Reactionary Monarchy in the Age of Revolutions

World History Silhouette Activity

Revolutionary / Monarchist

For this activity, students must choose a historical figure from the age of revolutions (French, American, Haitian, etc) and develop an illustration of the figure’s silhouette. Within the silhouette, draw from the primary sources we analyzed in class, the Carlos III’s 1779 war pamphlet and the Testament de Louis XVI typographic portrait, to develop your own historical interpretation of the figure’s personal testament. Make sure to take a position in your pieces: pro-revolution, pro-monarchy, or a mix of both!

To receive full points, the silhouette must include all of the following elements:

Historical Interpretation & Position: The student takes a clear, well supported stance (pro-revolution, pro-monarchy, or mixed) exhibiting a deep understanding of the figure’s role and motivations.

Primary Source Integration: Style clearly mimics both analyzed sources, Carlos III pamphlet and Testament de Louis XVI.

Visual Execution: Silhouette is clear and recognizable for the viewer to connect to the student’s chosen figure.

Clarity: Fully meets all prompt requirements and demonstrates polished, grammatically correct writing.

Pedagogical Exercise: Writing Authority in the Americas

Mapping Timeline Activity

Students will break up into two groups. Group 1 will create a map of the Americas from 1700 to 1850. Group 2 will make a timeline of events that occurred from 1700 to 1850 based on all of the documents of the exhibit.

When both groups finish, gather around both the map and the timeline. As a class, discuss:

How the timeline and map were affected by the all of the documents. Compare/contrast the various locations in time and the thematic connections and the similarities in the broader themes connecting the documents together.

Full Points: Students working on the timeline draw on AT LEAST 10 different points in time. Students working on the map show AT LEAST 3 different geographical changes.

Half Points: Students working on the timeline draw on less than 10 different points in time. Students working on the map show less than 3 different geographical changes.

Revolutionary Ideas of an Exiled Friar

Revolution/Art

Students will write a list of three or more historical religious leaders that were involved in the various revolutionary movements within the Atlantic World. Including but not limited to the Haitian Revolution, U.S. Revolution, French Revolution, and of course, the Spanish-American Revolution. Did any of these figures incorporate art into their messaging?

Full Points: The student is able to list MORE than three figures, and mentions the historical figures' contributions to art.

Half Points: Student lists three or LESS than three figures, or does not mention any artistic contribution

Constitutional Experimentation

Investigating Constitutions

On the table below each document in this section will be listed. At the top of each column will be a question for the student to answer in the provided spaces. Below the table there will be two additional questions which will ask the student how all of the documents connect to each other and how these documents relate to U.S. independence.

Worksheet

Embracing Insurgency: Memories of Mexican Independence

This exercise involves reenacting a skit for two groups, covering both the local and global aspects of Mexican insurgency. The local group would be given a primary source, a letter from an ayuntamiento to a Spanish viceroy, and an illustration of the pedigree of the Hidalgo y Costilla family from 1810 to 1910. The global group would be given a map of post-war Mexico created by a Scottish cartographer and a letter from a Spanish official to a Mexican city worker. Through this skit, they could explore the timeline of the shift from anti-insurgency to pro-insurgency through both a global and local lens in a fun and engaging way. The group would also be exposed to the different global and local actors and the perspectives that they shared: How did they vary? How were they similar?