaced with the pursuit of economic and political equality. Socialism stems from democracy because both political parties benefit the general public. However, socialism and communism are like extreme forms of democracy as they are established for the people; democracy is built by the people. In another case, communism also emerged in China. Chairman Mao Zedong’s rule resulted in extractive political and economic institutions. Because of this, China was still able to grow. This “authoritarian growth” can be described as a “bird in a cage”: “China’s economy was the bird; the party’s control, the cage, had to be enlarged to make the bird healthier and more dynamic, but it could not be unlocked or removed, lest the bird fly away” (Acemoglu, Daron, and James A. Robinson, 438). By this, the cage is able to expand but the bird is still limited from achieving true freedom. These political changes fostered equality

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