The American Cincinnatus

What makes a revolution successful: winning power or knowing when to give it up?

"You have often heard him compared to Cincinnatus," the French traveller Jacques-Pierre Brissot de Warville wrote after visiting George Washington at Mount Vernon in 1788. "The comparison is doubtless just. The celebrated General is nothing more at present than a good farmer, constantly occupied in the care of his farm and the improvement of cultivation."

Can you imagine Julius Caesar willingly turning back power? History is littered with examples of military men who seized power and were reluctant to give it up. Yet two remarkable individuals, separated by 2,000 years, both made the decision to give up near-absolute authority in favor of life as a citizen. George Washington, America’s first president, and Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, an early Roman statesman, lived dramatically different lives, but both understood the nature and importance of civic virtue. Washington’s decision to not seek a third term as president set a lasting precedent for the peaceful transition of power that endures today.

1) Who was Cincinnatus? 

2) Why was George Washington called the Cincinnatus of the West?

3) What precedent did George Washington set and why is it still so important today?

4) What do you think Washington would say about this statue that makes him look like Zeus?

5) How did the city of Cincinnati get its name? 

Napoleon

What is a coup d'etat?

Napoleon Bonaparte was an "enlightened despot"—an absolute ruler who used the rational, progressive ideas of the Enlightenment to shape his laws and government, even while holding supreme authoritarian power. Historians often debate whether his actions truly served freedom or just efficient control. He promoted both liberty through legal reform and tyranny through authoritarian rule.

Was Napoleon an Enlightenment leader—or did he betray the ideals of the Enlightenment?

Off With Their Heads!

The French Revolution is a period where one can typically find little to laugh about, unless the mass slaughter of tens-of-thousands of people tickles your historical fancy or massages your deep-seeded hate for European aristocracy. The bloody period did much to shape modern world politics, abolished slavery in French-held territories and opened the door to the rise to Napoleon Bonaparte, but the popular symbol that lingers in most people’s minds is the guillotine.

Developed as an efficient and humane manner of execution, the guillotine was a perfect symbol for the Age of Enlightenment-fuelled violence of the French Revolution — a combination of vicious violence and modern invention. Executions of King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette and countless other nobles and members of the ruling class were public events during the Reign of Terror of the Revolutionary period. Ironically, Maximilien Robespierre, one of the architects of the Reign of Terror would also meet his death at the guillotine when public sentiment turned against the violence of the era. Beyond the French Revolution, the guillotine would remain a prominent mode of execution for prisoners worldwide and a mode of terror for governments such as the German Third Reich well into the late 20th-century.

In Guillotine, you will take on the role of rival executioners competing for the public's favor during the French Revolution.The mechanics mirror the chaotic, unpredictable nature of the historical Reign of Terror (1793–1794). During this period, the political winds shifted so violently that a faction leader could go from directing the executions to being executed themselves the very next day. The game captures this through "Action" cards that represent bribes, shifting crowd moods, and sudden bureaucratic interventions that arbitrarily change who is next on the chopping block.

1) What was the most valuable head in your basket? Least?  What did the game suggest about the relationship between power and survival?

2) Did you win or lose?  Why?  What would you do differently if you played again?

3) What was one important difference between the game and the real French Revolution?

4) Why did the Reign of Terror eventually turn against people who had supported the Revolution?

5) How can a revolution that begins by demanding liberty and equality end up restricting people's freedom?

Let Them Eat Cake!

Did Marie Antoinette really say “LET THEM EAT CAKE?!”

Now, I know what some of you are thinking, “Of course she didn’t, she spoke French!” But, in fact, she didn’t say “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” either. This saying in France actually pre-dated her arrival there by anywhere from about thirty years to as much as a century!

So how did this saying get attributed to Marie Antoinette? Primarily, because the people of France loathed her. If you read up on her history, you’ll find most of this loathing was primarily because she was an easy and very visible target to vent their rage against the French aristocracy on.

🍰 Possible Ingredients for a French Revolution Cake

Ingredient	Possible “Amount”	What It Represents
👑 Absolute Monarchy	5 cups	The king held enormous political power
💰 Government Debt	6 lbs.	France was deeply in debt, including from wars
💸 High Taxes on the Third Estate	5 cups	Common people carried much of the tax burden
⚖️ Social Inequality	7 lbs.	The Three Estates had very unequal privileges
👨‍🌾 Angry Peasants	5 cups	Peasants faced taxes, dues, and economic hardship
🍞 Bread Shortages	6 loaves	Rising food prices created hardship and anger
📈 Rising Bread Prices	4 cups	Ordinary people struggled to afford food
💡 Enlightenment Ideas	6 tablespoons	Ideas about liberty, equality, rights, and government
🗣️ Demand for Political Representation	5 cups	The Third Estate wanted greater political influence
👑 Louis XVI's Weak Leadership	3 cups	Problems of leadership and difficulty addressing the crisis
👸 Marie Antoinette	2 cups	Public criticism of the monarchy and royal extravagance
🏰 Privileges of the First & Second Estates	6 lbs.	Clergy and nobility enjoyed important privileges
🧾 Unfair Tax System	6 cups	Taxes were distributed unevenly among estates
🌾 Poor Harvests	4 cups	Bad harvests contributed to food shortages
🏛️ Estates-General	3 cups	Its meeting helped bring the political crisis into the open
📜 Declaration of the Rights of Man	3 tablespoons	Revolutionary ideas about rights and equality
🇺🇸 American Revolution	2 cups	Provided an example of revolution and republican government
🗞️ Pamphlets & Newspapers	2 cups	Spread political ideas and criticism
😡 Public Anger	7 cups	Growing frustration with government and inequality
🏰 Storming of the Bastille	2 cups	A major early revolutionary event
🔥 Fear of Counter-Revolution	2 cups	Fear that enemies would destroy the revolution

Do You Hear the People Sing?

While American delegates were gathered at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the seeds of another revolution were being planted across the Atlantic Ocean. Like the American Revolution, the French Revolution was inspired by Enlightenment philosophers and a dedication to the ideals of liberty and equality.

Exorbitantly high taxes, national debt, and a mostly apathetic monarch pushed the French working class and peasantry to demand changes. When these demands were not met, radicals chose instead to dissolve the government and form an entirely new one. The French Revolution was a radical assault on France's traditional institutions—the monarchy, the Church, feudalism—and thoroughly transformed French society.

How did the French Revolution end the blood reign of kings in France and lay the foundation for a new republican system of government?

We the People...

DBQ: How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?

Over the past several decades, the checks-and-balances of our government have been increasingly tested in ways our founding fathers never anticipated. How has the US Constitution changed over time and continued to remain eternal ?

Why is it so difficult to amend the Constitution? 

What was the last meaningful attempt to amend the Constitution?

Joeseph Plumb Martin: The Experiences of a Common Soldier

Washington could command the army—but who actually had to fight the war?

Would you join?  Why or why not?

Who was Joseph Plumb Martin? What was his experience? Would it change your opinion?

If ordinary people were essential to winning the Revolution, what did they have the right to expect from the new government after the Revolution was over?