American vs. French Revolution — What's the Difference?

To say the American Revolution was an exceptional in world history would be an understatement. In this episode, we unpack why it's so significant and how it could easily have collapsed into tyranny, like the French Revolution.

In this First Principles video series, America and the Struggle for Freedom, Dr. Joseph Loconte, Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies and AWC Family Foundation Fellow, unpacks the theme of freedom in Western Civilization, culminating in the American Experiment.

[Bateluer]

Dr. Loconte isn't kidding when he says we used to understand these concepts. You can find these exact statements, history, and concepts taught in grade school civics coursework throughout the 1800s and into the early 1900s. Pre-Wilson administration. Nowadays, the material in elementary school civics text books is graduate level coursework where the universities loath American history.

[druharper]

The French are on their fifth Republic… so far..

[startuphub]

This makes me concerned about the collapse about our own Republic and the rise of a Trumpian dictator who undermines the democratic processes we had for so long taken for granted and gave away.

[aliceremaud]

In case you wanna know why "french waiters will be nice to you the Bastille day, 14th of July" (ironic)
Well, there are fireworks in every cities and villages in the country, that all start around 10 or 11pm
And because it's a holiday, no one is working and people want to enjoy a restaurant
But then, everybody wants to leave early to watch the fireworks so eeeeverybody order at the same time, making it impossible to manage and the waiters are just running everywhere, asking themselves why they agreed to suffer like this

[torch_fire]

I'm afraid this did not help me at all to understand the difference between the American and French Revolutions.

[AhmedYoussef-kdnc]

If life is an inalienable right, what does that say about the death penalty?

[dylanwojo]

Propaganda adjacent video with almost no information about the French Revolution.

[philtheo]

One major difference between the American revolution and the French revolution is religion/irreligion. Specifically Christianity which was the predominant faith in both lands.* The French revolution, however, tried to wipe away all vestiges of Christianity. The French revolution even erected the Temple of Reason which was a state atheist temple for the Cult of Reason with the explicit purpose of replacing Christianity. By contrast, the American revolution was in some measure (not wholly but partly) motivated by Christian beliefs and values and even supported and promoted by some Christian leaders (e.g. John Witherspoon is mentioned in the video as a Calvinist/Reformed Presbyterian minister who signed the Declaration of Independence; Samuel Adams was a staunch Calvinist/Reformed Christian). And to be clear: I'm not at all suggesting the US was or is a Christian nation, only that the American revolution was partly guided by some Christian leaders and principles, unlike the French revolution which was not.

* To be more specific, it was Catholicism in France and Protestantism in America. Also, the French had already persecuted the Protestants aka the Huguenots and either killed them or forced them out of France by this time (e.g. St. Bartholomew's Day massacre). By contrast, in America, Catholics were more or less able to live peaceably alongside Protestants, though there were some violent flashpoints.

[hamish]

2:22 Nope, you forgot to mentioned the Corsican revolution of Pasquale Paoli as described by James Boswell in 1768.

[nuttygeezer]

Reign of terror only lasted a year. Most of French revolution was not heads being cut off etc. Also Napoleon greatly advanced society politically and socially until it was reversed by the coalition in 1815.

[peterbellini]

John Locke is roaring in Heaven with the "state of our state's leaders" ! And Abigail Adams who said "great necessities call out great virtues" Amen

[immortalblue]

The one thing Liberals and conservatives agree on was the Revolutionary war and the overthrow of the Monarchy

[danguid]

It is a war of independence which took place in America, supported militarily by a foreign power which is France.

[pierredelamare]

my country had three great revolutions in 1789, 1830 and 1848 I think the fourth is after July 7th next lol..

[immortalblue]

But why did it take so long it took almost 90.years after 1776 to abolish slavery

[olliesweirdworld]

Britain doesn't have a constitution still today...

[cayetano]

this is pure propaganda...childish ideological way to understand the world

[KrunoslavStifter]

I know Americans like to tell origin myths about themselves, like all nations, but if you plan of teaching history, not myth, lets dispense the misnomer. America had war for independence, not a revolution. Revolution implies violet overthrow of existing government order in favor of a new system. For American situation to qualify they would have had to overthrow the British empire. They did not. They had war for independence as colonies and than formed a new government, but they did not overthrow the old system. British Empire did not cease to exist because American colonies won a war for their independence. And that is where British are correct and American are wrong. The British call it what it is. The British-American war for the independence. Americans keep call it revolution, but that just proves that Americans like to tell stories about themselves and don't like history very much. The American Exceptionalism mythology is another example of that. Americans are not exceptional, but time and place was. If Americans were indeed exceptional as people than they would not be in the trouble they are now. Self inflicted. No Americans exceptionalism is as much truth, as American revolution. It simply not true. But I'm sure that won't stop American professors perpetuating the mythology, faltering themselves while the rest of the world laughs as the American ignorance of the world beyond the American borders. And that is why this kind of people can sell them stories that they want to hear, rather than reality. Sadly for them, this American Greatest narrative and American Exceptionalism is harder and harder to sell, because people look around and say; what the hell are you talking about?

[simonaarflot]

Nice perspective, but maybe include materialism next time.

[themysteryofbluebirdboulevard]

I hope youtube doesn't think I'm a Christian nationalist now. Jesus.