French and American Revolution Comparison

I. Intro
      a. American and French Revolutions
      b. Spurred on by the Enlightenment
      c. Both sought to overthrow old government
  II. Similarities
      d. Both American and French revolutions drew on theories from the Enlightenment to justify their cry for Independence
      e. Both sought first to air their grievances by political means
        i. French attended the Estates General, an assembly to represent entire French population
        ii. Americans used local colonial legislatures to try and come to terms with the English monarchy about representation of the colonies
      f. Both revolutions were preceded by the ruling power wanting to or actually levying taxes to help pay off military campaigns
      g. Both broke out of talks and into resistance to the ruling power
        iii. The French broke the Estates General and formed the National Assembly, charged with writing a new constitution; then uner pressure from the king, stormed the Bastille.
        iv. The Americans placed a boycott on British goods and took part in demonstrations like the Boston Tea Party
      h. Both Revolutions had tension breaking battle that lead to the revolutions
        v. The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first clash between American and British troops and led to beginning of the Revolution
        vi. The storming of the Bastille and murdering of defending troops there sparked insurrection throughout France.
  III. Differences
      i. Political Order
        vii. The Americans   formed a Continental Congress who oversaw the progress of the revolution and set up a government to rule the United States when Independence was achieved
            1. They wrote the Declaration of Independence and wrote the Constitution at the war’s end
        viii. The French were very chaotic about their revolution. It went from one party to another
            2. First the National Assembly put forth the Declaration of the Rights of Man and... [continues]

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