Causes Of The American Revolution

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Name: Jimmy Lee

What were the main ideas of the Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment was one of the most important intellectual movement occurred during 18th Century in Europe. It is also known as the “Age of Reason”. Before the Enlightenment, people in Europe used religion to explain the things they do not understand in the physical world and obey to the authorities without doubts. The main idea behind the Enlightenment was an attempt to change this situation. According to Immanuel Kant, the Enlightenment is “daring to know”. That is to question the authority and have the courage to use your own understandings to explain things instead of following the authority blindly. The authority at that time were the King, nobles and clergy. Another …show more content…

The American Revolution was a revolution started by American colonists against British government. The colonists won this conflict and resulted in the establishment of the United States of America. One of the main cause of the American Revolution was fighting against British government’s taxation without representation. Thomas Paine wrote in “Common Sense”: As a long and violent abuse of power, is generally the Means of calling the right of it in question (and in matters too which might never have been thought of, had not the Sufferers been aggravated into the inquiry) and as the King of England had undertaken in his own Right, to support the Parliament in what he calls Theirs, and as the good people of this country are grievously oppressed by the combination, they have an undoubted privilege to inquire into the pretensions of both, and equally to reject the usurpation of …show more content…

Yale Law School, “Constitution of Pennsylvania – September 28,1776” http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/pa08.asp

What were the main causes of the French Revolution?

The French Revolution was a social and political movement under the influence of the Enlightenment. The revolution overthrown the French King Louis XVI and French monarchy. The main cause of the French Revolution was social inequality. In Loyseau’s “A Treatise on Orders”, he divided the social order of France to 3 groups: clergy, nobles and third estate (commoners).1 Even though the third estate is the majority of the French population, all the power and lands were held by the nobles and clergy. The third estate were forced to work on the lands they do not own and paid poorly by the owners (nobles). At the same time, the working class was required by law to pay taxes while the nobles were not. As some commoners rose and became bourgeoisie, the people started the revolution in hope of find a new system without the Tyranny of the King, and oppression from the privileged. After the revolution, a democratic republic was established and the King was