Can the french revolution truly be considered a revolution?

Answer 1

This question is a debate that historians debate a great deal and the answers can be very open ended based on what your perspective.

Answer 1

On the one hand, Americans greatly associated themselves with the British Empire until about 1775. They didn't openly seek separation until the Revolutionary War was underway for about a year. Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense as a way to convince people that they is a direct contradiction between fighting a war of this magnitude and still wanting to be under British Rule after. Reception from this book in addition to constant demands from people like John Adams made this become a secession from the British Empire.

Answer 2

The American Revolution is, in my view, wholly misnamed and incorrectly categorized. It is not a revolution by the standards set by other political revolts and revolutions like the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Glorious Revolution, the Portuguese Revolt, the Sikh Revolt against the Mughal Empire, and many others. In those wars, a particular power or authority was removed (or attempts were made to remove that authority) with the intent to create a new style of government to rule the new territory and upset the previous power balance. These revolutions, when successful, often result in Reigns of Terror or campaigns to remove members of the Ancient Regime.

The American Revolution left most of the colonial governments intact, just delegating to them new directed authority. There was no major purge of loyalists nor any attempt to remove former British officials and nobility in the colonies from their positions. If anything the American Revolution was a secessionist war or an independence struggle, much more akin to Mexican War of Independence and other similar post-colonial struggles for independence where the majority group in the colony was European or quasi-European (like most of Latin American and some southern African countries).

Answer 2

Not in the sense of a battle or war. It was more of a Peace action of Religious tolerance, namely between the Protestant and Catholic factions. Some of the political inhibitions on Catholics in United Kingdom were scaled back, and there was also appeasement with an eye towards the Irish troubles. Not a revolution in the sense of those in St.Petersburg, Boston theatre ( like Lexington) but for its day a profound event. Not the stuff of moviedom, though.

Answer 3

Indeed, although a major reason of it was unfair taxing it was a true revolution as someone came down from power and another rose up.

Answer 4

It was a revolution. Why? Well if you look it up, you will find a revolution is any type of change. So, therefore it IS a revolution.