Project for HIST 214

1. Lasting Revolutions
A Comparison of the French and American Revolutions
By
Brady Swift

2. • The purpose of this project is to show the similarities between two of the largest
and most well known revolutions.
• After viewing this slide show, you viewer will have a better understanding of each
revolution and what makes them similar and different all at the same time.

3. Simple Differences
• French Revolution
The people wanted a change
in government, social
structure, religion, and
economy.
• American Revolution
Wanted a change in government
control, but wanted to keep the
same social structure.

4. French Revolution
• The French Revolution took
place in France from 1789-
1799, in which the monarchy
of France was overthrown and
reform was forced upon the
Roman Catholic Church.

5. American Revolution
• Took place about 10-15 years
before the French revolution, and
was between the 13 American
colonies and Great Britain, After
years of taxation without
representation, the colonists
refused to be controlled by a king
who was an entire ocean away.

6. Similarities
• What makes the two revolutions so similar is that they both were started on the premise of
independence from their respective “kings”. They both also wanted to escape unfair taxation
under their respective kings.
King Louis XVI of France King George III of Great Britain

7. Differences
• The American Revolution was caused by a majority of the America population becoming unhappy
of how the British were ruling them. They believed they deserved more freedom from the British.
• The French Revolution was started by French’s lower class because they were unhappy with how
they were being treated.
• Also, the people you had fighting in the American Revolution was essentially the entire population
of able bodied men. With the French Revolution, mainly the lower class members of society
rebelled.

8. American Patriots
• Aside from the obvious George Washington, the Continental Congress
commissioned many different generals to lead the Continental Army.
Nathaniel Greene
Was one of Washington’s most
important subordinates. With his
critical work as quartermaster general,
Greene was the commander-in-chief’s
most trusted lieutenant.
Benedict Arnold
Was a very solid leader, but is
most well known for being a
traitor and joining the Crown in
1780.
Horatio Gates
Early efforts as adjutant general to
organize the army played to his
strengths. He deserves praise for the
victory at Saratoga where he was, after all,
in command. He also served as president
of the Board of War.

9. British Leaders
• Under the Crown, Britain’s army saw many different leaders throughout the war. These were
to major leaders in command.
General Sir Guy Carleton
Was the commander of British troops during
the American Revolution, specifically leading
the defense during the Battle of Quebec.
Carleton was also responsible for the safe
removal of the Tories and freed slaves who
joined the British.
Lord General Charles Cornwallis
Was blamed by General Henry Clinton for the
loss of the colonies, but he proved to be a
capable general and politician in Ireland and
India after the Revolutionary War.
General Thomas Gage
Fought in the Siege of Boston, The Battles
at Lexington and Concord, and many others
before being replaced by Howe.

10. French Leaders
Napoleon Bonaparte
A general in the French army and leader of
the 1799 coup that overthrew the directory.
Napoleon’s accession marked the end of the
French Revolution and the beginning of
Napoleonic France and Europe.
Jacques-Pierre Brissot
A member of the Legislative Assembly
and National Convention who held a
moderate stance and believed in the idea of
a constitutional monarchy.
Marquis de Lafayette
The common people of France revered Lafayette as an idealistic man who
was dedicated to liberty and the principles of the Revolution. Although
Lafayette organized the National Guard of armed citizens to protect the
Revolution from attack by the king, he balked as the Revolution became
more radical.

11. Major Battles of the American Revolution
• Battle of Lexington and Concord
• Battle of Bunker Hill
• Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
• Battle of Long Island
• Battle of White Plains

12. Lexington and Concord
The Battlesof Lexington and Concord were the firstmilitaryengagementsof the American RevolutionaryWar.They were fought on April19, 1775,in MiddlesexCounty,
Province of MassachusettsBay.

13. Battle of Bunker Hill
• On June 17, 1775, early in the Revolutionary War, the British defeatedthe Americans at the Battle of Bunker
Hill in Massachusetts.

14. Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
• The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred during the American Revolutionary
War on May 10, 1775, when a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan
Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold overcame a small British garrison at the fort
and looted the personal belongings of the garrison.

15. Battle of Long Island
• The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on
August 27, 1776, was a defeat for the Continental Army under General GeorgeWashington and the beginning
of a successful campaign that gave the British control of the strategicallyimportant city of New York

16. Battle of White Plains
• The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey
campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776,
near White Plains, New York.

17. Major Battle of the French Revolution
• The storming of the Bastille
• There were small conflicts and military battles throughout the war.

18. Storming of the Bastille
• On July 14th, 1789, a French rebellion attacked a prison, which was a symbol of the
French monarchies rule.

19. Outcome of the American Revolution
• The Americans gained their liberty and freedom from Great Britain with a victory at the end of the
American revolution.
• This war changed the entire outlook of the United States, and led to this country becoming much larger as
well.
• This war was a first of many things and also prompted the Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution, two major aspects of the U.S. government.

20. Outcome of the French Revolution
• The French Revolution led to the dissolution of the French monarchy. It also led to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and the
expansion of French colonialism. The revolution led to a new calendar and other small changes.
• The French Revolution had a profound effect on England. Many intellectuals, and even people in the aristocratic class, viewed
the revolution as rationalism defeating old traditions. However, many also looked down on the French people and the
revolution itself because of the horrors of the Reign of Terror, which claimed the lives of thousands of people who were put to
death at the guillotine.

21. How did your topic fit into the daily life of world inhabitants or the inhabitants of
the specific countries that you examined from the era that you are covering?
• With all of the political differences that all the countries involved deal
with, you can see some similarities. However, the U.S., France, and
England all have become much better countries and have moved on
from monarchial reign towards democracy.
• You’ll always have people who are not happy with their existing
government, but the great thing about democracy is that you can
vote for who you want and those constituents are not lifetime
servers.

22. What was it about your topic that was unique to
our study of world history from 1500 on?
• The reoccurring theme this semester was war, power, and freedom.
Both of these revolutions covered all three of those aspects.
• The time period of 1500 to even now, has seen war after war and still
has war. Unfortunately, war is one of those things that will never go
away. As long has someone has resources, another person will want
to exploit them.

23. How would you have felt about your topic if you
had been living during the era you are covering
• That would all depend on where I was from. Being that I am an
American, I would have felt strongly about rebellion to the Crown. If I
were a British citizen, I would have despised the colonists and looked
down on them.
• Same goes for the French, if I were a lower class member of French
society, I would have been fighting for my freedom and rights, but if I
were a member of the elites, I would have looked down to them and
wonder what they were even fighting for.

24. How has your topic changed over the years (describe its’ role in
society today) or, how has the world viewed it differently since
its’ occurrence?
• I don’t feel as if anyone views these two revolutions in differently now
than they did even 100 years ago.
• Although, I have a feeling the Brits may feel a little differently than we
do ;).
• I feel the world views the American revolution as two things. One, the
colonists invaded a land, took it from its original inhabitants and then
was mad at their existing government fro being to harsh. Two, they
see it has a people escaping unfair rule and fighting for what they
believe in and their freedom.
• Same goes for the French, just without the first detail.

25. What new information did you learn about your
topic that you didn’t already know?
• I didn’t have a whole lot of prior knowledge of the French Revolution
before this project, but now I have much more of an understanding of
its conception and overall outcome.
• I learned more about what other reasons the lower class wanted to
rebel and I can say that I would probably have sympathized with
them, if I were alive back then.

26. Conclusion
• In conclusion, these two revolutions as you can see had many similarities and some slight
differences as well. Their outcomes were the same, in the respect that the underdog won their
freedom and what they were fighting for. It takes a serious problem for an entire people to
want to fight against their existing governments and without the American and French
Revolutions, you would have two different countries that would be completely different. It’s
crazy to think about what our country would be like had we lost the war, but luckily, we do
not have to worry about that.

27. Citations
• Wallace, Willard M. "American Revolution | United States
History."Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web.
24 Nov. 2015.
• McKay, John P. A History of World Societies. Boston, MA: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2012. Print.
• Encyclopedia Brittanica. "French Revolution | Causes, Facts, &
Summary."Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.
Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
• About Education. "Rebels and Redcoats: People of the American
Revolution." About.com Education. About.com, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
• Pictures all from google.