Review these slides to best understand Unit 5: Revolutions (1750-1900s)
After you've reviewed the Slides above, Click on "Unit 5 Quizlet" link to review key terms for the Unit 5 Exam.Â
Unit 5: Revolutions = 12-15% of the AP ExamÂ
Core Ideas
Natural rights (life, liberty, property)
Social contract (governments derive power from the people)
Separation of powers
Religious tolerance
Popular sovereignty
Key Thinkers: Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu
Result: Ideological foundation for revolutions across the globe.
Inspired by Enlightenment liberty and self-government
Result: Democratic republic, written constitution
French Revolution (1789)
Overthrow of monarchy fueled by inequality + Enlightenment
Radical phase → Reign of Terror
Rise of Napoleon; spread of nationalism
Only successful slave revolt in history
Led by Toussaint L’Ouverture
Independence + abolition of slavery
Creole elites lead independence movements
Key figures: BolĂvar, San MartĂn
New independent states; issues with unity
Steam engine
Spinning jenny & power loom
Telegraph
Railroads & steamships
Interchangeable parts
Big picture:
Production shifts from small-scale (cottage industry) → factory system → mass production.
Private ownership
Competitive markets
Wage labor
Global trade expansion
Middle class grows
Long working hours, unsafe conditions
Urbanization and crowded cities
Environmental pollution
Labor unions
Socialism & Marxism
Utopian socialism
Calls for reform (child labor laws, suffrage, public education)
Japan (Meiji Restoration): rapid industrialization
Russia: limited industrialization → social unrest
Ottoman Empire: Tanzimat reforms
Qing China: Self-Strengthening Movement
Many reforms were partial or ineffective, leading to instability.
Unification of Germany and Italy
Decline of multiethnic empires (Ottoman, Austrian)
Independence movements in Latin America
Nationalism fuels revolutions and wars
Industrialization transforms society.
Industrial working class (proletariat)
Middle class (bourgeoisie)
Industrial capitalists
“Cult of domesticity” for middle-class women
Working-class women & children labor in factories
Growing calls for women’s rights (suffrage, education)
Industrial powers amass wealth and military strength
Non-industrial regions fall behind economically
Sets the stage for imperialism in Unit 6
Watch these videos below to gain more insight regarding specific details and tips regarding the AP Exam
Here's  an Enlightenment Link worth checking out!Â
Watching these videos will help understand the impact of the Revolutions & the Industrial Revolution.
Analyze the Enlightenment's influence on political and social revolutions.
Understand the key ideas and philosophies of the Enlightenment, such as liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Examine how Enlightenment thought influenced revolutionary movements and the development of new political ideologies.
Assess the impact of Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire on revolutionary movements.
Evaluate the causes and consequences of political revolutions.
Examine the causes, key events, and outcomes of major political revolutions, including the American Revolution, French Revolution, Haitian Revolution, and Latin American revolutions.
Analyze the role of social, economic, and political factors in sparking revolutionary movements.
Assess the impact of political revolutions on the establishment of new governments, constitutions, and legal frameworks.
Understand the economic transformations and industrialization of the period.
Analyze the causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution, including technological innovations and changes in production processes.
Examine the social, economic, and environmental impacts of industrialization on different regions and populations.
Evaluate the responses to industrialization, including labor movements, social reforms, and political changes.
Investigate the impact of revolutions on social structures and hierarchies.
Understand how revolutions challenged and transformed existing social hierarchies and class structures.
Examine the roles of different social groups, including the bourgeoisie, proletariat, enslaved people, and women, in revolutionary movements.
Assess the impact of revolutions on social mobility, rights, and status of various groups.
Analyze the development and spread of new political ideologies.
Explore the emergence and spread of ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism, socialism, and feminism.
Understand the key principles and goals of these ideologies and their influence on revolutionary movements.
Evaluate the global impact of revolutions and industrialization.
Examine how revolutions and industrialization influenced global trade, migration, and colonization.
Analyze the spread of revolutionary ideas and movements across different regions and their impact on colonial societies.
Assess the role of industrialized nations in shaping global economic and political dynamics.
Understand the responses to revolutionary changes and industrialization.
Examine the ways in which governments and societies responded to the challenges and opportunities of revolutions and industrialization.
Explore the development of reform movements, including political reforms, social welfare programs, and labor regulations.
Assess the impact of conservative, liberal, and radical responses on the course of revolutions and industrialization.
Analyze the cultural and intellectual developments of the period.
Explore the cultural and intellectual developments that emerged in response to revolutions and industrialization, including literature, art, and philosophy.
Understand the ways in which cultural expressions reflected and influenced political and social changes.
Assess the impact of cultural and intellectual movements on the development of national and global identities.
Unit 5: Revolutions
12-15% of AP Exam