Comparison Essay

Comparing the American Revolution and the French Revolution

The causes of both revolutions were similar in that they dealt with economic hardships and desire for political influence. The main difference between the two revolutions was that the result of the American Revolution was a successful, independent republic, while the result of the French Revolution was a republic that did not solve any problems and made things worse.

Both revolutions were caused by economic crisis. After the Seven Years War, Britain was in post-war debt and levied the Stamp Act, Sugar and Molasses Act, and Tea Act on the colonies, which sparked colonial protest and boycotts and and bred dissatisfaction. The Seven Years War also caused economic debt in France. Financial aid to the American Revolution worsened the debt. When the Estates General and the monarch could not create a successful tax levy and bread prices continued to soar, the peasants and urban workers attacked the Bastille.

Another similarity was that both American and French revolutionaries wanted to improve their political status and have a more constitutional government. American colonists wanted political freedom to elected their own government instead of having a monarch rule across the Atlantic Ocean. The French third estate was unsatisfied with their little political influence despite having wealthy and intellectual members. They organized the National Assembly to protect the interests of the third estate, which was the majority of the people, against King Louis XVI. The reason why the ideas of reforming the monarchy was common among both Americans and French was because the Enlightenment brought up ways to improve the government.

Both revolutions led to ill-treatment of loyalists or monarchy supporters. When the American rebels won, they were supposed to return Loyalist land under the Treaty of Paris, but in reality, the Loyalists were so badly treated by the victorious rebels that most of them were exiled to Canada. Many members of the royalists and moderate (Girondist) groups of French society fled France or were killed by the guillotine when the Revolution entered the Reign of terror phase.

One difference was the outcome of the American Revolution created a lasting republic, while the French Revolution created a meager republic followed by a dictatorship. After the colonists won, state and federal governments were set up that had a balance of power between the executive and legislative branches. Although changes in the system occurred, the governments remained a republic. After Louis XVI was killed, the French Republic was created, but it was far from being a republic since Jacobins randomly killed anyone who they suspected as enemy of the Republic. This Republic did not solve any of the economic crisis, nor did the following Directory, which led to Napoleon establishing a military dictatorial empire.

Another difference was that the American Revolution was more organized and war-like than the radical, bloody French Revolution. The American colonists organized the Continental Army and fought with Britain until the Treaty of Paris was reached. The French Revolution began with bloody riots and eventually the Reign of Terror, which was the execution of thousands of innocent people.

The American Revolution drew supporters from other countries, while the French Revolution only made other European nations afraid and against France. Native Americans aided both the colonial and British side, and France allied with America. When the colonists won, Europeans were fascinated with and inspired by the new country. On the other hand, European countries such as Austria and Prussia threatened to stop the revolutionaries and help the French monarch when the Revolution began to get radical. The reason why other countries helped the American Revolution but not the French was that the Americans fought for the glorified idea of independence and democracy, and their methods were stately. European states were appalled at the aimless mass killing of people by the Jacobins and allied against France in case its radical methods spread to their countries.