Why did the American and French Revolutions have different outcomes?

Why were the results of the American and French Revolutions so different? The American Revolution took place between the years of 1765 and 1783, while the French Revolution started six years later, in 1789, and continued for roughly ten years, until 1799. The rights of all citizens, including equality for all before the law, were declared during the French Revolution, which took place between the years of 1789 and 1799. Today, it is correct to say that the American Revolution was simply an independence conflict, whereas the French Revolution was a revolt against monarchical forms of government. (Dunn 18). Also, American Revolution was fighting colonialists while French Revolution was as a result of rejecting the rule of their King, a system that has been there for a long time.

According to Susan Dunn’s Sister Revolutions, the French and American’s Revolution had different outcomes because they were fighting a different course of war. French were not happy with the rule of the King, and therefore the result of the revolution was aimed at adopting a constitution that would allow the parliament to be a more powerful body and also to establish new national identity whereas Americans’ wanted self-rule from British colonialists (Dunn 21).

Another reason why American and French Revolution had different outcome according to Susan Dunn’s Sister Revolutions, is that there was a lack of experienced leadership on the side of French people during revolution while America’s was full of scholars, political thinkers and even a more experienced legislatures that led the revolution. The quote “No Terror, Please, We’re American” Dunn p. 19 is an example of how the American Revolution were led by mature and experienced leaders. Americans’ experiences in leadership made them cautious of experiment or what was described in the book as ”lightning” and thus established a stable, workable government whereas French revolution was full of experiments or light and thus had unstable and short-term governments during the period of Revolution.

Question two

What were the immediate and long-term outcomes of the American Revolution and French Revolution?

As Susan Dunn’s Sister Revolutions: French Lightning, American Light put it, the immediate or short-term consequences of American Revolution were the formation of a new republic that represented a symbol of freedom to all the citizens of Americans from the colonialist(Dunn 22). All the American colonies also became independent countries as the British were forced to leave the colonies after the revolution, this was another immediate effect of American’s Revolution.

In comparison, the immediate impact of the French revolution was the writing of the first constitution and declaration of rights of all citizens before the law. Dissolution of the royal monarchy was also an immediate effect of French Revolution (Dunn 23). The King was hanged, and the style of ruling that was practiced by the Monarch was abolished, the national assembly was given more power in decision-making contrary to what used to be practiced by the royalty.

On the other hand, there were long-term impacts to French and American Revolutions. On the American side, it led to the creation of a more progressive government. The citizens got the freedom to vote as well as protection under the law (Dunn 25).

Similarly, the long-term effect of French Revolution was the spread of nationalism as well as the creation of democratic republic which was not there before. Even though the French revolution caused a lot of instability in government, at long last, there was an order and a republic that is today democratic was created.

Question three

What caused the differences between the two revolutions?

What caused the differences between American and French revolution is that the French Revolution was directed against the internal power of the monarch that colluded with the power of the church to enslave most of its citizens, on the other hand, American Revolution was against foreign powers who colonized them(Dunn 29). The American people revolt against taxation and locus of power. Also, the American Revolution took the path of military action whereas French revolution was based on execution of the old regimes, church, and their leaders. It was also made bloody by the display of public execution.

French people recoiled from the disruptive governance that came as a result of revolution where there was difficulty in forming a proper government after overthrowing of the Monarch, on the other hand, American never experienced such a backlash, and after the revolution, there was an order and organized government(Dunn 28). Another cause of the differences in the two revolutions was that the American Revolution was mainly organized and led by politically experienced men who have been in military combats for a long time ”political experience America’s elites had acquired in local government or the lower houses of colonial legislatures. In France’s ancien régime, by contrast, authority flowed from the court, so that when French revolutionaries came to power, they had only their own speculations to guide them” Dunn p. 21. There were also organized military wars against the British colonialists. Whereas French revolution was carried out by the general public who were inexperienced in political wars and they also lacked leadership that would give them a better direction during and after the revolution (Dunn 17). That is why there were a lot of disruption information of the government after the revolution.

Question four

What does Dunn have to say about women in both revolutions? Do you think she covers the role that women played in these revolutions appropriately? Why or why not?

According to Dunn women did not play a big role in the revolution. Mostly it was men who went to the battlefield while women sat at home taking care of children. However, I feel Dunn did not cover the role played by women in both revolutions appropriately (Dunn 24). While it was true that men went to the battlefield to fight, women gave them indirect support such as taking care of the families of which men could not have managed to go to war and take care of their family at the same time. This gave men, even more, morale to fight knowing that they are doing it for the sake of their families back at home. Also, women cooked for men and provided them with the necessary support that they needed during the battle. But some of the women were directly involved in the course of the revolution. In French Revolution, women organized some of the two most violent uprising such as the women’s match on Versailles in 1789 to force the king to give them bread (Dunn 27). This was encouraging, and men followed suit. They were received more insight on protests and thus gained the courage to undertake revolution activities.

In American Revolution, women did not only guide their families and farms during the revolution, but they also gathered some intelligence information for their husbands who were fighting in the field. Such information helped them to locate enemies and even know some plans that the enemy intended against them. Even though the role of women was hidden due to feminism at the time, women played significant role in both revolution.

Work Cited

Dunn, Susan. Sister revolutions: French lightning, American light. Macmillan, 2000.