American Independence And What Made Our History So Different?

American Independence And What Made Our History So Different?

As we mark our 245th birthday on July 4, this episode of What's Ahead asks why the American Revolution led to a lasting republic, where democracy"”sometimes very painfully"”came to include more and more people, while revolutions elsewhere failed. The French Revolution fell into terror and dictatorship. Democracy in France took almost a century to sink real roots. The Russian and Chinese revolutions left tens of millions dead in their wakes. After independence, Latin American states experienced chronic dictatorships. The difference between our democracy and those other examples has its origins in the way the British handled their colonies in North America, which was very different from other imperial powers. Follow me on Send me a secure tip Steve Forbes is Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media. Steve's newest project is the podcast "What's Ahead," where he engages the world's top newsmakers, Steve Forbes is Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media. Steve's newest project is the podcast "What's Ahead," where he engages the world's top newsmakers, politicians and pioneers in business and economics in honest conversations meant to challenge traditional conventions as well as featuring Steve's signature views on the intersection of society, economic and policy. Steve helped create the recently