compare and contrast revolutions assignment quizlet

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Compare and Contrast Revolutions

9th - 12th grade, social studies.

8 questions

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What were the direct causes of the American Revolution? Check all that apply.

Colonists’ rights were restricted.

Colonists were not represented in Parliament.

Colonists didn’t want England ruling from far away.

Colonists were frustrated with high taxation.

Colonists had a negative reaction to the Boston Tea Party.

Which revolution(s) established long-lasting democratic traditions?

the American Revolution

the American and Glorious revolutions

the Glorious and French revolutions

the Glorious Revolution

Which revolutions were caused by a reaction to absolute authority?

the American and French revolutions

the Glorious and American revolutions

the French, American, and Glorious revolutions

The American Revolution had the most influence on the French Revolution by

suggesting the idea of the Declaration of Independence.

showing that perseverance and determination are assets.

insisting on fighting for the ideals of the Enlightenment.

inspiring the French people to demand their rights as citizens.

Unfair taxation was a cause in which revolutions?

the Glorious, American, and French revolutions

A common goal of the Glorious, American, and French revolutions was

to raise standards for the lower classes.

to make sure the rich didn’t take advantage of the poor.

to establish a more democratic government.

to establish fair taxation standards.

The goals of the American Revolution were most influenced by

the Enlightenment and the French Revolution.

the Glorious Revolution and the Enlightenment.

the Enlightenment and the English Bill of Rights.

the Glorious Revolution and the English Bill of Rights.

Which idea is shared by both the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of the Rights of Man?

that church and the state should be separate

that men and women have equal rights

that resistance to tyranny is a right

that all men have natural rights

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World History Project - Origins to the Present

Course: world history project - origins to the present   >   unit 6.

• READ: Sovereignty
• BEFORE YOU WATCH: The Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment
• WATCH: The Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment
• READ: Ingredients for Revolution
• READ: The Enlightenment

READ: The Atlantic Revolutions

• BEFORE YOU WATCH: The Haitian Revolution
• WATCH: The Haitian Revolution
• READ: West Africa in the Age of Revolutions
• READ: Origins and Impacts of Nationalism
• BEFORE YOU WATCH: Nationalism
• WATCH: Nationalism
• BEFORE YOU WATCH: Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism
• WATCH: Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism
• Liberal and National Revolutions

First read: preview and skimming for gist

Second read: key ideas and understanding content.

• What first sparked the American Revolution?
• What was the Third Estate?
• What did the American Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man have in common? How did they differ?
• How did the French Revolution impact Saint Domingue? What were some other sources of the Haitian revolution?
• What classes took power in South America, and how was this different from the class that took power in Saint Domingue?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

• How did Enlightenment ideas, including ideas about sovereignty, contribute to the Atlantic Revolutions? Do you think it’s fair to say that those ideas caused these revolutions? Use evidence from this article and other material in this lesson to defend your claim.
• Make a prediction: How important were the “Atlantic Revolutions” in creating the modern world?

The Atlantic Revolutions

An era of revolutions, the american revolution, the french revolution, the french empire strikes back, a revolt leads to a new nation, the latin american revolutions, want to join the conversation.

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European Revolutions of 1820, 1830, and 1848

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The French Revolution inspired a succession of revolutions and revolts, among other uprisings across Europe. Uprisings began soon after Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815, occurring most noticeably around 1820, 1830, and 1848. These uprisings revolved around aspects of liberalism and nationalism, and they went hand-in-hand with other forms of economic, religious, social, and technological democratization that were part of the Industrial Revolution. Underlying these uprisings was a struggle among the participating groups and individuals over which reforms and changes would be pursued, as well as under whose control they would happen. Conservatives who sought to limit the scope and degree of any changes were led by the monarchies of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, collectively known as the Holy Alliance. These three governments sought to turn back the clock to the way things had been before the French Revolution. They influenced the agenda implemented by the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Opposing these conservative forces were groups and individuals who sought more democratic changes in European economies, governments, and social structures, along with the Roman Catholic Church.

Learning Objectives

• Explain the consolidation of national states in Europe during the 19th century.

Key Terms / Key Concepts

Congress of Vienna : a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich and held in Vienna from November 1814 to June 1815, though the delegates had arrived and were already negotiating by late September 1814 (The objective was to provide a long-term peace plan for Europe by settling critical issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The goal was not simply to restore old boundaries but to resize the main powers so they could balance each other and remain at peace.)

Frankfurt Assembly - the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany, elected on May 1, 1848 (The session was held from May 18, 1848, to May 31, 1849, in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main. Its existence was both part of and the result of the “March Revolution” in the states of the German Confederation. After long and controversial debates, the assembly produced the so-called Frankfurt Constitution.)

Nationalism and liberalism drove the Revolutions of 1820, 1830, and 1848. These revolutions were part of trends in democratization that accompanied the Industrial Revolution, which also included mass production and the development of a culture of consumption. Nationalism was about forging new nation-states on the basis of common culture and ethnicity in Europe. In the Americas nationalism was explicitly about a shared political ideology based on republicanism, and implicitly about common ethnicity and culture, a characteristic that many in the dominant cultures of the various American nations do not realize or will not admit, event today. The revolutions from 1820 through 1848 solidified the European definition of nationalism. Liberalism was concerned with the removal of economic, political, religious, and social obstacles built into society and worked toward the ultimate goal of achieving equality of opportunity, as distinct from equality of outcome. The ideology of liberalism was initially defined by Enlightenment writers during the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries. During the revolutions from 1820 through 1848 members of the new middle classes, which had emerged with the economic changes of industrialization, came to make liberalism an ideological vehicle for their economic and political aspirations, implicitly restricting useage of this ideology by the industrial working classes.

Highlighting this succession of uprisings during the first half of the nineteenth century were the Revolutions of 1820, 1830, and 1848. Beginning in 1820 movements broke out in Portugal, Spain, and several Italian kingdoms; the objectives of these movements was to transform each into a constitutional monarchy. Although each of these movements failed in the short term, they established or strengthened precedents for liberalization and democratization. Troops of the restored French monarchy returned absolute authority, at least nominally, to the Spanish monarchy. However, the constitutional revolution in Portugal sparked a struggle that lasted into the 1840s.

In 1830 revolution broke out in France with the expulsion Charles X, who fancied himself an absolute monarch in the tradition of Louis XIV. When Charles tried to repress opposition to his absolutist rule from newly elected liberals in the French legislature, mob reaction forced him to abdicate. Louis Philippe replaced Charles X as king. In an acknowledgement of the democratic spirit which drove the opposition to Charles X’s rule, Louis Philippe took the title of King of the French, rather than King of France.

Nationalist uprisings also broke out in the Catholic portion of the Netherlands and Poland. The uprising in Poland failed in the short term, but national sovereignty would be restored to Poland at the end of the First World War. The uprising in the Netherlands, born of an antagonism between Catholics and Protestants in that country, led to the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium. A similar spirit of religious division between Protestants and Catholics contributed to the Irish nationalism that would lead to the creation of the Republic of Ireland in 1922. During the nineteenth century Irish nationalists experienced incremental progress in their struggle for national sovereignty from the British Parliament.

A major advancement in political democratization related to the 1830 uprisings occurred in the United Kingdom in 1832 with the First Reform Act—the first in a series of reform acts passed between 1832 and 1928. Collectively these acts led to the vote being extended to all adult citizens in the United Kingdom by 1928. The First Reform Act extended the vote to middle class male voters based on property value, rent/ taxes paid, and length of residence. In this respect the First Reform Act did not eliminate the traditional property requirements of the English political system, rather it modified these requirements to include members of the evolving middle classes in recognition of economic and social changes that accompanied the Industrial Revolution. In terms of new voters in parliamentary elections, this act only increased this number by about fifty percent. This increase is in and of itself unremarkable when one considers that before the 1832 act only about one in ten adult males in the United Kingdom could vote in parliamentary elections. In addition, this act explicitly prohibited women from voting. based on population. Population growth came with the development of manufacturing and the growth of cities in the Industrial Revolution, starting the process of correcting longstanding inequities in voting representation between rural and urban areas.This act was not only a response to democratic protests and movements in Britain, but also a conservative effort to stave off future uprisings by giving activists part of what they wanted. It ended up walking the line between the agendas of parliamentary conservatives and democratic reformers during the tumultuous early 1830s.

The Revolutions of 1848—known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, People’s Spring, Springtime of the Peoples, or the Year of Revolution—were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in European history. These diverse revolutionary movements were in opposition to the conservative agenda of the Congress of Vienna and marked a major challenge to its vision for a stable Europe.

The revolutions were essentially democratic in nature, with the aim of removing the old feudal structures and creating independent national states with democratic political structures and greater material security, even prosperity, for the working classes. The revolutionary wave began in France in February and immediately spread to most of Europe and parts of Latin America. Over 50 countries were affected, but with no coordination or cooperation between their respective revolutionaries. According to Evans and von Strandmann (2000), some of the major contributing factors were widespread dissatisfaction with political leadership, demands for more participation in government and democracy, demands for freedom of press, demands made by the working class, the upsurge of nationalism, and the regrouping of established governmental forces.

The uprisings were led by shaky ad hoc coalitions of reformers, the middle classes, and workers, which did not hold together for long. Tens of thousands of people were killed and many more forced into exile. Significant lasting reforms included the abolition of serfdom in Austria and Hungary, the end of absolute monarchy in Denmark, and the introduction of parliamentary democracy in the Netherlands. The revolutions were most important in France, the Netherlands, the states that would make up the German Empire in the late 19th and early 20th century, Italy, and the Austrian Empire.

In the Austrian empire, France, a number of the Italian states, and Prussia, 1848 revolutionaries were teased with hints of success. Ultimately, however, they were disappointed, in a number of cases, fatally, disappointed. Advocates for reform and German unification from across the German states created the Frankfurt Assembly in 1848. However, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, who the Assembly elected as emperor of a new unified Germany, ended the Assembly’s efforts by refusing to accept this position. He undercut support for the Assembly by asserting that it had no authority to select him as emperor of a unified Germany. Promises of reform and liberal constitutions made by the Austrian emperor and rulers of various German and Italian states in 1848 and early 1849 were subsequently reversed between mid-1849 and the end of 1851. These reversals accompanied campaigns of persecution against the revolutionaries throughout European by the restored conservative leaders of these countries and states.

French revolutionaries enjoyed possibly the most auspicious success with their creation of the short-lived Second Republic in 1848. Even though Louis Napoleon subverted the Second Republic with a coup in December 1851 that led to the creation of the Second Empire (the First Empire being that of Napoleon Bonaparte, his uncle), he had to do so under the guise of an implicit popular mandate, which he had established with his election as president of the Second Republic in December 1848. Throughout his reign, Louis Napoleon was mindful of popular opinion, even accepting quasi-democratic reforms during the second half of his reign. Despite its brevity the Second Republic set precedents for republican governance in France that would be adopted and built upon in the Third, the Fourth, and the Fifth French Republics.

Sprinkled among the 1820, 1830, and 1848 Revolutions were a number of national independence movements.  A weakening Ottoman empire was the most vulnerable multiethnic and religiously diverse Eurasian empire to such movements, with limited autonomy being gained by Serbia in 1817 and Moldavia and Wallachia in 1829, and national independence by Greece in 1832. Italian states unified under the auspices of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1861, and German states under Prussian direction in 1871.

Ultimately, the activists who carried out these movements during the first half of the nineteenth century failed because they couldn’t work together. They had different agendas in terms of visions, goals, and means. In the aftermath of the 1820 – 48 Revolutions, conservative national leaders in France, the Italian states, and the German states took control of the process of change and reform, establishing top-down control. However, the efforts of these revolutionaries built upon the efforts of the 1789 – 95 French revolutionaries, laying the foundation for successes in European democratization during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

We Declare!

Making connections, introduction, print #3 of the declaration of independence, 1976.

Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen, 1789, http://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/fr/collections/declaration-des-droits-de-l-homme-et-du-citoyen

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Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence: A Comparison and Contrast

Lesson plan.

(Thomas Paine)

Core Theme: 

Grade level: , estimated duration of lesson: , state standards:   , primary sources used:, summary of lesson:, instructional steps:, enhancement:, post assessment:.

Comparing and Contrasting

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you first to determine whether a particular assignment is asking for comparison/contrast and then to generate a list of similarities and differences, decide which similarities and differences to focus on, and organize your paper so that it will be clear and effective. It will also explain how you can (and why you should) develop a thesis that goes beyond “Thing A and Thing B are similar in many ways but different in others.”

Introduction

In your career as a student, you’ll encounter many different kinds of writing assignments, each with its own requirements. One of the most common is the comparison/contrast essay, in which you focus on the ways in which certain things or ideas—usually two of them—are similar to (this is the comparison) and/or different from (this is the contrast) one another. By assigning such essays, your instructors are encouraging you to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each other, and what is most important about them.

Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments

Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are a few hypothetical examples:

• Compare and contrast Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression.
• Compare WWI to WWII, identifying similarities in the causes, development, and outcomes of the wars.
• Contrast Wordsworth and Coleridge; what are the major differences in their poetry?

Notice that some topics ask only for comparison, others only for contrast, and others for both.

But it’s not always so easy to tell whether an assignment is asking you to include comparison/contrast. And in some cases, comparison/contrast is only part of the essay—you begin by comparing and/or contrasting two or more things and then use what you’ve learned to construct an argument or evaluation. Consider these examples, noticing the language that is used to ask for the comparison/contrast and whether the comparison/contrast is only one part of a larger assignment:

• Choose a particular idea or theme, such as romantic love, death, or nature, and consider how it is treated in two Romantic poems.
• How do the different authors we have studied so far define and describe oppression?
• Compare Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression. What does each imply about women’s collusion in their own oppression? Which is more accurate?
• In the texts we’ve studied, soldiers who served in different wars offer differing accounts of their experiences and feelings both during and after the fighting. What commonalities are there in these accounts? What factors do you think are responsible for their differences?

You may want to check out our handout on understanding assignments for additional tips.

Using comparison/contrast for all kinds of writing projects

Sometimes you may want to use comparison/contrast techniques in your own pre-writing work to get ideas that you can later use for an argument, even if comparison/contrast isn’t an official requirement for the paper you’re writing. For example, if you wanted to argue that Frye’s account of oppression is better than both de Beauvoir’s and Bartky’s, comparing and contrasting the main arguments of those three authors might help you construct your evaluation—even though the topic may not have asked for comparison/contrast and the lists of similarities and differences you generate may not appear anywhere in the final draft of your paper.

Discovering similarities and differences

Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you’re considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common. Assign each one of the areas that doesn’t overlap; in those areas, you can list the traits that make the things different. Here’s a very simple example, using two pizza places:

To make a chart, figure out what criteria you want to focus on in comparing the items. Along the left side of the page, list each of the criteria. Across the top, list the names of the items. You should then have a box per item for each criterion; you can fill the boxes in and then survey what you’ve discovered.

Here’s an example, this time using three pizza places:

As you generate points of comparison, consider the purpose and content of the assignment and the focus of the class. What do you think the professor wants you to learn by doing this comparison/contrast? How does it fit with what you have been studying so far and with the other assignments in the course? Are there any clues about what to focus on in the assignment itself?

Here are some general questions about different types of things you might have to compare. These are by no means complete or definitive lists; they’re just here to give you some ideas—you can generate your own questions for these and other types of comparison. You may want to begin by using the questions reporters traditionally ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? If you’re talking about objects, you might also consider general properties like size, shape, color, sound, weight, taste, texture, smell, number, duration, and location.

Two historical periods or events

• When did they occur—do you know the date(s) and duration? What happened or changed during each? Why are they significant?
• What kinds of work did people do? What kinds of relationships did they have? What did they value?
• What kinds of governments were there? Who were important people involved?
• What caused events in these periods, and what consequences did they have later on?

Two ideas or theories

• What are they about?
• Did they originate at some particular time?
• Who created them? Who uses or defends them?
• What is the central focus, claim, or goal of each? What conclusions do they offer?
• How are they applied to situations/people/things/etc.?
• Which seems more plausible to you, and why? How broad is their scope?
• What kind of evidence is usually offered for them?

Two pieces of writing or art

• What are their titles? What do they describe or depict?
• What is their tone or mood? What is their form?
• Who created them? When were they created? Why do you think they were created as they were? What themes do they address?
• Do you think one is of higher quality or greater merit than the other(s)—and if so, why?
• For writing: what plot, characterization, setting, theme, tone, and type of narration are used?
• Where are they from? How old are they? What is the gender, race, class, etc. of each?
• What, if anything, are they known for? Do they have any relationship to each other?
• What are they like? What did/do they do? What do they believe? Why are they interesting?
• What stands out most about each of them?

Deciding what to focus on

By now you have probably generated a huge list of similarities and differences—congratulations! Next you must decide which of them are interesting, important, and relevant enough to be included in your paper. Ask yourself these questions:

• What’s relevant to the assignment?
• What’s relevant to the course?
• What’s interesting and informative?
• What matters to the argument you are going to make?
• What’s basic or central (and needs to be mentioned even if obvious)?
• Overall, what’s more important—the similarities or the differences?

Suppose that you are writing a paper comparing two novels. For most literature classes, the fact that they both use Caslon type (a kind of typeface, like the fonts you may use in your writing) is not going to be relevant, nor is the fact that one of them has a few illustrations and the other has none; literature classes are more likely to focus on subjects like characterization, plot, setting, the writer’s style and intentions, language, central themes, and so forth. However, if you were writing a paper for a class on typesetting or on how illustrations are used to enhance novels, the typeface and presence or absence of illustrations might be absolutely critical to include in your final paper.

Sometimes a particular point of comparison or contrast might be relevant but not terribly revealing or interesting. For example, if you are writing a paper about Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” and Coleridge’s “Frost at Midnight,” pointing out that they both have nature as a central theme is relevant (comparisons of poetry often talk about themes) but not terribly interesting; your class has probably already had many discussions about the Romantic poets’ fondness for nature. Talking about the different ways nature is depicted or the different aspects of nature that are emphasized might be more interesting and show a more sophisticated understanding of the poems.

Your thesis

The thesis of your comparison/contrast paper is very important: it can help you create a focused argument and give your reader a road map so they don’t get lost in the sea of points you are about to make. As in any paper, you will want to replace vague reports of your general topic (for example, “This paper will compare and contrast two pizza places,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in some ways and different in others,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in many ways, but they have one major difference”) with something more detailed and specific. For example, you might say, “Pepper’s and Amante have similar prices and ingredients, but their atmospheres and willingness to deliver set them apart.”

Be careful, though—although this thesis is fairly specific and does propose a simple argument (that atmosphere and delivery make the two pizza places different), your instructor will often be looking for a bit more analysis. In this case, the obvious question is “So what? Why should anyone care that Pepper’s and Amante are different in this way?” One might also wonder why the writer chose those two particular pizza places to compare—why not Papa John’s, Dominos, or Pizza Hut? Again, thinking about the context the class provides may help you answer such questions and make a stronger argument. Here’s a revision of the thesis mentioned earlier:

Pepper’s and Amante both offer a greater variety of ingredients than other Chapel Hill/Carrboro pizza places (and than any of the national chains), but the funky, lively atmosphere at Pepper’s makes it a better place to give visiting friends and family a taste of local culture.

You may find our handout on constructing thesis statements useful at this stage.

Organizing your paper

There are many different ways to organize a comparison/contrast essay. Here are two:

Subject-by-subject

Begin by saying everything you have to say about the first subject you are discussing, then move on and make all the points you want to make about the second subject (and after that, the third, and so on, if you’re comparing/contrasting more than two things). If the paper is short, you might be able to fit all of your points about each item into a single paragraph, but it’s more likely that you’d have several paragraphs per item. Using our pizza place comparison/contrast as an example, after the introduction, you might have a paragraph about the ingredients available at Pepper’s, a paragraph about its location, and a paragraph about its ambience. Then you’d have three similar paragraphs about Amante, followed by your conclusion.

The danger of this subject-by-subject organization is that your paper will simply be a list of points: a certain number of points (in my example, three) about one subject, then a certain number of points about another. This is usually not what college instructors are looking for in a paper—generally they want you to compare or contrast two or more things very directly, rather than just listing the traits the things have and leaving it up to the reader to reflect on how those traits are similar or different and why those similarities or differences matter. Thus, if you use the subject-by-subject form, you will probably want to have a very strong, analytical thesis and at least one body paragraph that ties all of your different points together.

A subject-by-subject structure can be a logical choice if you are writing what is sometimes called a “lens” comparison, in which you use one subject or item (which isn’t really your main topic) to better understand another item (which is). For example, you might be asked to compare a poem you’ve already covered thoroughly in class with one you are reading on your own. It might make sense to give a brief summary of your main ideas about the first poem (this would be your first subject, the “lens”), and then spend most of your paper discussing how those points are similar to or different from your ideas about the second.

Point-by-point

Rather than addressing things one subject at a time, you may wish to talk about one point of comparison at a time. There are two main ways this might play out, depending on how much you have to say about each of the things you are comparing. If you have just a little, you might, in a single paragraph, discuss how a certain point of comparison/contrast relates to all the items you are discussing. For example, I might describe, in one paragraph, what the prices are like at both Pepper’s and Amante; in the next paragraph, I might compare the ingredients available; in a third, I might contrast the atmospheres of the two restaurants.

If I had a bit more to say about the items I was comparing/contrasting, I might devote a whole paragraph to how each point relates to each item. For example, I might have a whole paragraph about the clientele at Pepper’s, followed by a whole paragraph about the clientele at Amante; then I would move on and do two more paragraphs discussing my next point of comparison/contrast—like the ingredients available at each restaurant.

There are no hard and fast rules about organizing a comparison/contrast paper, of course. Just be sure that your reader can easily tell what’s going on! Be aware, too, of the placement of your different points. If you are writing a comparison/contrast in service of an argument, keep in mind that the last point you make is the one you are leaving your reader with. For example, if I am trying to argue that Amante is better than Pepper’s, I should end with a contrast that leaves Amante sounding good, rather than with a point of comparison that I have to admit makes Pepper’s look better. If you’ve decided that the differences between the items you’re comparing/contrasting are most important, you’ll want to end with the differences—and vice versa, if the similarities seem most important to you.

Our handout on organization can help you write good topic sentences and transitions and make sure that you have a good overall structure in place for your paper.

Cue words and other tips

To help your reader keep track of where you are in the comparison/contrast, you’ll want to be sure that your transitions and topic sentences are especially strong. Your thesis should already have given the reader an idea of the points you’ll be making and the organization you’ll be using, but you can help them out with some extra cues. The following words may be helpful to you in signaling your intentions:

• like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise, again, compared to, in contrast, in like manner, contrasted with, on the contrary, however, although, yet, even though, still, but, nevertheless, conversely, at the same time, regardless, despite, while, on the one hand … on the other hand.

For example, you might have a topic sentence like one of these:

• Compared to Pepper’s, Amante is quiet.
• Like Amante, Pepper’s offers fresh garlic as a topping.
• Despite their different locations (downtown Chapel Hill and downtown Carrboro), Pepper’s and Amante are both fairly easy to get to.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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French Revolution vs Russian Revolution: Difference and Comparison

The French Revolution, as well as the Russian Revolution, proved similar in many aspects but notably distinct in others. Russia had been led by a king who was suspected of authoritarianism, just like France was well before the rebellion.

The kings did not accurately portray their individuals, neither were they nearer to them; the working class (bourgeoisie in France, Duma in Russia) desired recognition; because in both instances, the royal houses were implemented.

Key Takeaways The French Revolution occurred from 1789 to 1799, while the Russian Revolution occurred in 1917. The French Revolution aimed to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic; the Russian Revolution aimed to overthrow the Tsarist regime and establish a communist government. The French Revolution led to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, while the Russian Revolution resulted in the establishment of the Soviet Union.

French Revolution vs Russian Revolution

The French Revolution (1789–1799) was primarily driven by societal demands for equality and liberty, fundamentally altering France’s political and social structure. The Russian Revolution (1917) was sparked by worker’s rights and food scarcity, resulting in the establishment of a communist government.

The French Revolution, furthermore known as the Revolution of1789, was a progressive movement that rattled France among 1787 and 1799, reaching a first-ever crescendo in 1789.

Hence the customary word “Revolution of1789,” indicating the closure of the old regime in France and distinguishing that incident out from subsequent French revolutions of 1830 as well as 1848.

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The Russian Revolution took place in two phases: the February Revolution as well as the October Revolution.

The February movement began in 1917 mostly as a result of the conclusion and implications of WWI , as well as the general rejection of the Tsar, which brought Russia to terrible catastrophes.

The individuals were finally weary of it, as well the Tsar was ousted by Petrograd revolutionaries.

Comparison Table

What is french revolution.

The French Revolution was a period of social as well as political turmoil in France as well as its provinces that lasted from 1789 until 1799.

Its collapse of the monarchy , driven by liberal but also extreme beliefs, spurred the downfall of absolute monarchies in plenty of other regions of Europe.

The French involvement throughout the American Revolution in 1776 seems to have been an expensive process that nearly bankrupted the country. King Louis’ lavish spending didn’t help things either.

Empty royal treasuries, bad harvests, and rising food costs had instilled fear amongst some of the destitute rural and urban populations.

The situation was exacerbated further by the implementation of levies that offered little respite. Violent protests, vandalism, and mass demonstrations became the routine as a response.

Charles Alexandre de Calonne, the controller general, suggested a nationwide land tax near the end of 1786.

This tax policy wouldn’t exempt the favored classes, such as the clergy and nobles, since it had done for centuries.

What is Russian Revolution?

The Russian Revolution occurred in 1917 when the enraged working-class rose against the despotic authority of the Czars, which was terminated with the foundation of a new administration led by Vladimir Lenin.

The Russian Revolution is an important part of world events since it had a big effect not just on Russia as well as on neighboring areas. It later resulted in the foundation of the Soviet Union, the globe’s foremost socialist country.

Russia experienced the Industrial Revolution far later than the rest of the European region. Whenever it did, it brought a slew of political and social upheavals with it.

The Russian Industrial Revolution increased the numbers in metropolitan centers like St Petersburg as well as Moscow, placing pressure on the infrastructure system and resulting in overpopulation and pollution. 

As a consequence, the urban underclass experienced a new level of deprivation.

The population increase did not provide the food supplies to maintain this in the long term, as years of economic incompetence and expensive wars sometimes caused chronic shortfalls throughout the large country.

Main Differences Between French Revolution and Russian Revolution

• The French Revolution lasted from 1789 till the end of 1799 AD. Whereas, following World War I, the Russian Revolution occurred in 1971. As a corollary, the revolution’s influence on Russia was significantly bigger than that of the revolution’s imprint upon France.
• It was purely due to Russia’s involvement in World War II at the time all of these insurgencies began to take effect within the country. On the other hand, the French revolution, from the other end, was enough for the nation to have been through while it was not involved in any foreign hostilities.
• The ruling monarchy of the time, Louis XVI, was executed when the French Revolution emerged triumphantly. On the other hand, Tsar Nicolas II, the governing royalty at the time, was assassinated after the Russian revolution got completed.
• Prior to the French Revolution, there would be no pre-revolutionary era. From the other end, there was a pre-revolutionary period in Russia well before the revolution. In1905, a similar pre-revolution happened. It was just done to indicate society’s disdain of the monarch.
• The origins and conclusion of the French Revolution paved the stage for the establishment of Democracy. In contrast, the Russian Revolution resulted in the rise of communism .

• https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-review-of-economic-history/article/fiscal-background-of-the-russian-revolution/AA53C1BB360C549C9373111207A583DA
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002200276701100302?journalCode=jcrb

Last Updated : 25 November, 2023

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Lesson Plan: Events Leading to the American Revolution

Pre-Revolutionary America

Scott Stephenson gives a tour of a collection at the Museum of the American Revolution that describes the events and circumstances that led to increased British involvement in the colonies and the American Revolution.

Description

Following Great Britain’s victory in the Seven Years’ War in 1763, they greatly increased their territorial holdings and presence in the North American colonies. The cost of the war, as well as the challenges of controlling a greater empire created a situation of increased British involvement, policies, and taxes in the colonies. These led to a series of events and ideas in North America that would culminate in the American Revolution and Declaration of Independence. Through the following videos, students will learn about the events and ideas that led to the Revolutionary War.

INTRODUCTION

Assign background reading from textbook or another appropriate source on the events leading to the American Revolution.

Break students up into groups and have each group view the following video clips. Students should take notes using the handout or complete the individual Bell Ringer questions, and then share their findings with the rest of the class.

HANDOUT: Events Leading to the American Revolution Handout (Google Doc)

Video Clip: Pre-Revolutionary America (3:03)

Explain how the British victory in the Seven Years' War impacted the British Empire and North America.

Describe how the objects in the gallery illustrate British involvement in the everyday life of colonists.

• How did growing its empire cause new problems for Britain?

Video Clip: Boston Tea Party (11:53)

On the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, re-enactors and observers recreated the debate that took place in the Old South Meeting House, blocks away from Griffin’s Wharf. On December 16, 1773 thousands of Massachusetts colonists gathered at Old South Meeting House in Boston to discuss a shipment of tea that had recently arrived in port from Britain. The arrival of the tea escalated an already existing debate over the new tea tax, and the Sons of Liberty led an effort to protest the King’s new measure. After the debate, colonists marched to Griffin’s Wharf and dumped the tea into Boston Harbor.

Identify the key resolutions regarding the cargo of tea that were determined as a result of the meetings at the Old South Meeting House.

Explain the position of Captain Francis Rotch regarding his shipment of tea from Britain.

Describe the reactions among colonists.

Explain the argument of "representation" that is presented.

• What was Sam Adam's position regarding the role of governors?

Video Clip: The Stamp Act (1:41)

Scott Stephenson describes the passage of the Stamp Act and its impact in the American colonies.

Why did Britain decide to build forts and station troops throughout North America?

Why did Parliament decide to pass the Stamp Act?

• Explain how the Stamp Act worked and its impact on colonial life.

Video Clip: The Gaspee Affair of 1772 (6:22)

Historian John McNiff talked about the Gaspee, a British ship that patrolled the waterways off of Providence. In 1772 several prominent Providence residents snuck out during the middle of the night and burned the Gaspee to protest new taxes that had been levied by the British.

Explain how Providence and Rhode Island were founded.

Describe the evolving relationship between the colony and England.

Why was the HMS Gaspee’s goals deployed to Rhode Island?

Describe the events that led to the burning of the Gaspee.

• Describe the events following the burning of the Gaspee in Rhode Island. What effect did it have on other colonies?

Video Clip: Worcester Revolution of 1774 (8:49)

Jim Moran talked about the Worcester Revolution of 1774, in which more than 4,000 militiamen from Worcester County, Massachusetts, gathered on Main Street to force the British magistrates out of the county government. He spoke about the Massachusetts Government Act, the role played by General Thomas Gage, and why the revolution was considered one of the first non-violent acts of the American Revolution.

According to James Moran, what is a common understanding among people regarding the start of the American Revolution?

Describe the circumstances that led to the Worcester Revolution of 1774 according to Mr. Moran.

Explain the significance of the Massachusetts Government Act of 1774.

Describe the reaction among people in the surrounding communities. What action did they take?

• Explain the legacy of this event.

Video Clip: First Continental Congress (5:56)

Roger Moss gave a tour of the building that served as the meeting place of the First Continental Congress in 1774.

Describe the incident that occurred in Boston in 1773.

Explain Britain's response to this event.

Explain the colonists' reaction to Britain.

Why did this group of colonists decide to meet in Carpenters' Hall?

• Explain the significance of this first meeting of the Continental Congress.

Video Clip: Communication During the American Revolution (1:54)

Scott Stephenson discussed how communication during the time period affected the American Revolution.

How did the difficulty of communication during the time period impact the American Revolution?

• Describe how the difficulty of communication was illustrated during the Seven Years' War.

Video Clip: Thomas Paine's Common Sense (4:10)

Professor John Fea talked about the ideas and philosophy found in Thomas Paine’s pamphlet "Common Sense."

Explain the ideas Thomas Paine expresses in his "Common Sense" pamphlet.

• Describe Paine's philosophy on politics.

Video Clip: The Beginning of the Revolutionary War (13:02)

National Park Service ranger Phillip Lupsiewicz talked about the Battle of Concord and sites that were part of the fighting on April 19, 1775. Some of the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired on the North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts.

Why is Old North Bridge considered the beginning of the American Revolution?

Describe the tension that occurred between Great Britain and the colonies prior to the Revolutionary War.

Explain the cause of events of the initial shots fired at Lexington and Concord that began the Revolutionary War.

Describe the events that occurred at Barrett Farm and it effect on the American Revolution.

• Explain the events that occurred at Old North Bridge and the Battle of Concord and its significance to the American Revolution.

Video Clip: The Declaration of Independence (7:22)

Historian John Ferling describes the events leading up to America’s declaration of independence from Britain in July 1776.

Who were the Committee of Five and what was their task? Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

What happened on July 1, 1776? Summarize the events of the day as described by Mr. Ferling.

What happened on July 2, 1776? What was the result of the vote?

• According to Mr. Ferling, why do we celebrate Independence Day on July 4th each year?

After viewing the video clips and reporting out to the entire class, have students write an essay (or similar culminating activity) explaining the effect and significance of the events and ideas leading to the American Revolution, citing specific examples from the videos and class discussion.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Scripted Dramatization : Have students script and dramatize their own recreation of another event documented by the clips (not including the Tea Party Debate). Have students submit the script with annotations and/or footnotes that document research and primary source material that served as inspiration.

Compare and Contrast : Students can compare responses of the colonists with acts of civil disobedience today? Which of these events are most similar to behaviors demonstrated in America today, especially during times of high public dissatisfaction with government? Could any of these Revolutionary-era events be even possible to pull off today?

Debate Topic : Were the causes of the Revolutionary War more political than economic, or more economic than political?

RSV-TEA : Create an invitation to your fellow Bostonian colonists to join you in participating in the Boston Tea Party. Be sure to include not just the date, time, and place, but also a compelling reason for your compatriots to join you and a reminder that it is a "surprise party" (and why)!

Revolutionary War Protest Signs : If we applied modern objection-to-government norms to the Revolutionary War era, colonists probably would have shown up to the Battle of Concord with protest signs as well as muskets. Design one that they could have used to help communicate their grievances.

Rewrite Common Sense : Professor Fea mentioned that one of the advantages of Common Sense was that it was "written in common language." Choose a chapter of the text to read and see what "common language" looked like in January 1776. Then choose two paragraphs of that chapter and rewrite them in modern "common language."

Website: Common Sense (Gutenberg.org)

Additional Resources

• WEBSITE: Common Sense (Gutenberg.org)
• LESSON PLAN: The Revolutionary War
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• Common Sense
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Comparing and Contrasting: A Guide to Improve Your Essays

Walter Akolo

Essays that require you to compare and contrast two or more subjects, ideas, places, or items are common.

They call for you to highlight the key similarities (compare) and differences (contrast) between them.

This guide contains all the information you need to become better at writing comparing and contrasting essays.

This includes: how to structure your essay, how to decide on the content, and some examples of essay questions.

Let’s dive in.

What Is Comparing and Contrasting?

Is compare and contrast the same as similarities and differences, what is the purpose of comparing and contrasting, can you compare and contrast any two items, how do you compare and contrast in writing, what are some comparing and contrasting techniques, how do you compare and contrast in college level writing, the four essentials of compare and contrast essays, what can you learn from a compare and contrast essay.

At their most basic, both comparing and contrasting base their evaluation on two or more subjects that share a connection.

The subjects could have similar characteristics, features, or foundations.

But while a comparison discusses the similarities of the two subjects, e.g. a banana and a watermelon are both fruit, contrasting highlights how the subjects or items differ from each other, e.g. a watermelon is around 10 times larger than a banana.

Any question that you are asked in education will have a variety of interesting comparisons and deductions that you can make.

Compare is the same as similarities.

Contrast is the same as differences.

This is because comparing identifies the likeness between two subjects, items, or categories, while contrasting recognizes disparities between them.

When you compare things, you represent them regarding their similarity, but when you contrast things, you define them in reference to their differences.

As a result, if you are asked to discuss the similarities and differences between two subjects, you can take an identical approach to if you are writing a compare and contrast essay.

In writing, the purpose of comparing and contrasting is to highlight subtle but important differences or similarities that might not be immediately obvious.

By illustrating the differences between elements in a similar category, you help heighten readers’ understanding of the subject or topic of discussion.

For instance, you might choose to compare and contrast red wine and white wine by pointing out the subtle differences. One of these differences is that red wine is best served at room temperature while white is best served chilled.

Also, comparing and contrasting helps to make abstract ideas more definite and minimizes the confusion that might exist between two related concepts.

Can Comparing and Contrasting Be Useful Outside of Academia?

Comparing enables you to see the pros and cons, allowing you to have a better understanding of the things under discussion. In an essay, this helps you demonstrate that you understand the nuances of your topic enough to draw meaningful conclusions from them.

Let's use a real-word example to see the benefits. Imagine you're contrasting two dresses you could buy. You might think:

• Dress A is purple, my favorite color, but it has a difficult zip and is practically impossible to match a jacket to.
• Dress B is more expensive but I already have a suitable pair of shoes and jacket and it is easier to move in.

You're linking the qualities of each dress to the context of the decision you're making. This is the same for your essay. Your comparison and contrast points will be in relation to the question you need to answer.

Comparing and contrasting is only a useful technique when applied to two related concepts.

To effectively compare two or more things, they must feature characteristics similar enough to warrant comparison.

In addition to this they must also feature a similarity that generates an interesting discussion. But what do I mean by “interesting” here?

Let’s look at two concepts, the Magna Carta and my third grade poetry competition entry.

They are both text, written on paper by a person so they fulfil the first requirement, they have a similarity. But this comparison clearly would not fulfil the second requirement, you would not be able to draw any interesting conclusions.

However, if we compare the Magna Carta to the Bill of Rights, you would be able to come to some very interesting conclusions concerning the history of world politics.

To write a good compare and contrast essay, it’s best to pick two or more topics that share a meaningful connection .

The aim of the essay would be to show the subtle differences or unforeseen similarities.

By highlighting the distinctions between elements in a similar category you can increase your readers’ understanding.

Alternatively, you could choose to focus on a comparison between two subjects that initially appear unrelated.

The more dissimilar they seem, the more interesting the comparison essay will turn out.

For instance, you could compare and contrast professional rugby players with marathon runners.

Can You Compare and Contrast in an Essay That Does Not Specifically Require It?

As a writer, you can employ comparing and contrasting techniques in your writing, particularly when looking for ideas you can later apply in your argument.

You can do this even when the comparison or contrast is not a requirement for the topic or argument you are presenting. Doing so could enable you to build your evaluation and develop a stronger argument.

Note that the similarities and differences you come up with might not even show up in the final draft.

While the use of compare and contrast can be neutral, you can also use it to highlight one option under discussion. When used this way, you can influence the perceived advantages of your preferred option.

As a writing style, comparing and contrasting can encompass an entire essay. However, it could also appear in some select paragraphs within the essay, where making some comparisons serves to better illustrate a point.

What Should You Do First?

Before you compare two things, always start by deciding on the reason for your comparison, then outline the criteria you will use to compare them.

Words and phrases commonly used for comparison include:

In writing, these words and phrases are called transitions . They help readers to understand or make the connection between sentences, paragraphs, and ideas.

Without transition words writing can feel clumsy and disjointed making it difficult to read. ProWritingAid’s transition report highlights all of a documents transitions and suggests that 25% of any sentences in a piece include a transition.

Sign up for a free ProWritingAid account to use the Transitions Report.

So, how do you form all of this into a coherent essay? It's a good idea to plan first, then decide what your paragraph layout will look like.

Venn diagrams are useful tool to start generating ideas. The, for your essay, you need to choose between going idea by idea and going point by point.

Using a Venn Diagram

A Venn diagram helps you to clearly see the similarities and differences between multiple objects, things, or subjects.

The writing tool comprises two, or more, simple, overlapping circles in which you list down the things that are alike (within the overlapping area) and those that differ (outside the overlapping area).

It’s great for brainstorming ideas and for creating your essay’s outline. You could even use it in an exam setting because it is quick and simple.

Going Subject by Subject

Going subject by subject is a structural choice for your essay.

Start by saying all you have to say on the first subject, then proceed to do the same about the second subject.

Depending on the length of your essay, you can fit the points about each subject into one paragraph or have several sections per each subject, ending with a conclusion.

This method is best for short essays on simple topics. Most university-level essays will go point by point instead.

Going Point by Point

Going point by point, or alternating, is the opposite essay structure from going subject by subject. This is ideal when you want to do more direct comparing and contrasting. It entails discussing one comparison point at a time. It allows you to use a paragraph to talk about how a certain comparing/contrasting point relates to the subjects or items you are discussing.

Alternatively, if you have lots of details about the subject, you might decide to use a paragraph for each point.

An academic compare and contrast essay looks at two or more subjects, ideas, people, or objects, compares their likeness, and contrasts their differences.

It’s an informative essay that provides insights on what is similar and different between the two items.

Depending on the essay’s instructions, you can focus solely on comparing or contrasting, or a combination of the two.

Examples of College Level Compare and Contrast Essay Questions

Here are eleven examples of compare and contrast essay questions that you might encounter at university:

• Archaeology: Compare and contrast the skulls of homo habilis, homo erectus, and homo sapiens.
• Art: Compare and contrast the working styles of any two Neoclassic artists.
• Astrophysics: Compare and contrast the chemical composition of Venus and Neptune.
• Biology: Compare and contrast the theories of Lamarck and Darwin.
• Business: Compare and contrast 2 or more business models within the agricultural industry.
• Creative writing: Compare and contrast free indirect discourse with epistolary styles.
• English Literature: Compare and contrast William Wordsworth with Robert Browning.
• Geography: Compare and contrast the benefit of solar panels with the benefit of wind turbines.
• History: Compare and contrast WWI to WWII with specific reference to the causes and outcomes.
• Medicine: Compare and contrast England’s health service with America’s health service.
• Psychology: Compare and contrast the behaviorist theory with the psychodynamic theory.

So, the key takeaways to keep in mind are:

Have a basis for comparison. The two things need to have enough in common to justify a discussion about their similarities and disparities.

Don’t go back and forth when using the block method. The best way to write your essay is to begin with a paragraph discussing all the facets of the first topic. Then, move on to another paragraph and talk through all the aspects of the second subject.

You can use both alternating and blocking techniques. Combining the two approaches is also an option. You can apply the alternating method in some paragraphs, then switch and use the block method. This method will help you offer a much deeper analysis of the subjects.

Have a reason for comparing the two things. Only select the points of comparison that resonate with your purpose.

Comparing and contrasting are essential analytical skills in academic writing. When your professor issues you with such an essay, their primary goal is to teach you how to:

• Engage in critical thinking
• See and make connections between words or ideas
• Move beyond mere descriptions or summaries to developing interesting analysis
• Get a deeper understanding of the subjects or items under comparison, their key features, and their interrelationships with each other.

Ultimately, your essay should enlighten readers by providing useful information.

Want to use ProWritingAid with your classroom? Download this free book now:

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Editing technology like prowritingaid provides immediate, personalized feedback that will help students to better understand grammar and writing techniques., in this guide , we walk you through exactly how to use prowritingaid in your classroom and give you tools and templates for creating a rigorous, effective independent writing practice with your students..

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Walter Akolo is a freelance writer, internet marketer, trainer, and blogger for hire. He loves helping businesses increase their reach and conversion through excellent and engaging content. He has gotten millions of pageviews on his blog, FreelancerKenya, where he mentors writers. Check out his website walterakolo.com.

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