Understanding and Teaching the Age of Revolutions (The Harvey Goldberg Series for Understanding and Teaching History)

About this book

To learn about the "Age of Revolutions" in Europe and the Americas is to engage with the emergence of the modern world. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries nations were founded old empires collapsed and new ones arose. Struggles for emancipationwhether from royal authority colonial rule slavery or patriarchyinspired both hopes and fears. This book designed for university and secondary school teachers provides up-to-date content and perspectives classroom-tested techniques innovative ideas and an exciting variety of pathways to introduce students to this complex era of history. The volume includes chapters on sources and methods for stimulating student debate and learning including Tom Paines Common Sense the Haitian Declaration of Independence and other key documents; role-playing games; visual arts and culture; and music including opera and popular songs. Other chapters delve into specific themes including revolution and riot revolutionary terror enlightenment gender slavery nationalism environment and climate and the roles of politically excluded groups. Collectively the contributions ensure a broad Atlantic scope discussing the revolutions in Britains North American colonies Haiti and Latin America and European revolutions including France Belgium and the Netherlands.