American and French Revolutions: A Comparative Study

Posted on Feb 13, 2025 in History

1. The American Revolution

The American Revolution, the first revolution where liberalism was implemented, led to the birth of the United States.

The American Revolution was a conflict between the settlers of New England and Great Britain, culminating in the independence of the former.
The settlers developed their own economic system and began to see the metropolis as an obstacle to their development.
The colonies were governed by the Colonial Pact, which granted autonomy to the settlers.
There were some assemblies that could collect a portion of the taxes, which eventually generated the conflict over taxation.
King George III attempted to establish several laws to regulate colonial taxes (Sugar Acts), but the colonies protested and boycotted British products.
The British government established the Tea Acts, intended to monopolize the tea trade, which threatened to ruin American merchants. Colonists disguised as Native Americans attacked British ships laden with tea in Boston Harbor (Boston Tea Party).

Representatives of the Thirteen Colonies met in Philadelphia at the First Continental Congress, drafting a declaration of rights and initiating the first armed movements.
Thomas Jefferson, the ideological architect of the American Revolution, drafted the Declaration of Rights of Virginia, which established the principles of national sovereignty, separation of powers, and suffrage. It served as the basis for the United States Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776).
The settlers benefited from military aid from France and Spain, who aimed to weaken Great Britain.
Victories at Saratoga and Yorktown were instrumental in the signing of the Peace of Versailles, in which Great Britain recognized the independence of the USA.

The Constitution of 1787 established a new political order.
The U.S. adopted a federal structure.
The President held executive power and was elected every four years by indirect suffrage. George Washington was the first president of the United States.
The legislature, elected by the people, resided in Congress, composed of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Judicial power rested with the courts. The Supreme Court oversaw ensuring that laws and government actions did not violate the Constitution.
The American Revolution served as a model for the French Revolution and independence movements in Latin America.

At the beginning of 1789, France was a major power under the Old Regime.
Severe problems:
- Estamental Society
- Economic crisis, particularly affecting basic products.
- Financial deficit, expenses increased due to the American War; the privileged classes did not pay taxes.
- Political crisis, King Louis XVI was losing support among the people; the image of the monarchy was deteriorating.

Between 1783 and 1788, successive finance ministers of Louis XVI tried to alleviate the economic crisis but realized that the privileged classes had to pay taxes.
The king summoned an Assembly of Notables to convince the privileged, but they refused.
The King was left with no option but to convene the Estates-General (French parliamentary body). Minister Necker doubled the number of representatives of the Third Estate in the Estates-General, in an attempt to curb the power of the privileged.
Each estate wrote “Cahiers de Doléances” (books of grievances).
The bourgeoisie organized political clubs where new ideas, such as seizing political power, were discussed. They founded newspapers to disseminate their ideas.

The Third Estate represented nearly all of France, granting them greater legitimacy. Their representatives renamed themselves the National Assembly, considering themselves uniquely legitimate to represent France.
The King and the privileged deputies attempted to expel them from the assembly hall. The deputies gathered at the Jeu de Paume (a tennis court) and vowed to remain united until they had drafted a Constitution. The National Assembly was renamed the Constituent Assembly, and the King had to accept this revolutionary situation.
Due to the increase in bread prices and rumors that the king was amassing troops in Paris, citizens stormed the Bastille (the former political prison of Louis XVI and a symbol of absolutism).