By Jonathan Martin

Egyptian Revolution

Demands: end the reign of the Hosni Mubarak regime and the end of emergency law

Incentives: police brutality, state of emergency laws, lack of free elections and freedom of speech, uncontrollable corruption, economic issues including high unemployment, food price inflation, and low minimum wages, freedom, justice, a responsive non-military government, and a say in the management of Egypt's resources.

Egypt’s Revolution

Demand: political and economic independence from England

Incentives: high taxes on most goods, no representation, no control of foreign commerce, severely limited trade, high-priced vital imports, limited land expansion (Proclamation Act)

America’s Revolution

Outside helpFrance helped AmericansThe Maghreb, Levant, Persian Gulf, and others

helped EgyptPropaganda use

Americans: pamphlets (ex. Common Sense)Egyptians: protests, technology (ex. photos,

internet)Shutdown of communication

British cut American ties with foreign tradersEgypt government shuts down internet

Similarities

What they got out of successAmericans annoyed with taxes and no representation,

want own controlEgyptians under cruel military dictatorship that ruined

countries economy and social structure, chance to reform country

Conditions of revolutionariesAmericans moderately prosperous, doing fine

economically, no heavy economic devastationEgyptians poor, impoverished, oppressed

Effected PopulationSuccessful revolution in America affects >3 million peopleSuccessful revolution in Egypt affects 83 million+ people

Differences

Rule of oppressorsAmerica under moderately indirect rule by British,

colonies have own (limited) rights to make own rulesEgypt under direct rule from Mubarak regime

Ruler’s conditionBritish separated by ocean, distractedEgypt has strong police state, protection only via

pictures of oppression and number of revolutionariesCountry’s reformation

America already had basic political structure in each colony to go off of, knew they wanted democracy

Egypt had to start from scratch, knew they wanted democracy, didn’t know how to form new government

Differences

Although both American and Egyptian revolutionists were fighting for lots of the same things (representation, economic control, etc.), Egypt’s revolution was to a greater degree. Egypt had a lot more post-revolution reformation work as well as fought a stronger more concentrated enemy.

Analysis

Craig Kanalley. “Egypt Revolution 2011: A Complete Guide To The Unrest” The Huffington Post. Published 01-30-11. Accessed 10-25-11. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/30/egypt-revolution-2011_n_816026.html

Sam Haselby. “Egypt vs the American Revolution” Aljazeera.net. Published 3-8-11. Accessed 10-26-11. http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/03/201137124724236938.html

“2011 Egyptian Revolution” Wikipedia. Accessed 10-26-11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_revolution_of_2011

Fareed Zakeria. “How Democracy Can Work in the Middle East” Time Magazine. Published 2-03-11. Accessed 10-28-11. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2046038,00.html

References