Compare And Contrast The American Revolutions Between 1789 And 1917

The French and Russian Revolutions (1789 and 1917, respectively) were two violent uprisings that brought several issues that had been ignored by the monarchies of their respective states to the forefront of politics and discussion. One issue that was, at some points, overlooked by the revolutionaries of both time periods was the issue of gender equality and women’s rights. The response from revolutionaries during these time periods were, at times, halting and somewhat exclusive towards their female counterparts. The women involved in both revolutions were enfranchised and disenfranchised at similar points during and after their respective uprisings. While French women were not given many opportunities to be able to gain rights, the women of
Due to the newfound interest in biology, the idea of women in the minds of the French citizens became increasingly derogatory and ill-informed. Women, despite their “courage during the sufferings of maternity”, were illogical, emotional, and forced into submission (de Gouges, 261). When revolution unfolded in 1789, women were the early leaders of the uprising, most notably in the storming of Versailles. Seeing as there was a severe economic downturn after King Louis XVI completely eradicated the treasury, bread prices were rising quickly and women, being the keeper of the home, had to protect their children from starving. To protect the children and the family, women joined the revolution. However, despite their intentions, they were not rewarded during the revolution, with most revolutionaries following Rousseau’s derogatory comments on women in his writings, nor after, seeing as Napoleon took away all rights women gained from the revolution (class, 09/06/17). As seen with the march on Versailles, women during the French Revolution were interested in becoming involved in political processes, as they fought for the right to an education and therefore the right to