North America 1789
Europe 1789
Why did the American Revolution
succeed and the French Revolution
fail? (PERMITS)
USA

Weaker local
competitors

Native Americans
French
Great Britain
 Austria- Habsburgs
 Russia
 Spain
 Prussia – Germany
 The Dutch

USA Past History
France Past History
Colonial Rivalries?
 Tories – Left for GB
 Classes are fluid


The Ancient Regime
◦ 1000 years Feudalism
◦ Three distinct classes of
people
Governmental Disputes

USA
◦ Political Parties
 No previous history
 More Moderate
 Individuals are protected
by constitution
 Strong Federal
Government
 George Washington
 “He will either become the
King or he will become the
greatest man in the world”
George III

France
◦ Political parties
 Engrained distrust
 Radical and violent
 Constitutional law
suspended because of
counter revolutionaries
 Louis XVI “ All I want is to
be loved”
George Washington February 22,
1732 – December 14, 1799
Economic

USA
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Paper Currency
Huge Debt
Stable Government
Trade
No Navy

France
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Gold Currency
Massive Debt
Weak King
Trade
Navy
Religion

USA
◦ Protestant
◦ Little violent history

France
◦ Catholic and Protestant
◦ Wars of Religion
Military

USA
◦ No enemies on the
border
France
Enemies on every
border
Left
Center
Right

Left

Republic
Radicals
Center
Limited Monarchy
Classic Liberals
18th Century
Right
Absolute
Monarch
Conservatives
Socio-Economic Data, 1789
We the people of the United States, in
order to form a more perfect union,
establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America
The Preamble
The USA Constitution