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How Did The American Revolution Affect France

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LEQ #15 Unit 2 The French Revolution was a time period that greatly affected France as well as many other countries in Europe. The Revolution started in 1789 and Europe had been recently influenced by the Seven Years’ War, American Revolution, as well as the Enlightenment, which was prior to both of these events. The Seven Years’ War was a war that involved France and Britain, in which Britain defeated France leaving them in an economic crisis. In addition, France continued to participate in the American Revolution, in order to get revenge on Britain, this conclusively backfired, as it brought liberal ideas to France and also pushed them further into their economic catastrophe. Ultimately, the Seven Years’ War and the American Revolution …show more content…

The Revolution started in 1789 and Europe had been recently influenced by the Seven Years’ War, American Revolution, as well as the Enlightenment, which was prior to both of these events. The Seven Years’ War was a war that involved France and Britain, in which Britain defeated France leaving them in an economic crisis. In addition, France continued to participate in the American Revolution, in order to get revenge on Britain, this conclusively backfired, as it brought liberal ideas to France and also pushed them further into their economic catastrophe. Ultimately, the Seven Years’ War and the American Revolution led France to a position of being susceptible to revolution, due to their plundering economic status and the new ideals brought forward. The Enlightenment also altered France’s way of thinking, as it introduced revolutionary beliefs. Socially, Enlightenment ideas heavily impacted the French Revolution in the sense that views of liberty reflected in Montesquieu’s “The Spirit of the Laws” as well as beliefs pertaining to revolution, mentioned in John Locke’s “Two Treaties of Government” can be directly linked to the Third Estate’s desire to be represented in an equal manner and the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.” Religiously, Enlightenment ideas weren’t as impactful as social ideas. Although, the concept of rationalism was a major cause for the Catholic Church’s property to be nationalized and sold with hopes of financing the state. In addition, the National Assembly granted Jews and French-Protestants the right to practice their religion, which corresponds with the Enlightenment idea of religious toleration. The social ideas of the Enlightenment heavily impacted policies of the French Revolution through the concepts of liberty and revolution, whereas religious ideas can be observed through rationalism and religious

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