French Revolution
...countries as a way of control and it upset the people of the nation. It played a major role in the reasons for both revolutions to occur. The way the government taxed and treated the people was also a reason behind it. The Revolution was a religious battle, caused by Presbyterians and Congregationalists whose "principles of religion and polity were equally averse to those of the established Church and Government." Religion played a major role in the American Revolution by offering a moral sanction for opposition to the British. The French Revolution of 1789 saw the separation of Church and state in France. The majority of people had had enough of the Ancien Regime (monarchy and church) and the heavy taxes they demanded. These are two examples of how close the reasons for revolution truly are. What happened in America influenced the French. The following essay will discuss and compare both revolutions and how closely they were related.
By the middle of the 18th cent., differences in life, ideas, and interests had developed between England and the growing colonies. Local political institutions and practice diverged significantly from English ways, while social customs, religious beliefs, and economic interests added to the potential sources of conflict. The British government, like other imperial powers in the 18th cent., favored a policy of mercantilism; the Navigation Acts were intended to regulate commerce in the British interest. These were only loosely enforced, however, and the colonies were by and large allowed to develop freely with little interference from England. The religious life of America could not help be affected by the Revolutionary War. The political, social, and cultural forces that gave shape to a new nation were also shaping the life of the churches, giving rise to new patterns of thought and action. It was during this period that some of...
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