•  
  •  
 

Abstract

The American Revolution was the second major Western democratic republican revolution to precede the French Revolution. It was followed by the Brabant Revolution a decade later. The resemblances between the American Revolution of 1765-1783 and the Brabant Revolution of 1789-1790 in the southern Netherlands are evident. Even though the Brabant Revolution was short-lived in comparison to the American Revolution, both populaces sought to establish national independence from a European power. In the case of the American Revolution, the thirteen colonies sought to free themselves from the tyranny of Great Britain. During the Brabant Revolution, nine provinces in the Austrian Netherlands desired independence from the Habsburg ruler, Emperor Joseph II, and Belgian statehood. This study will examine why one revolution triumphed and the other did not. The American Revolution resulted in a confederate republic with checks and balance on the three branches of government. On the other hand, the Brabant Revolution resulted in a political entity in which the common people possessed no agency. This study will also compare the 1581 Act of Abjuration and the 1776 Declaration of Independence and the Belgian Confederation and the U.S. Article of Confederation. Lastly, this examination will analyze similarities between the civil wars occurring within each revolution, each revolution’s reign of terror, and the widespread use of pamphlets and their role in public discourse.

Download

Share

COinS