The Awakening and Challenges of Women's Rights: A Comparative Study under the Influence of the American Revolution and the French Revolution

Abstract

Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution saw the emergence of women's rights in the modern West to a certain extent. Although both the French Revolution and the American Revolution were characterised by the struggle for women's rights, there were notable differences in the specific ways, times, and challenges they faced. This paper compares the emancipatory effects of the two revolutions on women and the independent links between women's emancipation in the local social and political contexts. It reveals that women's emancipation in the modern West was influenced by the unique internal structure of each country's society at the time. It is revealed that during the French Revolution, women's struggle for rights was more centred on the domestic and social level than on direct participation in the political decision-making process due to the development of capitalism in France. Conversely, women in the American Revolution were more concerned with political, legal, and social issues. This essay will examine the chronology of the pre-revolutionary, revolutionary, and post-revolutionary periods, with a focus on the differing national and revolutionary contexts of the two countries, the varying status of women, and the divergent approaches to the fight for women's rights.