Compare and Contrant The French and American Revoulutions - Essay Example

Considering the seniority of the American Revolution characteristics that were unique to this historical even would first be discussed. The American Revolution was the first democratic revolution of human history. America was a British colony and like other colonies of the British Empire was highly oppressed. The British formed many disgracing laws and wanted to use the American land as a supplier of resources and fund that can be used against the French. The main cause of the American Revolution was “No taxation without representation” (Danver, 145).

The Boston Tea Party acted as a catalyst to this great historical event and eminent American leaders like Washington, Jefferson, Madison and many others led from the front with their determination. Abolition of British colonial rule was the sole objective of the revolution and regarding that this revolution unlike French Revolution was directed against a foreign ruler. The American Revolution led to the establishment of the first true democratic government and a single constitution that has remained an icon to the rest of the world even today.

In contrast the French has a history of eight constitutions. Again feudal challenge has never been faced by America in order to build a new country and this is exactly opposite for France. The regime that followed the French Revolution can not be considered as modern democracy; especially the reign of Napoleon, it was a type of dictatorship never been heard of in America. Freedom, equality and economic growth have followed the American Revolution at a pace that was never heard of before and might well never be.

The French Revolution also has its share of uniqueness. Before the revolution the French government was financing the American Revolution with a hope that it might weaken their arch rival the British. Again there was fascinating stories of royal spending and both of these led to almost bankruptcy of the French government. To restore the situation the common French people who were mainly peasants were taxed at a higher rate. The king was bereft of any authority that he could tax the wealthy aristocrats.

Beside there was growing unhappiness among the common people regarding the French queen of that time Marie Antoinette. The queen was of foreign origin and was infamous for her royal spending habits that was consider as the route of all financial anarchy of that time. At that time a protest from the commons that led to the fall of Bastille (14th July, 1789) acted as a catalyst to a far bigger uprising that led to French Revolution. Unlike the American Revolution this was hugely supported by the common French people.

Ironically many leading revolutionaries who once initiated the revolution fell pray after the denouncement of the monarchy and lost their lives during the “reign of terror” (Farmer, 1). Though a reformatory process started immediately after the revolution, yet it could not be sustained. At the end unlike the American Revolution the French Revolution was unsuccessful considering the fact that it had failed to deliver political stability and peace. The main goal to end the oppression of the monarchy along with feudalism remained a distant reverie even after much bloodshed.

At most monarchy was replaced by the dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte. Though the above two paragraphs have revealed that both these revolutions have their own uniqueness and contrasts with each other, however they have many things in