Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were the products of the Enlightenment period that emphasized the idea of natural rights and equality. This movement began in France in the late 18th century and is associated with the writings of Rousseau and Voltaire. People of all classes, especially the middle and lower classes, began to use these ideas to formulate an ideology of resistance and insisted on the implementation of new measures that would guarantee the natural rights of all citizens.
These ideas shaped the American Revolution and the success of it went on to inspire the French. Each country could not have been successful without the other. The poorly equipped and trained farmer/merchant militia of the colonies got a tremendous boost from the French in the person of the Marquis de LaFayette. He brought training and munitions to the colonists and helped them in their fight against the tyranny of King George of England. The French then were inspired by the Declaration of Indepence (based primarily on the idealogies of the previously mentioned French philosophers) and wrote their own Declaration of the Rights of Man.
And both Revolutions had a basis in unfair taxation by a monarchy which was far removed from the needs of its people. In France the chasm was one of class ranking. The nobility and the Church were exempt from paying taxes. Therefore, the entire revenue system was built on taxing the already poor. In America, the chasm was one of distance with a huge resentment of a monarchy who was so far away telling the citizens of America to pay taxes which did not even benefit the colonists. There was much unrest in both countries and the wounds continued to fester.
The differences in the two revolutions spoke to the depth and anger of the citizens. The colonists were able to bring about a change with very little bloodshed considering the range of battles. The anger they felt was directed to a government that was far away from them and the men in charge of setting up the new government did so with an exchange of ideas and philosophies which most people were ready to accept.
The French, on the other hand, had been under the rule of a hereditary monarchy for their entire existence. While the new philosophies held great hope for them, they were so downtrodden; many of them without food and in a country in bankruptcy, that the anger was so much deeper than that of the colonists. Inspired initially by the great thinkers of Brissot and Robespierre, they were driven by a desire of freedom. But no one knew what that looked like and things quickly got bloody.
We celebrate the Fourth of July as that is the date in 1776 that the Continental Congress signed that incredible document that we call the Declaration of Independence. The French celebrate Bastille Day because on the 14th of July in 1789, the king's prison - the Bastille - was attacked by the citizens and those inside were freed. It doesn't sound like much and there was only a handful of prisoners, but it was symbolic of the times they were a'changin'. The will of the people was being forced upon the nobility. And then it took a very bloody turn with the guillotines executing thousands, including the intellectuals who had helped get the revolutionary ball rolling. (no pun intended regarding the heads that rolled!)
The French Revolution offered the world something totally novel: an ideology that allowed and encouraged the questioning of historic power structures. And so at the end of the 1700s and into the beginning of the 1800s Europe would see many revolutions taking place leading up to World War I.
Both revolutions created ripe conditions for constitutionalism and deep patriotism. The United States is an example of how a country can survive such a war and come out with strong leaders and a democratic government that was successful. France, on the other hand, had many struggles trying to figure out just what it meant to self-govern. It would not be until after World War II that the Republic of France would have a stable and well-functioning government.
So, there you have it! A short "revolutionary" history lesson as we begin the month of July. I love this month with Wimbledon and the Tour de France and women's World Cup soccer and other international sporting events. It shows what can happen when countries work together and appreciate each other - not just for our similarities but also for our differences. What a wonderful world we live in!
Thank you for reading this post. It's a little different than most that I have written. I felt inspired to write about the two revolutions. Independence Day and Bastille Day are so much more than fireworks, picnics, parades, etc. Let us be proud of our heritage and how we got to where we are today, by the thoughts and writings of great men who got everything started and those who were willing to fight to bring us a democratic republic that, even with all of her faults, seems to work pretty well. Vive l'Amerique et la France!
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