Bourgeois Revolutions: American and French Transformations

Bourgeois Revolutions

The bourgeois revolutions enabled the bourgeoisie to gain political power and a social status which had only been available to the nobility under the Ancien Régime. These revolutions took place in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

This process was begun by two revolutions.

The American Revolution

The French Revolution

2.1. The causes of the war

The American War of Independence was caused by a combination of factors.

• Ideological factors: the colonists were familiar with Enlightenment thinking about liberty and equality. These ideas became the basis for the independence movement.
• Political factors: the British Parliament made decisions about taxes and other issues related to the colonies.
• Economic and social factors: by this time there was a wealthy colonial bourgeoisie who wanted the freedom to trade without the interference of Great Britain.

2.2. The War of Independence and its consequences

The war began when some of the colonies decided to fight for independence. In 1775 they created their own army, which was led by George Washington. The war had two stages. In the first stage, Great Britain had some military successes but the colonists took actions that were politically significant. In the second stage, the colonists’ military victory at the Battle of Saratoga led France and Spain to offer them support.

3. The French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of violent political and social change, which saw the abolition of the absolute monarchy and the end of the estates system of the Ancien Régime.

3.1. The causes of the French Revolution

The French Revolution was caused by a combination of related factors.

• The influence of the Enlightenment: French intellectuals and the bourgeoisie supported Enlightenment ideas and wanted to put them into practice. For example, they demanded that all French subjects be free and equal before the law.
• The economic crisis: the French monarchy was heavily in debt. This was because of the court’s excessive spending on parties, palaces and other luxuries, and also because of France’s participation in military conflicts such as the American War of Independence.
• The social crisis: the economic crisis affected each of the three estates differently. The privileged estates (the clergy and the nobility) were able to maintain their income, but the Third Estate (the non-privileged) suffered from rising taxes, since they were the only estate that paid tax.
• The political crisis: to improve royal finances, Louis XVI’s ministers suggested that the privileged estates should pay tax. The nobility and clergy refused and demanded that the king call the Estates General.

3.2. The events of the French Revolution

3.2. Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General in 1789 in order to increase taxes.

The National Assembly

The Third Estate asked for a new voting system in which each representative would vote individually. When the king refused, the Third Estate declared that, as the true representative of the nation, it was forming a National Assembly.

Legislative Assembly

Girondins: wealthy bourgeoisie. They had moderate views and supported the constitutional monarchy and limited suffrage.

Jacobins: petite bourgeoisie. They had more radical views. They wanted to abolish the monarchy, establish a republic and introduce universal manhood suffrage.

In August 1792 the people of Paris revolted and attacked the Tuileries Palace. As a result of this event, Louis XVI was imprisoned, the monarchy was abolished and France became a republic.

The Convention

This was the most radical phase of the revolution. A new assembly called the Convention was elected with universal manhood suffrage.

The Terror

A popular revolutionary army was formed to fight the war against France’s European enemies.

There was widespread repression of counterrevolutionaries: anyone suspected of opposing the revolution could be executed.

Constitution of 1793 established universal manhood suffrage.

The Law of Maximum was adopted.