The French and American Revolutions and Women's Rights

There are strong differences between the French and American revolutions, as well as Mary Wollstonecraft's book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which came out right in the middle of all this revolutionary thinking. The French Revolution was anti-freedom of religion even as it claimed to be about liberty and equality. It soon got out of hand. Here's a huge oversimplification: The French want equality and to tear down hundreds of years of tradition and civil society, so they break into a prison, free some murderers and criminals, go on a rampage across the country, cut off everyone's heads (including the king’s), and put Robespierre in charge. He stated that enemies of France (anyone who resisted him or had a different religion than him) were to be put to death immediately and brutally without trial. He was in charge for a little while, until he was, of course, put to death immediately and brutally, without trial. The French killed him in their favorite way: they cut off his head. This revolution didn’t work out, though. They thought they could replace God with reason, morality with enlightenment, and the nature of the world with the nature they make up. In their arrogance, they could no longer even talk to each other without losing their heads and, like the tower, it all crashed down. It just took ten years.

The American Revolution was different because it was more organized and less deadly. It also was different because the French revolution was the French people wanting to tear down society, not keep it. The French Revolution saw the end of between 30-50,000 people, mainly by execution, while 6,800 Americans were killed in battle, with at least 17,000 dying from disease because of winter or the British imprisoning them in terrible conditions. The American Revolution also saw a more positive end: America has become the greatest and most powerful country in the world, with leaders elected by common vote instead of by family bloodlines.

Mary Wollstonecraft published her book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, in 1792. The American Revolution was recently over, and the French Revolution was in full swing. It is no coincidence that her line of thought found its footing in Western culture at that moment in time. The entire West was rethinking the natural balance of liberty in civil society and liberty versus the state. The book focused on women's financial, educational, and political rights, which were practically unheard of in her time. She also spoke against marriage, even though she herself ended up marrying William Godwin. She was inspired to write her book by the abuse she and her mother suffered from her father in her childhood, as well as her not having near enough money because of women being paid less than men.

Thank you for reading another Western Civ. essay!