Comparison: The French And American Revolution

A revolution, by definition, is the overthrow of one government followed by replacement with another. The American Revolution against the British during 1775 to 1783 and the French Revolution pitting the French people against their own government during 1789 to 1799 were both very important political and social turnovers. This movement towards the establishment of a constitutional government influenced political thought throughout the world. By closely examining three of the main causes of these revolutions, it is clear that although the two revolutions have their differences, the basis of cause for the revolutions have, overall, much stronger similarities.

The French Revolution and the American Revolution have many similarities but there are definitely some differences between these two wars as well. Yes, both wars were focused around liberty and equality and both were trying to gain freedom but the main difference between these two wars were the context. (www.quora.com) America wanted to gain freedom from rules and taxes that Great Britain had put upon them, whereas France wanted to abolish the French monarchy and form a better government where people had more freedom of speech.

The French and American Revolutions were significant revolutionary movements that essentially played a vital role in shaping modern nations. Both revolutions are known for successfully abolishing their former absolute monarchies to constitutional monarchies and democracies. The French Revolution was an important age of political and social turmoil in France that lasted from 1789 to 1799. Likewise, the American Revolution was also a political and social upheaval that took place from 1765 to 1783, where the colonists in the thirteen colonies rejected the British rule and were eventually able to defeat Britain’s authority hence creating the United States of America. The French and American revolutions have similar causes such as the emphasis on

The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political change in France that lasted from 1789 to 1799. Before the revolution there was a period of time called the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in which followers considered that human reason brought a move from theory to practice and criticism to reforming education, household administration, social reactions and politics. Voltaire, a French philosopher and contributor to the Age of Enlightenment, expressed these ideas utilizing his intelligence, wit and style to mark his name as one of France’s greatest writers. The Enlightenment influenced the French Revolution to a great extent by introducing new ideas that encouraged questioning of authority and religion, advancing people’s outlook on commodities, and forcing citizens to compare their need with the Republic’s needs. This further brought an uprising of people wanting more such as equality and civil rights. In the process to do so there were 250,000 casualties in the Reign of Terror followed the Thermidorian Reaction which implemented an oligarchy government called the Directory. Royalist riots prompted the Coup d’etat of Fructidor which brought Napoleon into Directory which he later overthrows and creates an Authoritarian Republic.

The American and French revolutions both compare and contrast in their origins and outcomes; both revolutions began due to the common peoples need to obtain independence and liberty from an oppressive government. The American Revolution was triggered by the American colonists need for financial independence from the overpowering nation of Great Britain, while the French revolution was a struggle to gain social equality among the masses. Although the American and French Revolutions were fought over the same ideas, the American Revolution is considered more “conservative” than the French. The intent of the American revolutionaries was not to initiate a revolution, but rather to gain their

The French Revolution was a bloody civil war that lasted from the years 1789-1799. [1] The revolution arose out of hard economic times that had befallen France. Widespread famine and hunger, due to a grain shortage, rampaged through sections of the country. The economic crisis led to an increase in taxes on the lower classes, known as the third estate, to upkeep the lavish lifestyle of the nobility. [1] All of these are the known factors that led to the rise of the French Revolution.

The American Revolution began for two reasons: political and economic, while the French Revolution began with domination and mismanagement that contributed to the French society. During the Revolution many events occurred having a major effect, such as the sugar act, currency act, and the Townshend act. The French began the Tennis Court Oath, the Storming of the Bastille, and the overthrown of Monarchy. The French Revolution followed in suit with the American Revolution, because the French were in favor for what the American Revolution was fighting for.

The Latin American Revolutions and the American Revolution both had similarities and differences. These revolutions were similar in a way, because they both were fighting against their suppressing powers and one difference was the way that unity shaped the way they gained independence.

The French and American revolutions were both countries fighting for independence, almost one after another, the American first, and then the French. Both were very similar, while also, very different. Both were inspired by Enlightenment thinkers, and both involved citizens against the king. The French revolutionists were inspired by the American patriots.

The revolution resulted, among other things, in the overthrow of the Bourbon monarchy in France and in the establishment of the First Republic. It was generated by a vast complex of causes, the most important of which were the inability of the ruling classes of nobility, clergy, and bourgeoisie to come to grips with the problems of state, the indecisive nature of the monarch, impoverishment of the workers, the intellectual ferment of the Age of Enlightenment, and the example of the American Revolution. Recent scholarship tends to downplay the social class struggle and emphasize political, cultural, ideological, and personality factors in the advent and unfolding of the conflict. The Revolution itself produced an equally vast complex of

The French Revolution began less than two decades after the American Revolution. In many ways, the American experience was an inspiration for the citizens of France. But the people of the two countries had different situations and had different concerns, which influenced the way each revolution began, progressed, and ended. In this assignment you will write an essay that compares and contrasts the two revolutions.

The Age of Enlightenment served as the concrete base for America. It also served the same purpose in France. The desire for a “utopia” was what each nation wanted, as any country would. The Enlightenment promoted the individual or the idea of humanism. Humanism, which spread across Europe after the creation of the printing press, was a philosophy that no longer focused on theism but human needs. Man was no longer depending on the church for thoughts to make decisions. The idea of fearing their God and church was no longer seen as necessary. People were trying to come up with solutions through their own rational thought uninfluenced by anyone else, but themselves. Both France and the American colonies were becoming secular, though France

The American Revolution of the 1770’s was fueled by the ideas of social equality and political liberty as well as the desire for justice and the creation of democratic institutions. This movement as well as the writings of authors, such as Rousseau and Voltaire, speaking human rights, led way to the French Revolution. With King Louis XVI reign there was much careless spending and overindulgence leaving France in a very poor financial state when he passed away. His rule had caused the majority of French people to have distinct and feelings of resentment towards the monarchy when Louis XVI came into rule. At the time, France had three basic social classes. At the top were the royals’

During the late 18th century, two great revolutions occurred, the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Between the years of 1775-1783, The American Revolution was fought between the thirteen British colonies in North America and Great Britain, their mother country. Thomas Hutchinson, the royal governor of Massachusetts at the time, sums the reason for war best, saying "‘No middle ground exists between the supreme authority of Parliament and the total dependence of the colonies: it is impossible there should be two independent legislatures in one and the same state'" (Van Tyne 135). The American Revolution was effectively a "conservative" advancement, and was fought

During the years 1789 to 1814, France encountered a major turning point in world history known as the French Revolution. These chaotic and bloody years were simply an exchange of one authoritarian regime for another. However, these years brought more equality to the people than ever before. As a result of this, the French Revolution was overall successful because it achieved its goal of enhancing equality within the people. Despite the fact that it did not bring democracy to France, the Revolution managed to most importantly spread enlightenment ideas.