The French Revolution and the Birth of Modernity - Essay Example

The French Revolution that started in 1789 and ended in 1799 was more like internal strife that existed between the people of France and the tyrannical monarch, King Louis XVI, who was ruling France at that time (Feher, 1990). The French revolution was basically a period of transformation of the political system as it ushered in the change of leadership from an autocratic style to a more democratic style of leadership. The Latin American Revolution that started in 1807 and ended in 1824 was a rebellious war that involved the natives of Mexico, Central and South America, and their Spanish and Portuguese colonial masters (Gilbert, 1990).

The Latin Americans fought against the heavy taxation burdens and strict economic policies that were imposed on them by their colonial masters. George Washington was the founder of the Continental Army and he was the one that influenced the American Revolution (Ferling, 2001). General Washington played a great role in ensuring that the Americans were victorious in their revolution against the British. However, there are different people that influenced the French Revolution and some of them are Maximilien Robespierre, Georges Jacques Danton, and Jean-Paul Marat (Feher, 1990).

Maximilien Robespierre was a French lawyer and political activist, Jean-Paul Marat was one of the most radical political leaders during the French revolution that promoted violence against supporters of King Louis XVI, while Georges Jacques Danton gave powerful speeches that inspired the people to take part in the French Revolution (Feher, 1990). One person that influenced the Latin American Revolution the most was Simon Bolivar. Simon Bolivar was instrumental to the independence of most Latin American countries which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru (Gilbert, 1990).

After the American Revolution, the Americans gained their independence from their British colonial powers and they also established themselves as one of the greatest nations in the world. The newly liberated United States of America established their system of government, which was based on the republican system that gave power to its people (Ferling, 2001). At the end of the American Revolution in1783, several states of the country endorsed the Constitution that brought about a very strong central government (Ferling, 2001).

The success of the French revolution was finally confirmed when the monarch, King Louis XVI was guillotined by the revolutionary government in 1793 and this signaled the end of tyrannical leadership in France as the people were relatively freed from the Monarch that oppressed them (Feher, 1990). The success of the French Revolution gave power to the people as it liberated the people and produced free and equal citizens with the elimination of the autocratic system of government. Several bills of rights and constitutions were drafted and ratified after the French revolution, the church was incorporated into the state and the law and the administration code were restructured and these were few of the many benefits of the French Revolution (Feher, 1990).

The result of the Latin American Revolution was the independence of the Latin American nations and their independence would not have been made possible if the revolutionary war was not fought and the kind of people that masterminded the revolution also determined the success of the revolution. But it should also be noted that the newly independent Latin American nations had problems existing on their own and they were faced with problems of leadership as dictators ruled some of these countries till the twentieth century.

The success of the American Revolution ushered in a great country that became a superpower in the world and it also made the oppressed people of the world know that they could be freed from their oppression if they have the kind of determination and courage that the members of the Continental Army and the founding fathers showed during the American Revolution. The people of the world felt the effect of the French Revolution as it is one of the most important events in the European timeline. Different countries of the world, especially the ones in Europe modeled their fight for emancipation and liberation after the French Revolution.

Countries that sought to change their social and political system always make reference to the French Revolution and this shows that the impact of the French Revolution is still being felt to date. The French Revolution helped to make revolution an integral part of the political custom of the world and it also set an example of parliamentary democracy that other countries have followed. The Latin American revolution helped to reduce the importation of black slaves to the region and it also played a part in the fight against slavery across the world.