Similarities and Differences of the French and American Revolutions

...

previously could not acquire. Having the French’s anger and ambition greatly helped the colonists thrive to push on and fight. Finally on October 19, 1781 American colonists, with the help of the French, forced British soldiers to surrender at Yorktown (Encyclopedia). This surrender was seen as one of the last battles of the American Revolution. When the colonists finally defeated the British, with the help of the French, it was a freedom that was fought viciously for by both the people and their outstanding general.

The American Revolution and French Revolution both had stemming ideas from the Enlightenment period, and the similarity of common people fighting a bankrupt monarchy . The Enlightenment, most identified with its role in politics, encouraged the French Revolution and the American Revolutions (Standford Encyclopedia). Because of the Enlightenment ideas of freedom and questioning the world around you, it allowed for the people to realize how unfair monarchical government they were in. The ideas of natural rights that stem out of the Enlightenment period were what drove the American people to rebel against Britain, and with their victory it inspired the French. “On June 17, 1789, after a conflict over whether or not deliberations should take place by Estate or as one common body and over whether or not votes should be cast by Estate or by each member individually, the Third Estate separated itself from the other two, declared itself the National Assembly . . . “ (DigitalHistory). The Third , or the common class, felt their misrepresentation within the government structure and decided to separate themselves. The separation was the beginning of the people’s alliance to begin the revolution. “What then must our situation be, or what the state of our trade, when oppressed with such a burden of annual expense! When every article of commerce, every necessary of life, together with our lands, must be heavily taxed to defray that expense” (Inglis)! The economy in both Great Britain and France had been suffering before the revolutions occurred, so they heavily taxed their peoples. In Britain the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Act severely angered the people because they did not have any say to the laws made. In France the common people were affected by feudalism, and had no voice in the government. But another key similarity to look at is the common people fighting against their oppressive bankrupt monarchies. When talking about the causes of the French Revolution Dr.Schwartz writes, “Economic hardship, especially the agrarian crisis of 1788-89 generates popular discontent and disorder from the food shortage” (Schwartz). Many factors lead to a poor economy of France such as the agrarian crisis and its expensive help in the American Revolution. The bankruptcy of the governments was a further cause to take from the people to help the themselves, leading the people to further in debt. In America acts such as the Stamp Act, the Sugar Act, and the Townshend Act were all to generate money to help Great Britain in their economy. The people who would be most affected by the taxes, in both France and America, are the lower and middle classes who already did not have much to support their families. Having the ability to know of ideas stemming from the Enlightenment era led the common people having the courage to revolt against their governments, when they felt their rights being violated.

The French Revolution and the American Revolution, although very similar, had two key differences: France’s reforms on internal force,while America was trying to have independence from an the external force, Great Britain, and the social versus political outcomes of the two revolutions. Sean Busick, professor at Athens State University, wrote, “The slogan ‘no taxation without representation’ aptly summed up one of their chief complaints. . . . Americans fought for tangible goals . . . Ours was a revolution more about home rule than about who should rule at home” (Busick). In America we fought against the outside force of Britain. America no longer wanted tithes with Great Britain, because they were ready to be independent and for the colonies to be able to run themselves. The American Revolution was fought between the colonies versus Great Britain; however the French Revolution was fought between the lower class and King Louis XVI. The lower class of France felt unjustly treated in all senses and fought for a new type of government, that would give equality to all individuals. The French fought for ‘sisyphean’ goals, whereas the Americans fought for goals that could be obtained (Busick). The structure for the Americans had already had freedom, in the sense that the French wanted, America wanted protection of natural rights, that Britain could not give them. The goal France had was also to obtain the protection of natural rights, but they also highly wanted the freedom of equality. The French idea of equality is quite different than Americans, according to Kim R. Holmes Ph.D, “Since freedom is collective-an expression of the general will-and it is not individually determined, then naturally its truest expression is equality of the masses. You can be truly free only if you are in sync with the general will” (Holmes). The need of unity throughout France, much different than the needs of America, is something very unlikely to be achieved. “A number of detailed studies of segments and aspects of the political life in virtually every colony as well as many of the concrete social changes emphasized by Jameson seemed to indicate that, far from being similar to the French Revolution, the American Revolution was a peculiarly American event in which there had been remarkably little social discontent expressed, no real social upheaval, and relatively few changes in the existing American social structure” (Greene 4). American colonists tended to be middle class and professionals like lawyers, who felt their rights had been violated. France was a nation filled with poverty, the people wanted more of a radical. And a social change is more so what the French ended with, somewhat better conditions for the peasants and their land. America ended with separation from Great Britain, a political outcome, but within the colonies had very little social change.

The ability of the people of the French Revolution and the American Revolution to utilize the Enlightenment ideas was a key to future people’s courage and need for democracy. However the people in France did not win the battle in full, their use of utter violence and will power was able to drive them a long way in starting to change their country. The American revolution had a cunning leader, General George Washington who was able to keep up the spirits of his people, and to surprise his enemy. With the patriotism