Explain the reasons for and consequences of the revolutions in America and in France

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The philosophy of John Locke had a big influence on both the American and French Revolutions. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson restated Locke's assertion that government must protect its citizens' rights to life, liberty, and property. Americans contended that the British government, however, in making unreasonable demands for revenue, threatened colonial liberty. After a protracted war, America gained its independence and, as the British political theorist Thomas Paine proclaimed, served to enlighten the world and diffuse a spirit of freedom among humankind.
The French Revolution, inspired in turn by the one in America, was the product of two major problems: class inequality, and a serious financial crisis brought about by some 500 years of costly wars and royal extravagance. The lower classes sought to overturn long-standing social and political institutions and end upper-class privilege. The monarch Louis XVI attempted to convene a delegation from all classes to address these issues but the Third Estate (the representative body of the lower classes) withdrew, setting the revolution in motion. The revolution was bloody, with riots occurring everywhere in the streets. Eventually, the new National Assembly issued decrees that abolished the last remnants of medieval feudalism, including manorial courts, feudal duties, and church tithes. It also made provisions for a limited monarchy and an elected legislative assembly. The decrees of the National Assembly became part of a constitution, modeled on the American Declaration of Independence. The body of the document promised a constitutional monarchy, a uniform code of law, and free public education.