Apparatus of Evolution By Thomas Fahey

The biggest difference in revolutions in the 1700s and revolutions today is the impact of technology on communications. During the American Revolution, the Revolutionaries had to rely on written newspapers and pamphlets. These materials slowly reached a small number of people. Eventually, the colonists set up groups like the Sons Of Liberty and The Committees Of Correspondence. But even these groups were small in number. Events took months and years to organize.

Modern revolutions, like the one in Egypt, happen faster due to social networking sites such as Facebook. The original organizer, Maher, set up a Facebook group that became the nexus of the movement. If it had not been for these sites, the organizers would have taken much longer to pull together such large demonstrations. The availability of Facebook allowed communications, which would have taken months in the 1700s, to occur in minutes. This not only brought the crowd together, but communicated a common message and goal. Facebook was also used to get the best tactics of other revolutionaries to the Egyptians quickly. Because Facebook is everywhere, the revolutionary ideas will spread quickly through out the middle east and bring about change throughout the region.