Analyzing the post-revolutionary governments of America and France will prove that the French Revolution was far more revolutionary than the American Revolution, due to the radical change that took place, the type of government implemented after, as well as the Napoleonic Code brought forth by Napoleon Bonaparte. To begin, the French Revolution involved radical change in a radical manner, both traits which the American Revolution lacked. A revolution is defined as a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, usually occurring with violence. The American Revolution does not appear to resemble the revolutions of other nations, in which people were killed and property was destroyed. They revolted relatively peacefully and did not kill each other or devour themselves. (Wood, 3) The French Revolution had a period of time in which all people who were considered ‘enemies of the state’ were arbitrarily arrested and at least 17,000 were officially executed. (“The French Revolution,” 20) The American Revolution had no mass executions; there was a minimal amount of deat...
In chapter eleven, The Age of Democratic Revolutions: The North Atlantic World “Turn Upside Down”, Wells discusses the American and French Revolutions. Both of these revolutions shook the world and turn the world around. After the Enlightenment, there were many revolutions across Europe; however, the American and French Revolution had more power in them to change the world. Because of the books, pamphlets, and sermons, the idea of rationalism moved from philosophes to many of other people. With these new ideas, the people started to believe in change which led to stress and upheaval. In America, the revolution was not like other revolutions. There was no reigns of terror, no mass deportations, or forced labor camps. However, the American
...on, Enlightenment ideas permeated the politics, economics, and religion of the French Revolution and the American Revolution. While both show several similarities, they predominantly differ on most things. Politically, American conservatives respected the individual and property rights of a citizen, while French politics respected the individual rights, took property rights in some cases, and used terror to influence people. Economically, the American free market idea left the economy alone, while the French input socialist ideas such as price ceilings. Religiously, the America closely associated itself with religion in the revolution, while the French public mostly despised the church.
“If we measure the radicalism of revolutions by the degree of social misery or economic deprivation suffered, or by the number of people killed or manor houses burned, then this conventional emphasis on the conservatism of the American Revolution becomes true enough. B...
In comparing and contrasting the French and American Revolutions, are notable differences but there are similarities as well. Of course, each was fought for a different cause. The American Revolution was a break from the mother country, Great Britain. It was a matter of independence as an individual state, prompted in part by unfair taxation and religion. The Revolution involved a series of colonies, rising up against an oppressor, with the help of the French by economic and military support. In some ways, this was similar to the French uprising, but of course, the French rose up against their own government after assisting America with ours. It was not a colonial state. Rather, the French government didn’t establish a democracy but instead, called it Constitutional Monarchy where the king has to obey the laws set by the parliament.
The Radical Period of The French Revolution By the end of 1971, Europe was preparing to witness the end of a seemingly triumphant revolution in France. The country was restructuring its government in a forceful and bloodless manner, while the tyrant King Louis the XVI agreed to the demands of the masses (albeit without much choice). However, due to the fanatical aspirations of men such as Danton, Marat and Robespierre,it would be only a matter of months before the moderate stage of social and political reform was transformed into a radical phase of barbaric and violent force. In their quest for freedom, equality and fraternity, the leaders of the Jacobins inadvertently turned the revolution into an oligarchic dictatorship that threatened to destroy all that was achieved in the previous two years of insurrection.
The French and American Revolutions were derived amongst similar motivations to better their governments. However, they differ on other levels based on their actions and outcomes. The American and French revolutions both wanted its citizens to be viewed as equals, just as well as allow them to have some natural rights. Sovereignty however is, viewed differently by the two parties. The core reason for each revolution differs, but they both have the same ending results of a declarations document. Both documents are composed based off enlightenment thinkers John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government and Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract. The Declaration of Independence was mostly Locke’s theory. While the Declaration of the Rights of Man favored both theories.
French and Russian Revolutions Both the French and Russian revolutions occurred for two main reasons. Both of these revolutions were the direct result of bad leadership and a bad economy. These two reasons, along with other factors, caused both of these revolutions. Although they were both similar, they also had differences. A difference between the two is that the Russians had an unsuccessful "pre-revolution" in 1905.
Revolutions are usually associated with change. Although change is monumental and significant, the way change happens and why it happens are more important things to consider. Looking at two specific revolutions in history, the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution, there are two major leaders who greatly stand out. In these two primary sources they share their goals, characterization of democracy, and opinions of violence in their movements that greatly influenced change. The French Revolution lasted from 1789 to 1799 and had a main goal of decreasing powerful monarchs and increasing democracies and nationalism. The Russian revolution in this primary source took place in 1917 and had a goal to get rid of Bourgeoisie power and ultimately create a communist Soviet Union.
Gordon S. Wood, in The Radicalism of the American Revolution, discusses what it means to be truly revolutionary. In this work, Wood shares his thoughts on the Revolutionary War and whether or not it was a movement radical enough to be considered an honest revolution. Wood discusses the reasoning behind the views of those in favor of the war being considered radical, as well as the views of those who believe the American Revolution to be unfortunately misnamed. He claims that “the Revolution was the most radical and most far- reaching event in American history.” Wood’s work is a valuable source for those studying the revolution because it redefines what it means to be radical, but the piece is also limited by the lack of primary information
Finally, the biggest contrast between the American and French Revolution was the difference in the outcomes of the two. The American Revolution brought liberty and justice for all. It created the first Republic since Rome. The French rev...
The revolution resulted, among other things, in the overthrow of the Bourbon monarchy in France and in the establishment of the First Republic. It was generated by a vast complex of causes, the most important of which were the inability of the ruling classes of nobility, clergy, and bourgeoisie to come to grips with the problems of state, the indecisive nature of the monarch, impoverishment of the workers, the intellectual ferment of the Age of Enlightenment, and the example of the American Revolution. Recent scholarship tends to downplay the social class struggle and emphasize political, cultural, ideological, and personality factors in the advent and unfolding of the conflict. The Revolution itself produced an equally vast complex of consequences.
The French Revolution, a revolutionary uprising to overthrow the French monarchy and establish a democratic France, began in 1789 and arguably ended in 1799. However the ‘Reign of Terror’ only lasted from September 1793 until the end of July 1794. During this ten month long period, the National Convention and the Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximillien Robespierre and the Revolutionary group the Jacobins, brought about tremendous change to France and the Revolution. Many historians argue that Robespierre was a “blood thirsty tyrant” who excessively used the guillotine to kill 17’000 political “suspects” who were deemed counter-revolutionary. However during his time in power Robespierre and the Jacobin Republic ended widespread internal revolt, pushed back the invading Prussian and Austrian armies and established a French national army three times as large as ever before, and at half the cost (Hobsbawm, 1962, pg. 68). Robespierre and the Jacobin dominated Committee did cite violence as a necessary measure to establish their goals, and maintain the initial revolutionary ideals of equality, liberty and a fair French society. However they did justice to their violence by bringing about positive change to France and the
Executions, the Guillotine and the French Revolution) A number of people arrested and killed are a good representation of the type of leadership during the french revolution and how they tortured and killed their own people. This is way different from the Mexican revolution because in Mexico did not go to the extreme. This is not the only difference between the
"Revolutions are the locomotives of history". (Marx, F). The American and the French Revolution were both a fight for independence. The American Revolution took place between 1765-1783. While the French Revolution started in 1787 and ended in 1799. One common factor that both of the revolutions shared was that an exceptionally large amount of people died. In the American Revolution a total of 217,000 died. While in the French Revolution 40,000 were executed. The French Revolution was inspired by and happened after the American Revolution. While the causes of the French and the American Revolutions were in many ways similar, the events and results followed very different paths.
A guillotine falls, and royal blood is spilled. Streets smolder as the citizens burn the palaces and castles to a crisp. Kings and Queen shriek in horror as their subjects drag them into the open to be beaten. This is the traditional scene of revolution. The American Revolution challenged these scenes, radically changing the paradigms of their society yet not stepping foot upon the King’s soil.