The American Revolution had a tremendous effect on Europe. It not only served as an inspiration for France, but also demonstrated that the liberal political ideas of the Enlightenment were more than mere utterances of intellectuals.
Three major events of the American Revolution had great influence on Europe:
Signing the Declaration of Independence:- inspired many European Nations and colonies to revolt and successfully asserted its rights to self-government and nationhood.
Implementing the Ideas of Enlightenment: – The natural rights of man, and the ideas of Liberty, Equality and Freedom of Religion, were no longer unrealistic Utopian ideals.
Formation of the U.S Constitution: – U.S Constitution rejected the Greek model of civic Republicanism and distinguished the notion between “democracy” and their own proposedsystem of Representative Democracy.
Europeans obtained information about the American Revolution from soldiers returning from America. French soldiers returned to Francewith ideas of individual liberty, popular Sovereignty and the notion of Republicanism.
The American Revolution helped to strengthen the idea of the ‘right of revolution’, the right of a people to overthrow an oppressive government.
The spirit of nationalism began to spread with the birth of the United States of America.
The American Revolutionaries served as a source of great inspiration to the French and others who were being oppressed by autocrats or imperialists, regarded the Revolution as a good lesson from them.
The Principles of freedom and democracy were upheld through slogans such as ‘No taxation without representation’ and ‘Give me Liberty or Give me Death’ which highly influenced the minds of people all over the world.
America gave rise to a great hero of the War of Independence, namely George Washington, was honored by being made the first President born in a farmer’s family.
Groups excluded from immediate Equality such as slaves and women would draw their later inspirations from revolutionary sentiments. Americans began to feel that their fight for liberty was a Global fight.