The eighteenth century was marked by revolutionary movements, which fought to expand their political rights under the influence of Enlightenment ideas. During 1765-1783, the American Revolution took place, and a little later, in 1789-1799 – the French. During both revolutions, citizens fought for their freedom against the full power of the monarchs. Having similar features and intentions, both revolutions nevertheless followed different paths and led to radically different results.
Both the colonists under the British Crown rule and the French ruled by king Louis XVI opposed the monarchs’ power and their cruel taxation. Moreover, the interests of the people were underrepresented in the government in both cases. In particular, experiencing financial difficulties after the war, the British Empire wanted to introduce additional taxes in the colonies. As a result, the colonies demanded their representatives in parliament, where they could influence such decisions. There were boycotts and attacks, among which the most famous was the Boston Tea Party of 1773 in response to tea taxes.
In turn, in France, which was also experiencing financial difficulties, Louis XVI, in an attempt to introduce new taxes, called Estates General. Three main classes (estates) – clergy, nobles, and the rest of the population, were supposed to help legalize taxes. Although the third class in the country, and their representatives in Estates General, were much larger, only one vote was considered from each of the Estates. Thus, in both cases, citizens sought to change subordinate positions and achieve social justice.
The revolution leaders, among their intentions and goals, proclaimed equality, the protection of rights, and establishing a government by agreement with the people. The Americans created Continental Congress and expressed their aspirations in the Declaration of Independence of 1776, which significantly reflected the Enlightenment ideas, notably the philosopher John Locke (Bentley et al., 2014). In France, the Third Estate created the National Assembly and adopted its Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. However, actual adherence to the proclaimed values is very different in the two revolutions.
The colonies came to independence – they adopted their laws, more effectively than imperial ones, and Britain’s influence gradually decreased. Moreover, European countries wishing to get rid of British domination supported the colonists. Finally, having won the revolution, the new democratic state truly established freedom and equality corresponding to the understanding of that time. In France, nobles tried to leave the king’s rule and sought support from Europeans, which led to the revolutionaries declaring war on several countries. The political direction of the revolution changed several times – from the constitutional monarchy to the republic. The most significant chaos was created by Jacobins promoting the cult of reason, and strange changes, like the number of days per week. They sent even supporters of the revolution to the execution, which led to the emergence of a conservative Directory, which could not solve France’s problems. Finally, having staged a coup, Napoleon Bonaparte came to power, and a new era of dictatorship began.
Thus, the American Revolution and the French Revolution in the eighteenth century have both similarities and differences. They began as a struggle for freedom and equality, as a confrontation with monarchies. However, the French revolutionaries did not have enough self-government experience – the instability and cruelty of the new regime led to a new coup and another dictator. In America, in turn, a new independent republic was formed, which only strengthened over time.
Reference
Bentley, J. H., Ziegler, H. F., & Streets-Salter, H. (2014). Traditions & encounters: A global perspective on the past. McGraw-Hill Education.