The American Revolution's effect on French Revolution The American Revolution was a period of time in which colonists from Britain wanted to start new colonies in North America. During this time the colonists opposed the rule of the king and parliament due to unnecessary acts and reforms put against them. The French Revolution was a movement in which the people wanted social and political changes based on freedom and equality. During this time lower classes revolted and started new groups that might change the outcome of the French government. The ideas and outcomes of the American Revolution later on influenced the need for the French Revolution. The French Revolution was affected by the American Revolution through the use of similar enlightenment ideas, social and political problems, and divisions in society to influence the French’s desire for political changes centered on ideas of freedom and equality. The use of enlightenment ideas was a major way in which France was affected by the American Revolution. One of those ideas was social contract which ties in with natural law and natural rights. Social contract is an agreement between the people and their government. John Locke, an enlightenment thinker, believed that the sole purpose of a government was to protect the people’s rights. “ Locke stated the government should be bases on natural law and natural righs. These rights included the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to own property. Locke
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 American and French Revolutions were both fundamentally based on the Enlightenment ideas. The main ideas that they followed were by John Locke. His ideas inspired the Americans and the French to have a revolution. In these revolutions, the Americans had success and the French failed. The success that the Americans experienced wad due to the protection of rights they had. These rights are 'Life, Liberty and Property.? In America a constitution was put together that provided for a stable government and also a representative government. In France failure was caused by chaos, terror, fear and war. The French were unsuccessful because they failed to create a democratic
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 American and the French revolutions had many similarities and differences. One similarity being is that they both wanted to escape the rule of their King. Second, they both started by an uprising of people against unfair taxation by the monarchy. The French peasants were not represented by the Parliament. It was mainly composed of middle and upper class people. Now, the American colonists were not represented in England because of their lack of presence. Both wanted to set up a Republic, which provided liberty and justice to all classes of citizens. Just like France, the American colonists were composed up mainly middle and lower class citizens. The American Revolution started out by not wanting bloodshed and violence. France started
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 ideas of the Enlightenment inspired both the American and French Revolution. The Revolution was based on the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Philosophers of the Enlightenment, known as philosophes, favored limited monarchy, freedom of speech, and equality. The Enlightenment was based on the ideas of John Locke who said that all men are born with natural rights of life, liberty, and property. He believed that human nature was basically good and that in a state of nature, without any government, people would be reasonable and cooperative and could both learn from their experiences and improve themselves. France’s government and society on the eve of the Revolution went against everything the Enlightenment philosophers favored.
Both the American and French revolutions were focused on liberty and equality. America was trying to gain freedom from the rules, unfair taxation, War debt, and lack of representation from the British. The French Revolution on the other hand wanted to abolish the French monarchy and create a better government in which people could have more of a say in society, and also had similar causes as the American Revolution. They were similar in their causes because both of them were caused because of unfair taxation, war debt, and lack of representation. However, “The American Revolution involved a colonial uprising against an
Powerful countries are able to leave a mark in history by escaping their rulers and establishing themselves as their own country; while being represented by a king or a leader who they are proud to be represented by. During the late 18th century, America a country ruled by The United Kingdom, had no control of the thirteen colonies. With the British having a very strict authority over the Americans, this made them rebel and feel deserving of freedom, establishment of their own people, and that taxes shouldn't go to The United Kingdom. This only lead to an uproar of citizen fighting against the British “Lobsterbacks” and with the support of the French, America gained its independence. Very similar to the American revolution the French disrespected the leadership of King Louis XVI, they believed his extravagant expenditure and participation in the American revolution left the country in poverty. Inspired by a lack of popular sovereignty, the French citizens decided the only way they will be able to change their lifestyle is by overthrowing King Louis and inaugurate a new form of Government for France. Though both revolutions have many relations, they both have many dissimilarities, throughout my work I will be displaying the reasons why both revolutions were similar and why they are different.
The American Revolution was when the British colonies in America revolted against British rule for being taxed by people not even living on their land and gained independence by overthrowing British imperial rule under King George III. The French Revolution was a period of social and political upheaval in France, marking the decline of powerful monarchies and churches and the rise of democracy and nationalism. 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.
The American Revolution began with armed conflict in April of 1775 when battles between British troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord started. The conflict started from growing tensions between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown. The American Revolution lasted until 1783 and resulted in victory and independence for the colonies. The French Revolution began in 1789 and ended in 1799 with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. The conflict started because of rising social and economic inequality, new political ideas emerging from the Enlightenment, economic mismanagement, environmental factors leading to agricultural failure, unmanageable national debt, and political mismanagement on the part of King Louis XVI have all been cited as laying the groundwork for the Revolution. The American and French Revolution were fundamentally similar because they both were about freedom from oppression, removing economic turmoil and new ideality.
The French and American revolutions are both very significant in the world’s history. The American Revolution happened first, around the last half of the 18th century where the Thirteen Colonies became the United States of America, and gained independence from the British Empire. The French revolution on the other hand, was from 1789 until the turn of the century 1799. For the French people this was a period of political and social turmoil. The idea of Enlightenment stuck a large population of the French people and led to many changes in society. These two individual revolutions have many comparisons and although they are not identical they become intertwined with separate philosophies on politics and economic expansion.
The French Revolution (1789-1814) was a period that affected the outcome of world history tremendously. This is considered a major turning point in European history which has led to dramatic changes in France and other regions of the world. Various social and political issues led to the start of the revolution. Politically, France suffered under the rule of Louis XVI, who ruled by absolute monarchy. Many people had their natural rights renounced and weren’t able to have a political voice. Socially, France had divided its population within 3 estates (classes). French citizens took it upon themselves to remodel their country 's’ political structure. The French Revolution had encountered both positive and negative effects. However, many Europeans viewed the Revolution as much more than just a bloody massacre. The French Revolution was used to demonstrate new ideology that would emphasize the principles of liberty and equality throughout Europe.
The French Revolution paved the way for liberty and equality for the country of France. In order for this to happen, France had to eliminate some major obstacles including King Louis XVI. The problems in France ultimately resulted in a rebellion. Though the American Revolution provided a model of rebellion for revolution in France, the major concepts of the Enlightenment joined with the struggle of the bourgeoisie against the nobility to fuel the revolution; the new ideas included equality, leadership, and economic struggle. The short and long term factors of the revolution along with many other different problems in France ultimately led to the French people rising up to make a change.