Democracy in England
Democratic principles developed on the island-nation of England as a result of conflict.  English democracy has its root in the Magna Carta (shown here), however change was slow at first.  The English throne begrudgingly gave power to the people.  Revolutionary conflict created the most change in the shortest amount of time, however.  In the mid-1600's, there were conflicting ideologies at work in the government.  The monarchy wanted absolute power over Parliament, the democratic body.  Parliament, in turn, desired more power.  Also adding to this political vacuum was the religious notion of strict adherence to Christian principles, called Puritanism. 

The result of this power struggle was the English Civil War, also referred to as the Puritan Revolution.  King Charles I was beheaded and Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan (shown here), rose to take control of the new English Republic.  The oppressive dictatorship of Cromwell soon reminded the people of England that having a king was not such a bad thing,  Therefore, Charles II was pronounced King by Parliament after the death of Cromwell.  Charles II favored a return to the democratic principles in order to smooth over the devastating effects of the Civil War and the rule of Cromwell.  Despite this, James II followed a different path upon taking the throne after the death of his father.  James II soon found out that divine right was a thing of the past. 

Using its somewhat limited power, Parliament invited William and Mary to take the throne from James II.  The Glorious Revolution was distinctive in history because power was handed over without bloodshed.  William and Mary signed the English Bill of Rights which made Parliament the supreme governing body in England.  Political and religious conflict directly resulted in the establishment of democracy in England, which would, in turn, directly impact the formation of the United States of America.

Revolution in Europe:  The French Revolution
The democratic principles developed in England were only one facet of the Age of Reason. Within a century's time, other European countries began calling for democracy.  However, the revolution that sparked the others was not in Europe, but across the Atlantic Ocean.  The American Revolution established the United States of America as a democratic nation and inspired people in other nations to revolt against long-established, undemocratic governments.  The French Revolution was a result of these forces of change. 

The causes of the French Revolution are concerned with the class differences that were existent in France.  The monarchy and the nobility of France gained much of their power, influence, and wealth at the expense of the lower classes.  Classes were arranged in Estates.  The First and Second Estates were comprised of the rich nobility and the clergy.  These estates made up only a small fraction of the population.  Well over 95% of the population belonged to the Third Estate which included both the bourgeoisie (middle class) and the poverty-stricken lower class.  Conflict arose between the Estates when the Third Estate demanded an equal say in government.  The majority of people were being out-voted because the first two Estates always voted together.  Voting restrictions, coupled with excessive taxes and the lack of land privileges forced the common people of France into action. 

Demanding a fair democracy that represented all people resulted in a series of important events and documents.  A constitution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man ended the rigid class structure of the estates making all men equal and spread the spirit of Life, Liberty, and Fraternity.  Despite all this, events would take an ugly turn. 

The revolutionaries did not end with political equality, but set out to eradicate any existence of class distinction.  The outcome was the systematic execution of the many in the noble class, including King Louis XVI.  The government of the Revolution, the National Convention, lost control of events in France and placed power in the hands a few.  Led by Robespierre, the Reign of Terror saw the ironic execution of anybody who used their freedom of speech to criticize the government.  A series of expensive wars and resentment at home eventually led to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte who, in turn, declared himself Emperor of France.  Therefore, in a series of revolutionary conflicts, France went from an absolute monarchy to a democratic republic to an oligarchy and then returned to the absolute rule of an emperor. 

Independence in Latin America
Spain's control had been steadily weakening in the late 1700's into the 1800's.  Spanish America had grown prosperous on its own through trade with America, the English, and the Dutch.  Therefore, its dependence on Spain had decreased.  Spain was further weakened after Napoleon's invasion in the early 1800's.  The ideas of the Enlightenment and the lack of Spanish control resulted in movements for independence and democracy in Latin America.

The Caribbean Islands and the mainland of South America made successful drives to push Spanish authority out.  Jose de San Martin played a tremendous role in the independence of Argentina and Chile.  The greatest of all liberators was Simon Bolivar (shown here) who freed Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru from Spanish rule.  Brazil and a number of Caribbean Islands followed suit.  Constitutions were drafted and democratic institutions were established.