French And American Revolutions example essay topic

"The first duty of society is to give each of its members the possibility of fulfilling his destiny. When it becomes incapable of performing this duty it must be transformed". This quote by Alexis Carrel explains the reasoning behind the French and American Revolution. Although the revolutions have some differences, they have many similarities. The American Revolution had differences from French Revolution.

For instance, colonists loved the Americas. They grew tobacco and corn and lived wonderful lives. However, soon that ended, because after the French and Indian War, the King hit the colonists with taxes like a ton of bricks. The King of England wanted more money from the colonists, but they did not want to give it. This is where all the trouble began (Morris and Morris 79-135). With the debts the King had to pay, he decided to put "Acts" on the colonists.

These acts made it so that the colonists had to do things a particular way to pay taxes. For example, the Stamp Act was put upon the colonists. This act made it so that every document from a newspaper to a letter had to have the official stamp on it. These emblems cost money so every piece of paper cost more money than what it did before the act (Beck and Black 183-184).

The colonists decided that they wanted no more allegiance with Britain, so they wrote the Declaration of Independence. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and it stated what the colonists wanted and the abuses that King George was putting on them. The people wanted to be in their own country, not Britain's (Beck and Black 184-185). During the revolution, the colonists beat Britain and they started the creation of America.

This "America" was exactly what they wanted. The government was great and the people had the rights they wanted and deserved. The revolution was a step forward for the colonists and America because they got what they wanted in the end. The French Revolution was very different from the American Revolution.

Unlike the American Revolution, the people of France had been waiting for a change in their government for a long time. Finally it just got to be too much and the Third Estate rebelled. From then on, it was like a snowball going down a hill. It just got worse and worse (Hirst). France wanted to stay France even after the revolution.

The revolution was about a change in government. Contrasting to the American Revolution, people still pledged allegiance to France. During the actual revolution, the French received no help from any other country. During the American Revolution, France helped the colonists defeat the British. After the French Revolution, the people of France didn't get the ending they hoped for. The Reign of Terror occurred right after the revolution and caused a dictator to take over France (Hirst).

They climbed out of a hole just to fall right back into one. The revolution France started didn't have a positive effect on the people. Although the French and American Revolutions have some differences, there are numerous similarities. For instance, the two countries wanted to get away from monarchy. King George of Britain and King Louis XVI of France were the rulers at the time. The citizens of both countries wanted to overthrow them.

Enlightenment ideas also influenced the citizens of both revolutions. John Locke and other enlightenment figures affected the American and French Revolution (Beck and Black 184). In both of the revolutions, taxes were an issue. The colonists were being taxed for a war they did not fight and the Third Estate was being taxed too much (Morris and Morris 79-135).

In the end, the citizens of the colonies and France wanted the same thing. They both wanted a republic to take the place of the monarchy that they had at the time. During the revolutions themselves, the people of both countries had groups that made decisions for them. For the colonies, the Continental Congress was created to represent them (Morris and Morris 79-135). For the Third Estate, the National Assembly was assembled to make decisions for them.

The revolutions also had initial fights within them that jump started the revolution. For example, in the American Revolution, the Boston Massacre occurred and after that, the revolution really started. In the French Revolution, the Storming of the Bastille really started the revolution (Hirst). As you can see, the American and French Revolutions had very many similarities.

In life, some things need to be changed. Things may need to be thrown out or they may just need to be adjusted. In a revolution, the citizens are just telling their leader that there has to be a change. The French and American Revolutions are prime examples of this.

These revolutions are different, yet very similar. Although the colonists wanted to break away from Britain and the Third Estate wanted to still be French after the revolution, they both had the same goals. They both wanted to get away from monarchy and establish a republic. The people wanted to transform their government and lifestyle. There is no escaping revolution. It is human nature to want change, good or bad.