Both wars were initiated by injustices of monarchies and inspired by Enlightenment ideas, and the French Revolution was largely inspired by the American Revolution. The French and American revolutions are often remembered by the exercise of thought of the Enlightenment. Such illuminist values guaranteed the right of men to life, liberty, the conquest of happiness, private property, self-government, free expression, and all men were equal. It also affirmed that the state should guarantee these rights to its citizens. The Enlightenment also brought important concepts like universal suffrage and the division of powers and also brought concepts about commercial freedom and ended any trace of feudalism. It is definitely clear the importance that the American revolution has for the French Revolution, being that one of the bases, an example of model to be followed. The liberal values organized in the American colonies even before separating from British power, and later on, in the declaration of human rights and in its Declaration of Independence were a framework to which revolutionary France and the French revolutionary philosophers were inspired by their declaration of the rights of man and of the …show more content…
I will start saying that the American revolution was a revolt of the colonies against a foreign king, while the French revolution was a revolt of the lower classes within its own country. Also, France was a well-established nation before the revolution. It faced no major external danger in the late 1780s. The American Revolution was characterized by a fight for the independence of another nation and the creation of an identity. Social equality was not the main concern of the American revolution. Slavery was abolished but this did not drastically influence the social stratification of American society. In France, the social structure was formed by three traditional classes: clergy, nobility and the others. The revolution transformed all of them. The end of the privileges based on the social origin was the main objective of the French revolution. The American patriots did not intend to break with the English Church, but the American revolution was not moved by the religious purpose. The French revolution was moved by religious purpose and achieved most of its goals. One of them was the elimination of the privileges of the