Difference between French and American Revolutions?

Answer 1

In America the main revolutionaries were from the landowning class. In France the main revolutionary figures were against the landowning class - ie: the aristocracy.

The American Revolution was essentially an anti-colonial, liberation movement.

The French Revolution was a more thorough social, political and economic revolution.

Answer 2

French And American War

Answer 3

So far Shevek's answer is the most accurate. To elaborate on a few things mentioned and get out of your head some of these awful answers, the main differences are as follows:

First of all the American revolution was not a revolution and should be seen and talked about as the war of American Independence. The American colonies were founded by many people who had left their home countries to start fresh in the first place. So at some point they decided that enough was enough and that they wouldnt take orders from the King in England anymore. They wished to be independent. The colonists were not really into democracy or freedom for all but rather freedom from England.

In France, the situation was trully a revolution. For centuries the peasants had been living under the thumb of the nobility, clergy and of course the King. The 3rd estate, as the peasants and lower middle class were known ( 1st estate is nobility, 2nd is Clergy) decided that it was time for them to have a say in their own future. This was unheard of at the time and one of the main reasons why it was so important. Democracy in Europe has its roots in their debate. The motto of the revolution was "Freedom, Equality, Fraternity". People went crazy for a little while with different people trying to get a handle on security and democracy while the old nobility shook in its boots and fled to other nations.

This is a generalized answer but as you can see they are quite different. You should definately see the American one as an independence movement. The French one as a social revolution that aimed to change the course of a 1000 years of European social system.

Answer 4

Both of these countries fought under the banner of liberty, but their circumstances and reasons for revolting against their sovereigns are quite different. The Americans were oppressed with taxes and weren't given proper representation in the government. To add to that English soldiers were quartered into private homes during the French and Indian war. Here is an interesting quote about the American Revolution that, in order to understand it, we have to take into consideration: "What finally emerged as the constitution of the United States nevertheless reflected in good measure the shared experience of men who had grown up in a colonial America that was predominantly English in origen, and who had finally rebelled against English sovereignty when that seemed to be the only way to preserve the freedom that they had come to expect as part of their English heritage." ~Robert A. Diamond As for the French however, they also suffered under an oppressive government as well, the reign of Louis the XVI. Debt had built up from the the wars of previous Kings such as Louis XIV and XV, leaving France by the end of the eighteenth century was left pretty much bankrupt. Louis's selfish spending left the country's lower class poor as dirt, Gan's to add to that, no representation. The king called for an Estates General (France's nation council that hadn't meet in a hundred years) to solve the dilemma of France's poor. An uprising insued when the meeting was called off and they Estates General pledged to overthrow the king's horrible reign.

Answer 5

The French Revolution happened because of the lack of food and money, the money was used up mostly in the French help in the American Revolution. The French were tired of their monarchy and over threw it.

As for the American Revolution, it was a war for independence for a "foreign power". They felt even though they were a British colony, they should still be able to have a say in the matters that governed them like taxes, laws, a military policy.

In conclusion, one of the main differences was that the French overthrew their government, and the American's formed a sperate one.

Answer 6

France rebelled against their OWN monarchy whereas the Colonies rebelled against their parent nation.

France's revolution ended in Napoleon's military dictatorship whereas the US became a democratic republic and drafted a constitution (eventually).

They both have different nuances in their causes as well as how they were carried out (riots vs. a war)

Answer 7

1. Different Countries ( One happened in France & other one in America )
2. Different Reasons ( Rebellion against govt of own country Vs Rebellion against the govt of a different ruling country)
3. Different effects ( French landed with Dictatorship and Americans settelled for Democracy)

Answer 8

french revolution was a lot more violent and it was to overthrow the govn. used terrorism to get what they wanted. mainly run my the lower class

american revolution run by the upper classes. point was to separate from England, not to overthrow english govn. not as violent as french revo.

Answer 9

The French was a bit more radical than the American. American did not have the whole Robespierre's thing

Answer 10

i believe the two differences is that we didn't kill the king of England or any aristocratic people. they did it to a little extreme if you ask me. and the gluten was not a great way to die, there has been proof that your still some what conscious when your head is chopped off. you cant see but you can still hear whats going on. creepy.