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 recognized the importance of individual rights, they took different paths in the creation and functioning of their respective governments. The economic views of the French would be at odds with American economists who roughly associate themselves with Enlightenment thinkers such as Adam Smith. Religion would be closely associated with princes in the United States as the French sought to secularize their nation. Enlightenment ideas influenced the politics of both the French and American people through their 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 freethinkers 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.html). This established universal rights for individuals that have always existed at all times. The document shows many similarities to American documents such as the Bill 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 community “We the People” (http://www.pbs.org/marieantoin..... . middle of article ...on, Enlightenment ideas permeated the politics, economics, and religion of the French Revolution and the American Revolution. Although both show numerous similarities, they predominantly differ in many aspects. Politically, American conservatives respected the. individual and property rights of a citizen, while French politics respected individual rights, in some cases appropriated property rights, and used terror to influence people. America closely associated itself with religion during the revolution. while the French public mostly despised the church /1504http://www.pbs.org/marieantoinette/revolution/america_france.html.