The French and American Revolutions had many similarities, such as their beginnings which were due to civil unrest, and differences, such as the economic state each were in at the time of war. For example, in the French Revolution, they were not economically stable due to having just come out of the Seven Year's War, but in the American Revolution, the colonists were slightly more economically stable with their cash crops and plantations and such.
A similarity between the revolutions is that they both arose because of injustice felt by the civilians. The monarchies were treating them inhumanly, violating what philosophers of the Enlightenment had stated as basic human rights.
A second similarity is that the civil unrest that caused both revolutions also stemmed from increased taxes. Different tax acts that the British government imposed on the colonies, as well as the join stock companies' monopolies, caused the colonists to have to unfairly pay high taxes on basic necessities. In France, heavy debt from the Seven Year's War caused taxes to have to be raised, and the people felt this was terrible and unjust. This affected both Britain and France.
A third similarity is the conclusion of an official document at the end of each revolution. The American Revolution ended with the Constitution, and the French had their Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. They did this because they wanted a clear and official guide to how the reformed country would run, and to set down some firm, anti-tyranny rules.
One difference between the revolutions is the economic stability of both countries during their revolutions. The French were suffering in a lot of debt from the Seven Year's War when they launched into the revolution, while the colonies were not. They had not participated in too many wars, and they were doing well with plantations, crops, and trade.
Another difference is that during the French Revolution, the people with power--the nobility--revolted against the central control, but in the American Revolution, the people with a little more power were sided with the British government. The nobles in France hated the taxes being imposed and rebelled, but in America, the loyalists went against the poorer patriots.
A difference that occurred sometime after the end of both revolutions is which directions of government each country took. After the American Revolution was over, a democracy was immediately put in place, and the Constitution was followed. However, after the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte came in and took over, turning the country into a dictatorship, while in America, George Washington eventually came to be President of a democracy by popular vote.
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