Causes
What war put Britain in debt, leading to higher taxes on the American colonies?
The Seven Years’ War
What battle in 1777 was a turning point for the American Revolution because it convinced France to support the colonies?
The Battle of Saratoga.
Who wrote Common Sense, inspiring many Americans to seek independence?
Thomas Paine.
What document, written mainly by Thomas Jefferson, announced American independence?
The Declaration of Independence.
Both revolutions sought freedom from what type of ruler?
Monarchy.
What social inequality in France divided people into three estates, contributing to revolutionary tensions?
The Estates system
What Parisian prison was stormed on July 14, 1789, sparking the French Revolution?
The Bastille.
Which general led American forces during the Revolution and became the first U.S. president?
George Washington.
What 1789 French document declared natural rights for citizens?
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
Which foreign ally gave key support to the Americans during their revolution?
France.
The slogan “No taxation without representation” was aimed at what institution in Britain?
The British Parliament.
What event in 1773 saw American colonists protest taxes by dumping tea into Boston Harbor?
The Boston Tea Party.
Who was the radical Jacobin leader known as the “Incorruptible”?
Maximilien Robespierre.
What 1783 treaty officially ended the American Revolutionary War?
The Treaty of Paris
The French Revolution was more radical, while the American Revolution was mainly about what issue?
Taxation and political representation.
What long-unused assembly did Louis XVI call to solve France’s financial problems?
The Estates-General.
What oath did members of the Third Estate take, vowing not to disband until they had a constitution?
The Tennis Court Oath.
Which Enlightenment thinker’s idea of separation of powers influenced both revolutions?
Montesquieu.
What was the newspaper written by Jean-Paul Marat that advocated for radical revolutionary action?
The Friend of the People
While the American Revolution led to independence, the French Revolution eventually resulted in the rise of what kind of government system after the monarchy fell?
A republic.
What British tax required colonists to pay for official stamps on newspapers, legal documents, and other papers?
The Stamp Act.
What bloody period of the French Revolution saw mass executions under Robespierre?
The Reign of Terror.
Who was the French activist and writer who advocated for women’s rights and wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen?
Olympe de Gouges.
What document replaced the Articles of Confederation and established a stronger U.S. federal government?
The U.S. Constitution.
Both revolutions were inspired by Enlightenment ideas, but which one primarily focused on achieving political independence from a colonial power?
The American Revolution.