Although the French and American revolutions share some similarities, they differ in most areas involving the revolution. Enlightenment ideas would help shape politics, economics, and religion in revolutionary nations. Although both understood the importance of individual rights, they took different paths to establishing and operating their respective governments. French economic views are said to be at odds with American economic views that are roughly associated with Enlightenment thinkers like Adam Smith. Religion would be closely associated with principles in the United States as the French sought to secularize their nation. Enlightenment ideas affected the politics of the French and American people through the form of government and individual rights. Thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed in the individual right of man as a citizen of a sovereign nation. In 1789, the Marquis de Lafayette used the ideas of Rousseau and other free thinkers to draft his Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen to the National Constituent Assembly in France (http://www.pbs.org /marieantoinette/revolution/america_france. This established universal rights for individuals that have always existed at all times. The document has many similarities to American documents such as the declaration of human rights in the United States Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. For example, they all show a relationship through the declaration of individual rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion. However, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen focuses more on individualism while the American documents focus more on a "We the People" community (http://www.pbs.org/marieantoin.. .... middle of article ...... about, Enlightenment ideas permeated the politics, economics, and religion of the French Revolution and the American Revolution Although the two have several similarities, they differ. primarily on most things Politically, American conservatives respected individual and property rights of citizens, while French politics respected individual rights, seized property rights in some cases, and used terror. to influence people Economically, the American idea of ​​the free market left the economy alone, while the French introduced socialist ideas such as price caps Religiously, America joined closely. to religion during the revolution, while the French public mostly despised the Church. /1504http://www.pbs.org/marieantoinette/revolution/america_france.html