By Michael Dye

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brooke Di Lauro

Abstract

The revolutions of 1776 and 1789 provide a glimpse into factors that drive states to change. States are a microcosm of the globe, therefore a study in revolution is a study in changing the world. The quest for liberty was a catalyst in both the American and French Revolutions. The colonists of the United States fought for independence as they grew tired of their faraway kingdom’s taxes. France endured a bloody class struggle between upper class members of the feudal order and the masses led by radical revolutionaries. Key figures of the period represent the spirit of their times rife with political reform. In colonial America, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin facilitated the relationship of both countries through persuasive diplomacy, established connections, and a careful approach to foreign policy. French philosophers Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau developed political theories that both nations heavily drew upon when drafting their constitutions. French military aid was paramount to American success, and shared philosophical thought influenced the direction of both revolutions. Analyzing the foreign policy of both nations provides insight into the exchange of military aid and philosophical ideas. How both countries applied their common ideologies to revolt drove the different paths they took from one system of government to the next. Each country’s influence on the other provides insights about international affairs in the late 18th century. To understand how the US and France came to be the nations they are today requires an analysis of their early histories.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fwq0mj1NI64jx3S5xnjSO8oFnUbaz-UkG17m9RNjmzE/edit?usp=sharing