It's interesting, I think, how similar the American, French, and Hatian revolutions were.

Similarities between the Haitian revolution and the American revolution are striking, in many ways.
Both colonies were rich, offering up produce for sale that could be found few, if any, other places in the world. Both colonies fought wars against a nation over seas, and those nations both wanted their colonies for their incomes. The colonies were helped by other foreign nations, and in both cases the underdog fought and won, hoping to achieve better treatment by those conventionally considered 'betters'.

Differences were present as well, of course: George Washington didn't die in an enemy cell, and unlike the American war, the Haitian Revolution was based predominantly around race and the rights inherent to those of a given race, while Americans fought over the right to communicate their opinion to their leaders, and for equal rights/closer to equal rights among the classes. Unlike France, Britain was not currently at war and mid revolution when it's colony rebelled, and the Americans did not use scorched earth tactics against the incoming British.

The similarities between the American and French revolutions are quite obvious as well: one was based off the other, after all. Similar goals, similar classes of people leading the rebellion, and similar ideals buoying the whole thing. Differences are clear as well: the American Revolution was significantly less bloody than the French one, and significantly more successful. The distance that enemies had to travel to reach France was nothing compared to the journey to America, the amounts and proportions of soldiers per side of the battles, and the shear number of sides to the conflict all differed.


These revolutions share so much in common with each other, and likely with other revolutions as well.
Are there common traits to revolutions?