Question

The French Revolution began less than two decades after the American Revolution. In many ways, the American experience was an inspiration for the citizens of France. But the people of the two countries had different situations and had different concerns, which influenced the way each revolution began, progressed, and ended. In this assignment you will write an essay that compares and contrasts the two revolutions.
In your essay, include information on the economic, political, or social conditions that were present; events that took place as each revolution progressed; and the final outcome of each. Did the people achieve their original goals? Did their goals change? Were they satisfied with the outcome or did conditions worsen?
To begin, consider the characteristics of each country, such as the following:
• The status of ordinary citizens before the revolution
• The type of government in place
• The ability of the citizens to participate in their governance
• The people who stepped forward as leaders
• The taxes, laws, or social structure in place at the time
• The outcome of the revolution compared to its original goals

Answer 1

Some of the similarities between the two revolutions were:

• Both revolutions began due to the ideas of Enlightenment.
• Many of their objectives were similar: freedom, equality, the end of tyranny, the rule of law, etc.
• Both desired a republican, democratic government.
• Both inspired many political changes across the world.

However, they were also significantly different:

• The United States was fighting against a different country (England), while France engaged in a civil war. This led to deeper divisions within French society.
• The United States already had a more egalitarian system, while French social classes were extremely rigid. Therefore, long-lasting change was more difficult to achieve.
• The United States was successful in remaining democratic and republican, while France struggled with various regime changes.
• The post-war period was relatively peaceful in America, while it was extremely bloody and violent in France.