Summary in Seconds: From the outset, in the late 18th century, the American version of democracy diverged significantly from its European counterpart. The contrast between the American Revolution and the French Revolution can be encapsulated in their respective slogans: “no taxation without representation” versus “liberté, égalité, et fraternité.” While Europe’s path to democracy was shaped by figures and events such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Prince Metternich, and the “Springtime of the Peoples” in 1848, America’s trajectory toward democracy was defined by its Civil War, the expansion into “The Wild West,” the acquisition of vast territories including Mexico, Cuba, and the Philippines, and, more recently, the controversial gerrymandering of House Representative districts.
Europe fought for generations to gain the thriving democracy they have today. Europeans hold their democracy close to their hearts, cherish it, and are willing to sacrifice to protect what their ancestors died for. In comparison, we did not go through the same struggles. We only copied the features of European democracies in the eighteenth century.
While we had an “American Revolution,” they had “The French Revolution.” Many historians, especially American ones, claim that the French Revolution was inspired by the American Revolution, but likely only in name. While the French Revolution was led by philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau1 and Voltaire2, who were preaching liberty for all, the American Revolution was led by big landowners who were demanding “no taxation without representation.” The Bostonian mob started the American Revolution by throwing 342 chests of East India Company tea into the water, while the Parisian mob stormed the Bastille3, shouting “liberté, égalité, et fraternité.” 4
Their revolt was to gain the liberty to think for themselves—no kings or popes; ours was for “all men are created equal,” written by slave owners who had black mistresses. They hugged and kissed them at night and kept their kids— their own sons and daughters— as slaves the next morning.
“Hypocrisy has always been part of this country’s DNA.”
European history also had Napoleon Bonaparte5, who, despite his flaws, spread the ideals and dreams of the French Revolution from Madrid, Spain, to Moscow, Russia. The loud drums of his marching bands did not just rock European royalties and their forever regimes, but also inspired every European to fight for a life of freedom where they could pursue their God-given potential.
We, unfortunately, did not have anybody, not even a statue of Napoleon. Instead, we had generals invading the “Wild West” and establishing the lawless rule of “it is kosher if you pull out your gun first.” We invaded Mexico6, taking almost half of their land. We invaded Cuba7 and cooked up a story about a white woman being strip-searched by Cuban “brown” officers to stir up hatred. We invaded the Philippines8 and replaced Spanish colonial rule with a more brutal regime.
In Europe, there was Metternich9, who tried to turn back the clock by stifling the spirit of Napoleon-awakened Europeans. Just a few years after the 1815 Vienna Conference10, Europe saw the “Springtime of the Peoples” in 184811. From Ireland to the Black Sea, people were calling for social, economic, and political changes. This wave of revolutions remains the largest and most widespread in European history. In contrast, America did not experience the same kind of awakening that required someone like the Austrian statesman to restore order.
While Europe erupted in a series of revolutions in 1848, demanding political and social change, the U.S. was gearing up for the Civil War. Unlike the European revolutions, we were not fighting for new ideas, but rather to stay in the past. Almost half of the country wanted to keep the institution of enslaving fellow Americans and to expand it to new territories. Meanwhile, European countries were working to abolish the slave trade and its brutal triad that connected African shores, the New World plantations, and European bank accounts.
The truth is that American democracy has always been a system manufactured by the elites to look like a democracy, while actually benefiting them. It keeps the masses distracted, obsessed with side issues, and unaware of how their lives could improve. For example, why care about a livable wage when you are worried about your gun rights? Why focus on universal healthcare when you fear violence from people of different races?
When we wonder how half of America could choose Donald J. Trump to be the 47th president, we need to remember that little has changed in over 250 years. The same issues that divided us back then still haunt us today.
Glossary & Terminology.
1. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a Swiss philosopher, writer, and composer who was an important figure in the Enlightenment. His ideas on politics and morality greatly impacted Western Europe, especially the French Revolution and the development of modern political thought.
2. Voltaire: Voltaire, whose real name was François-Marie Arouet, was a French writer, philosopher, satirist, and historian during the Enlightenment. Known for his sharp wit and his criticism of Christianity and slavery, Voltaire strongly supported freedom of speech, religious freedom, and the separation of church and state.
3. The Bastille: The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, also called the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played a key role in France’s internal conflicts and was mainly used as a state prison by the French kings. On July 14, 1789, during the French Revolution, a crowd stormed the Bastille, and it became an important symbol for the French Republican movement. The fortress was later demolished and replaced by the Place de la Bastille.
4. “liberté, égalité, et fraternité”: French for liberty, equality, and fraternity. It is the national motto of France. It finds its origins in the French Revolution and was institutionalized during the Third Republic at the end of the 19th century.
5. Napoleon Bonaparte: Also known as Napoleon I, was a French general and leader who became famous during the French Revolution. He led many military campaigns across Europe during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1796 to 1815.
6. The Invasion of Mexico, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the United States’ intervention in Mexico, took place from April 25, 1846, to February 2, 1848. It was an invasion of Mexico by the United States Army.
7. The Invasion of Cuba: Part of the Spanish–American War, fought between Spain and the United States from April 21 to December 10, 1898. As a result, the U.S. gained control over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines and also established a protectorate over Cuba.
8. The Philippines War: Also known as the Philippine–American War, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, started after the end of The Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States took control of the Philippines through the Treaty of Paris. The fighting began on February 4, 1899, with the Battle of Manila and ended with the Battle of Bud Bagsak on June 15, 1913.
9. Metternich: Born Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, better known as Klemens von Metternich or Prince Metternich (May 5, 1773 – June 11, 1859), was a German statesman and diplomat who served the Austrian Empire. A conservative, Metternich played a key role in maintaining the European balance of power, known as the Concert of Europe, for three decades. He was Austria’s foreign minister starting in 1809 and became chancellor in 1821, but was forced to resign after the liberal Revolutions of 1848.
10. 1815 Vienna Conference: A series of international diplomatic meetings held to discuss and decide on a new political and constitutional order for Europe after the fall of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
11. “Springtime of the Peoples” in 1848: Except for England and Russia, all other European states experienced revolutions that year. Because of this, the year is commonly referred to as “the springtime of peoples.”