Revolution is Coming!
By: Collette Jolley
What is a Political Revolution?
The American Revolution
- The American revolution was caused by economic and social issues. The Americans were almost completely ruled by the British. There distance caused space to grow between the two countries, and the Americans decided that they no longer wanted to be under British rule and pay taxes to a king that barely helped them.
The Russian Revolution
- The Russians who revolted were lower class citizens of ethnic backgrounds that had a similar view to how the government should have been run . “The Russian Empire’s many ethnic minorities grew increasingly restive under Russian domination” (Britannica),these people revolted because the government was dominating and ignored their needs. Citizens also revolted when their government began to experience economic crisis because of war.
The French Revolution
The french revolution developed because of many different factors, but overall the French government was losing control of its people “ coming on top of a long period of economic difficulties, made the population particularly restless”(Britannica) . Citizens,mainly those who were lower class, decided to ban together to overthrow the government. The french revolution was very bloody and lasted 26 years, if you include the Napoleon’s era to be part of it.
American Revolution in Depth
During the American Revolution, the people became unhappy with British monarchy because they began to tax the Americans heavily and control them completely. The Americans decided that the only way to completely separate from the British, was to drive them out of the colonies. They organized themselves into a group called “The Colonists”, who believed that America needed its own government free of the British.The Americans overthrow the British rule through protests and war. They overtook British bases in battle and refused to send them goods. One of the most famous instances of their revolt was the Boston Tea Party, where the Americans protested taxes by throwing tea, which was heavily taxed, into the Boston harbor.
The British government responded by sending more troops to America to try and keep their hold over the citizens. Their soldiers were called the “Red Coats”. The leaders did not give into their demands willingly and the revolt lasted 7 years.After the revolution, the American government became more dependent. They wanted to make their government one where everyone had a say,so they eventually established a democracy. The Americans also wrote out laws so that they could not be controlled again.
Do The Benefits Outweigh The Costs?
- America became independent
- Began to shape the foundation of the new American government
- Americans would not be under as much economic strain
- War had many casualties
- Angered the British