The American and French Revolution: Similarities and Differences
During the late 18th century, two great revolutions occurred, the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Between the years of 1775-1783, The American Revolution was fought between the thirteen British colonies in North America and Great Britain, their mother country. Thomas Hutchinson, the royal governor of Massachusetts at the time, sums the reason for war best, saying "‘No middle ground exists between the supreme authority of Parliament and the total dependence of the colonies: it is impossible there should be two independent legislatures in one and the same state'" (Van Tyne 135). The American Revolution was effectively a "conservative" advancement, and was fought …show more content…

This age actually provided a blueprint for the French and American Revolutions. The conditions of the American Revolution were created with help from the results of the French and Indian War. France basically lost all of its possessions in North America, and England gained control of North America east of the Mississippi. The British colonists no longer needed British defense from the French and they disliked the forced taxes to pay for its military dedications in the newly acquired French territories in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. The Proclamation of 1763 further angered the colonists because they felt that the newly obtained land provided wealth and that expansion into this land was essential for growth; however, Britain remained steadfast and declared that no settlements were to be made west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Stamp Act evolved to pay for the national war debt, and stamps, ranging in value from some pence to numerous pounds, were to be placed on many kinds of legal papers. The Townshend Acts of 1767 placed taxes on glass, paper, lead, tea, etc. In contrast to the Stamp Act, these laws were not a direct tax but a tax on imported goods. Crowds constantly heckled and harassed the troops placed in Boston in accordance to the Townshend Acts. After putting up with enough taunting, one soldier began firing into the crowd. When the smoke cleared, three people lay dead, two more would die later, and six