How Did The French Revolution Influence American Government

The concept of Democracy dates back to the Classic Period, otherwise known as the Golden Age of Greece. Prior to becoming a unified nation, Greece was made up of city-states that were constantly warring with one another. None of these city-states possessed full control over its neighbors. It was during this time and because of these circumstances that there was great advancement in Greek thought encompassing philosophy and politics. These advancements are responsible for the strong Greek

The society that we live in today was formed from of all of the good things from these various systems of government. Most scholars believe that democracy began an ancient Greece. Around 510 BCE the ancient Athenians invented democracy. In the Athenian democracy each year, 500 names were drawn from all the citizens of Athens. Those 500 citizens had to serve for one year as the law makers of ancient Athens. All citizens of Athens were required to vote on any new law that this body of 500 citizens created. One man, one vote, majority ruled. Women, children, and slaves were not citizens, and thus could not vote (Roots of Democracy). Greece was a collection of some 1500 separate communities scattered round the Mediterranean and Black Sea shores. At one point in ancient Greeks history there was almost 100 years serious civil unrest, but ostracisms fulfilled their functions of preventing a civil war (Democratic Experiment). Though the Greeks were recognized as being the inventors of democracy, they’re most recognized by the modern civilization for their artwork and architecture.

The Ancient Greeks were the first to put the power of a nation in the hands of the average citizen, they created the idea of the democratic government, practiced as a direct democracy. Voting, political assembly, and official citizenship are all concepts that can be traced back to Classical Grecian ideas .The Romans developed the concept of the representative democracy .This was best

Greece was one of the first people to have recorded the events of their democratic system. Democracy is a Greek word literally meaning the power of the people to rule. Early democracy was established in ancient Athens, a Greek city-state, and was probably the single most powerful and stable democratic government in Greece.

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

On June 15, 1215 English nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, which stated a series of written promises between the king and his subjects. That he, the king would govern England according the the customs of feudal law, this was done to attempt to stop King John from abusing his power. It limited the monarch's right to levy taxes without consulting the nobles, and guaranteed everyone the right to trial by jury.

1. The English government, especially under Oliver Cromwell, had little interest in controlling the government of the colonies. That being said, they were interested in the economy of the colonies. This is shown through their attempts to control the economies of the colonies. For example, the Act of 1651, which was issued by the English Parliament, controlled colonial trade. It stated that all importations to England or from Asia and Africa must be carried out on English ships. This navigation act was meant to reduce the colonies’ commercial freedom in order to cut ties with the Dutch, who were profiting from the colonies. This was followed by many more navigation acts. The Navigation Act of 1660 required all trade to be carried out on ships controlled by England. It also stated that certain products, such as tobacco, were solely for England. Finally, the Navigation Act of 1663 stated that all trade with Europe must be inspected and taxed by the English government. Each one of these acts was fueled by mercantilism, which was rampant in England. Mercantilism stresses the importance of

The French Revolution and American Revolution were two of the most important events in French and American history that has influenced society and government today. The French Revolution was a revolt which went against absolute monarchy and strived for an improved society within itself. The American Revolution, however, was an inflicted war amidst the thirteen American colonies and Great Britain. These two comparable and contrastable events are known to have impacted the modern way of governing.

Another historic document the Founders looked to was the Magna Carta. In 1215, many of the landowning gentry of England rebelled against the unpopular King John. In order to help restore peace the rebels forced the king to sign the Magna Carta. It placed limits on the power of the English king and made Parliament the ruling body in England. The English Bill of Rights (1689) was another document the Framers looked to. It gave the citizens of England certain rights such as freedom of speech and separation of powers.

The definition of the word revolution has itself evolved significantly over the course of the American and French revolutions. Prior to the French Revolution, the word meant the process of coming a full cycle, or a return to a point previously occupied (Kirk 295). It is only after the chaotic French revolution which overturned the old political and social order in the country that “revolution” came to be known as a radical change in social and government institutions. Since we are analyzing the American Revolution from the perspective of the events of the French, it is apt to use the interpretation of the word that came into being post the French revolution.

From the point when the French revolution started to the point it got frozen in 1795 (9 Thermidor), it was not just influencing the entire French community but also the entire Europe. The European monarchies like the Austrian monarchy hated the idea of a revolution. If the same would have happened in their empire, they would lose their power over the whole state. The Austrians were not only once influenced by the actions of the Third Estate in France. Prussia and Russia were on the same side as Austria and there was also Britain which hated France because they were helping the Americans to get away from the Britain rule and become independent.

Such as the Magna Carta, this had placed limits on the power of the British monarch. England’s Parliament emerged as a force that the king had to depend on to pay for wars and to finance the royal government. Like the Parliament, the assemblies that developed in the Thirteen Colonies controlled their colony’s funds, and the assemblies had some control over colonial governors. The English Bill of Rights of 1689 provided another important model for Americans and many thought that the Constitution also needed a bill of rights. The thinkers and Framers also got many of their ideas from the European writers of the Enlightenment. James Madison and other architects of the Constitution were familiar with the work of John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu

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 city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. So for 4,000 years men and women lived under forms of government other than

Democracy began to emerge in Greece during the archaic (800-500) and classic (500-323) period, and it has expanded through the country over time . Greeks came up with the idea of democracy through discussions among citizens and with the majority voting; this was called direct democracy as everyone could debate and vote in one place to determine new policy for the country. During this period, only men were allowed to vote and give their opinions, others were not allowed to participate in government’s decisions . However, over time, the democratic government in Greece changed to be more open for every citizen. The poor, men and women, had the same rights, and equal share of power.