Western Civ II Lesson 70: How Friedrich Gentz Distinguishes Between the American and French Revolutions, and Mary Wollstonecraft on the Rights of Women.

1. How does Friedrich Gentz distinguish between the American and French Revolutions? Do you see the influence of Edmund Burke in his thinking?

     Friedrich Gentz was the author of a book called The Origin and Principles of the American Revolution, Compared with the Origin and Principles of the French Revolution. The main difference Gentz cites between the two revolutions is tradition. The Americans were trying to uphold their tradition whereas the French were trying to destroy theirs. Edmund Burke had similar ideas and likely influenced Gentz.    

2. What points is Mary Wollstonecraft making in the excerpts you read from the beginning of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman? What would she like to see changed in European society?

     Mary Wollstonecraft expressed how she believed women had the same intellectual capacity as men. In an age when constitutions and rights and freedoms of the people were abundant, Wollstonecraft fought for the rights of women. She called out the hypocrisy which occurred, as men restricted women’s freedom whilst fighting for their own. 

Advertisement