History

The roadmap of this essay lies centrally in attempting to make a successful juxtaposition of the American and French Revolutions, in hopes of unearthing particular areas of similarities and difference, and so present, in a manner being substantial, a good case for comparison and contrast. As such, the revolutions in question represent only two of the highly significant events which wrought tremendous  and irrevocable  changes in human history. Yet their significance transcended that of any given world event, for reasons being that, quite understandably, they have been deemed chiefly instrumental in ushering the life of modern man into this present milieu. As one would see, revolutions are critical importance to human history. They can either break or make humans state of affairs, inasmuch as they can, on account of various reasons, become successful or frustrating. The point in contention shall be developed in the succeeding discussions. What may prove to be essential for this paper, however, is to note that this endeavor would not simply focus on the events which may be considered as contributory to the fermentation of the two revolutions, as this is more an analysis of the strains of similarities and difference which are palpable not only in the revolutions themselves, but also in respect to the specific eras which mark their respective historical circumstances.

Comparison and Contrast of the American and French Revolution Eras

To be able to circumscribe the antecedent causes, key factors, major players and historical consequences of both the American (1754-1781) and French Revolutions (1789-1799) is such an arduous task. For purposes of limitation therefore, this paper would look into at the similarities and differences that could be construed only from the antecedent causes and immediate socio-political effects of the said revolutions.

First, there are merits in saying that the two revolutions in question manifest strains of similarities insofar as they were  essentially  merely reactions to outstanding status-quos. In other words, one may find it hardly surprising to realize that both revolutions were, at the very least, invectives directed against lingering but fast-becoming irrelevant state of affairs. The fact that the two revolutions were contemporaneous  in that the American and French Revolutions both transpired within a period of less than a decade  is already suggestive of the ubiquitous sense of disenchantment in the worlds political atmosphere (Sparks Notes The French Revolution, 2010). In general, the two revolutions represented the need for wholesale changes. In particular however, they represented the desire either for total cessation of ties or complete breakaway from their respective authorities and duly-held paradigms. Thus, and on account of the motives lying underneath the American and French Revolutions, it is therefore readily arguable to maintain that they were efforts that were initiated and sustained in the name and for the sake of liberation causes. Simply put, the two revolutions are similar insofar as they were, all things considered, liberation movements.

But while similar in intent and thrust, it is not without good reasons to construe that the protests against which the American and French Revolutions were waged, manifest diverging and dissimilar objects of interest. On the one hand, the American Revolution was born out of an accentuated dissatisfaction over what appeared to be a salutary neglect of the government of England on matters pertinent to the governance of her colony, the America (Spark Notes The American Revolution, 2010). In other words, the immediate object of the American Revolution was to be freed from the shackles of Englands irrelevant governance, which, in many respects, only contributed to the Americans brewing desire to create an independent political government to call their own. On the other hand, the French Revolution was more a series of spontaneous civic protests  violent at times, one may say  against long-standing culture which pitted the monarchy, nobility, and clerics atop the socio-political pyramid. The French Revolution was a massive re-orientation of culture. In many ways therefore, it would be hard to ignore that the object of the French Revolution, since it targeted nearly all the fibers of societal life, and not just political setup, was therefore much broader in scope than that of the American Revolution.

Second, it merits taking close heed of the fundamental fact that the antecedent causes of both the American and French Revolutions manifest striking similarity, insofar as they were stirred, inspired, given articulation, and even justified by key thinkers of the era. The American Revolution was galvanized by the proponents of the Federalist movement and notable writings of intellectual figures at that time, which include the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, the Articles of Confederation of 1781, the papers resulting from the First Continental Congress of 1774, among others, must be given considerable attention (The Library of Congress, 2010). Similarly, it is through the writings and philosophical treatises made by notable intellectual thinkers of the 18th century Europe that the French Revolution was given its primordial inspiration. In a very special manner, the political philosophy of French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau became a massive force that lend support to the minor putsches preceding the actual French Revolution (The History Guide, 2010).

But while equally inspired by the political writings of their respective intellectual figures, the American and French Revolutions nevertheless differ in focus and paradigm. It can be argued that the American Revolution was highly political in tone and direction. Being that the primary motivation of the Federalist was to emancipate from the colonial rule of England, the nature of the American Revolution took on a very political tonality. The French Revolution, however, was much more ideological, in that  as previously mentioned  the tirades against its present authority was more an expression of disenchantment over a prevalent culture  e.g., composition of leaders, unspoken privileges of monarchy, ownership of properties, imposed taxes, among others (Sparks Notes The French Revolution, 2010).

Historical Legacies Ensuing from the Two Revolutions
The American and French Revolutions collectively had tremendous impacts not only on the life of the people immediately inheriting the radical changes they wrought, but also on the present generation which can be considered beneficiaries of the legacies they engendered. It would be in consonance with goal of this paper to mention at least two legacies bequeathed by the two revolutions (1) deep-seated changes in the socio-political life of Americans and Europeans, and (2) the model of autonomy generated as a result of the revolutions.

The immediate impact of the American Revolution cannot be mistaken i.e., the creation of a political system which allowed the Federalists to govern America, and thereby break free from the colonial- or protectorate-system of governance which was previously exercised by England. It became, in a sense, a concrete cessation of ties with England, and an equally liberating cessation with the ties that burdened the American people of unreasonable taxed levied by England. Meanwhile, the French Revolution introduced the modern concept of what we call equity in rights and privileges. Quoting heavily on the works of Rousseau, the participants of the French Revolution gained what otherwise would have been impossible to achieve given the socio-political status quo in France at the 18th century  i.e., the liberation not only from the age-old rule of the monarchy and the Church, but also from the system which had always given common French people lesser rights compared to those enjoyed by the monarchy, nobility and clerics. Among many others, the citizens of France were able to purchase lands previously owned by the Church, set up new tax system based not on privilege but on capacity to pay, and were able to the break free from imposing feudal contracts which burdened them significantly, after the French Revolution (SparkNotes The French Revolution,  2010).

Second, and in view of the foregoing, one may argue that one of the most enduring legacies of the American and French Revolutions lies in their ability to provide a model or exemplification of autonomy or independence. Here, one does not only speak of independence only in a political sense. The autonomy of which we speak, which the American and French Revolutions produced, pertains to the general socio-political, as well as religious day-to-day living of the people of America and France. True, the crux of both revolutions happened to have political underpinnings in their respective contexts, and even more sweeping political repercussions to the lives of both the American and the French people (Spark Notes The American Revolution, 2010). But they act only as one concrete instance of the whole autonomic consequences which would be emulated by many emerging nation-states the world over.

Conclusion
This paper now ends with a thought that affirms its initially slated thesis statement i.e., that the American and French Revolutions do in fact manifest strains of similarities, while maintaining distinct characteristics proper to their own. It can be gleaned from the discussions that the two revolutions both acted as catalysts for change and cessation of existing ties with the former world order  i.e., the French socio-political culture on the one hand, and Englands colonial rule on the other hand. Still, the two revolutions differ in their motives. The American Revolution was waged on account of the pursuit of political independence, while the French Revolution was largely a protest against injustice and inequality. In the final analysis however, one must readily acknowledge that both the American and French Revolutions ushered a new world order where autonomy, equality, and just recognition of basic rights are respected.