Transformation of the West

This event shows how corrupt and money hungry the government had become, by letting anyone get high up in the political chain just by feeding the gluttonous king. The next king, Louis XVI saw that the majority of France (75%) was peasants and serfs. Consequently, to try to ensure their happiness (and prevent the Revolution), he had the Estates-General abolish the feudal system, in which they held no ranking.4 This made the nobility extremely unhappy. With no feudal system, they no longer were much higher up politicly than the commoners. The next noble atrocity came with Louis XVI making the nobles pay taxes.

In backlash, Charles I dissolved the Parliament and assembled another, which unfortunately for him, created the Petition of Rights that he was forced to sign2. The Petition of Rights “sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing”3, which includes restrictions on taxation without P... ... middle of paper ... ... American Revolution. Ultimately, the United States Bill of Rights along with the American Declaration of Independence, among the leading examples of modern democracy, were heavily influenced by the Age of Enlightenment as reformers like Jefferson understood that cyclic destruction of social oppression. In conclusion, misuse of absolute monarchy leads to vicious cycles. Even though monarchs have argued for social benefits, they fail to meet with expectations of commoners.

The American Revolution was brought by a number of different things. The political rule of Britain was tyrannical and unacceptable for the colonists. Also, the French and Indian War shaped how the American Revelation came to a start. The War influenced how the colonists felt about taxation. It is relevant that the American Revolution was caused by the unique nature of the American Colonists and their society in contrast to their relationships with the English Government.

Enlightenment writers and philosophers would question the old order and write about new political systems and a society where everyone would have equal amounts of power. Because of this, ... ... middle of paper ... ... Soon, King Louis XV had bankrupted the national treasury of France and had left the country in debt. By this time, the monarchs were being frowned upon, so when France was passed onto Louis XVI, people judged him quickly and deemed him a bad king who did not know how to deal with the country’s affairs. The people of France were tired of having kings who repeatedly ignored their problems and needs and were turning against the idea of absolutism, making it one cause of the French Revolution.

Finally, it made the third estate realize how the taxation was simply greed. It made their eyes open to the fact that... ... middle of paper ... ... corruption of the government in many countries including France. It stated what was reasonably correct not just what was traditionally taught to people. It allowed the French people to gain a surfeit of power and have a say in the government. However, their work was obliterated once Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself dictator of France in 1799 (French Revolution 13).

The monarchy of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and their incompetence led to inflated prices, growing population, decreased salaries, and overall a decline in France’s money in general. In addition, Marie Antoinette’s spending on lavish yet unnecessary items set France further into debt. Anger of peasants came about because of France’s social ranks and privileges were quite unfair. For example, the second estate had no taille tax, while the third estate was the largest and possessed the highest taxes. The Enlightenment, the American Revolution of 1775 through 1783, and France’s political, social, and economic state in the years before the outbreaks of revolts, all acted as stimuli to the anger of France’s citizens.

During the late 18th century, both France and the British colonies in America experienced wars the opened the eyes of nations. The French Revolution and American Revolution drastically changed political thinking. In the French Revolution, monarchism was abandoned and political power was given to the people until the country became out of control, and a military dictatorship was necessary to regain control of France. In the American Revolution, a new nation was formed as the British colonies tore themselves away from the English monarchy. In the end, both France and the new United States of America moved away from absolute rule by a king or queen and wanted to put the political power in the hands of their people.

The American Revolution showed that they got economical and political freedom from Britain. This liberalism sparked many revolutions in Europe ,but in France the ideas of the Enlightenment and liberalism were put to their fullest test. The French people wanted rights and would later get these. Another reason was that the old regime was ineffective and it abused its power. The immediate causes of the French Revolution were that the Estate-General had to convene.

On August 26th, the Assembly drew up the Declaration of The Rights of Man and citizen. In contrast to the American Revolution, the French Revolution was more violently approached. Both the American and French revolutions ended with a victory of independence. In the American Revolution, the American colonists gained their independence from Great Britain while the French gained social equality and converted from an overpowering monarchy to a republic. They differed, however, by the means in which each set of revolutionaries went about revolting.

Indifferent rulers and overindulgent spending left France in severe debt. Civilians were starved of both food and hope, yet nobles enjoyed a pleasant lifestyle within the comfort of Versailles. Revolted by this injustice, the common people of France rebelled and fought for equality, giving birth to the French Revolution of 1789. This period is often characterized as needlessly violent, as gruesome events such as the Reign of Terror took place, in addition to many executions and riots. Despite the excessive bloodshed that dominated the era, the French Revolution’s violence was not in vain, for the legacy of the revolution has ignited scores of independence movements in its wake and inspired new ideologies that continue to shape the modern world.