What Was Revolutionary About the French 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.

Revolution is a term meaning, a coercive overthrow of government or social order in favor of a new system. Carl N. Degler focuses on the events that occurred before the American Revolution. Before the American Revolution, colonial Americans were already evolving into their own system, without really knowing how great of a gap they were widening between themselves and Britain. America had already experienced multiple revolutions before achieving victory during the Revolutionary War. American colonists grew to be revolutionists that changed the norm for the time period.

The People of France in the last part of the 18th century were experiencing severe food shortages, increasing the cost of living, and political leaders who were doing very little to fix the state of chaos in which most people found themselves. In both rural and

A revolution is not an event that comes around every few years. In fact, for an event to be considered a revolution that event must bring about significant political, social, ideological, religious or even technological change. Throughout history there have been some very noteworthy revolutions such as the Agricultural Revolution, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution. Of all the revolutions in history, it is perhaps the French Revolution that remains the most romanticized in the minds of the people. The French Revolution was, at its core, a revolution of the masses, for the masses. It was a long, violent affair, lasting from 1787 to 1799. Like most periods of historical importance, the French Revolution was not caused by a single, specific event in history. It was rather the result of the accumulation of many events spread all through the 18th century. Some of the most important causes of the French Revolution were the economic crisis, the rising tensions between the social classes, the shortcoming of the rule of Louis XVI, and the Age of Enlightenment.

Many historians throughout the history of our young nation have debated whether to characterize the American Revolution as radical or conservative, and the argument still continues to this day. Both arguments have points that are valid and convincing. The book the radicalism of the American Revolution written by Gordon wood, and the book the ideological origins of the American Revolution by Bernard bailyn are two examples of this argument. Gordon wood argues that the American Revolution was much more than a fight for American independence, but rather a radical sudden move that not only changed the political ideology of the colonies, but that also had a great social impact on how people lived and thought of themselves as members of society and where the entire way of life and society were changed

By definition, a revolution is the overthrow of a suppressive government in favor of a new government, but it is also defined as a large change in society, or how it works. After the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, European Nations competed in a race against one another to claim pieces of the new land. Before Columbus found this land, the sea separating the New World from Europe seemed endless. The Europeans were only interested in the land to the East. But with the New World there was so much to explore. The Europeans tossed aside their old toy to go play with a new one. During this time period of conquest throughout the New World it became known as the Age of Exploration. A New World meant more land, which meant places to build homes and plant crops, and more money to be earned by buying out new houses and selling new crops grown in foreign soil. These times of change are known as the American Revolution.

Opposing historians argue that the American Revolution is classified as a contradiction to the true qualities of a revolution. Interpreted from the class lecture regarding the AR , a revolution consist of, but is not limited to the following: Complete social reorganization such that the bottom and top of society assume their opposing position, must enact the societal transformation, and the struggle of a revolution must be bloody, gruesome, and vicious. It is assumed that the abundance of the aforementioned qualities culminate to a Revolution. A revolution is synonymous to a mutiny, revolt, or uprising; historians further argue the AR lacks such revolutionary elements. Examples of a revival of this magnitude are those

Sam Gazi October 9th, 2017 Mr. Payne U.S. History How Revolutionary Was The American Revolution? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines revolution as “a sudden, radical, or complete change.”

Another article in the declaration states that the people should be given the natural rights that John Locke had believed in during the Age of Enlightenment and was also given to the Americans (document 5). The members of the National Assembly had watched the success that America had after their revolution and modeled their declaration after the American’s to help earn freedom in France. Their revolution will also serve as a precedent for the countries that will also have a revolution in the

French Revolution: Final Essay The French Revolution accomplished many things. The clergy and nobility began to struggle to keep their power in the resolutions losing some authority over the people. The peasants and san culottes got more rights in the first revolution but they did not get any political power.

The American Revolution was tremendously revolutionary in the sense that it completely changed the culture and way of thinking of the American people. The changes occurred in the way of thinking, religion, feelings about slavery, and the country itself. Although the American Revolution technically ended in 1783, there was a social and political revolution occurring for a long period afterward. After the Revolution, Americans shifted from a British colonist way of thought to a purely American one. This change shaped America and made it what it is today.

France’s, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, played an integral role in the development of democracy and the pursuit of liberty throughout Europe. This document was written and introduced by General Lafayette as a result of the French Revolution. The French Constituent Assembly passed it in August of 1789. Influenced by Thomas Jefferson, the American Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, and the ideas of the Enlightenment philosophers, the document reiterates the values of the French Revolution. Declaring that the rights of man should be universal and remain valid no matter the time or place. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was a very purposeful document expressing many of the ideas of the French Revolution and the Declaration of Independence.

Revolutionary, a word used from advertisements for amazing products to people that are idolized amongst society. Doing the thing that most would not dare. A great

8. The documents of the National Assembly were the August Decree, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, and the Constitution of 1791.The Enlightenment ideas are reflected in each one like in the August Decree, the National Assembly revokes the nobility’s privileges and serfdom over the peasants in which they violated their natural rights of especially liberty by John Locke as well as the economic ideas of Adam Smith of abolishing guilds. The freeing of the serfs reflected Diderot’s ideas. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen reflects the Enlightenment ideas of the government protecting the people’s natural rights of life,

During the eighteenth century there was one central political cause for the French Revolution. King Louis XVI was a weak ruler who endured a lavish lifestyle. He disregarded the people’s needs, leaving much of the French population in discontent. Prior to the revolution the form of government was Absolute monarchy led by Louis XVI. The problem with absolute monarchy was that people were denied basic rights, and a say in government because the divine right theory was abused. The King ruled by the divine right of theory which