In 1868, the end of the Tokugawa shogunate led to the formation of the Meiji Restoration which changed the political, economic, cultural and social structures of Japan similar to the impact of the American and French revolutions that shaped modern society. These revolutions lead to many reforms that are different and distinct from each other. However, equally, they have all contributed to shaping today's modern environment. Many of these similarities and differences include political changes in the military along with the structure of government, economic changes with new trading partners and technological inventions, and social changes in the role of different classes and mutual domination. The commitment to reform led to broader implications of revolutions resulting from the growing need for freedom. The American and French revolutions together with the Meiji Restoration had laid the foundation for the transition from imperialism to decolonization and the creation of modern states. However, the revolutions were not just wars, but also helped build the foundations for diplomatic relations and economic opportunities. The struggles within the country were actually necessary because they led to revolutions and reforms that resulted in unification. This is evident through the impacts of the Meiji Restoration as they absorbed Western influences and unified through government changes along with building a sense of nationalism. Among the most important changes that led to these traumatic revolutions were the reestablishment of government and political adjustments. The shift from a decentralized political system during the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate to a highly centralized bureaucratic government established by the em...... middle of paper ...... stems directly from the Stamp Act imposed during the American Revolution for protest against merchandising taxation. During the French Revolution, Sources of Japanese Tradition, Volume II, compiled by Ryusaku Tsunoda, Wm. Theodore de Bary and Donald Keene (NY:Columbia University Press, 1958) p. 137.Totman, Conrad. "Ethnicity in the Meiji Restoration: An Interpretative Essay." JSTOR. Monumenta Nipponica Vol.37, No.3, pp. 269-287. Sophia University.FM Anderson, The Constitution and other selected documents illustrative of the history of France, 1789-1907, 2d Ed., (Minneapolis, 1908), pp. 507-513.Greene, Jack P. The American Historical Review vol. 105, no. 1 (February 2000), pp 93-102 Journal of the first congress of the American colonies, in opposition to the tyrannical acts of the British parliament. Held in New York, October 7, 1765 (New York, 1845), pp. 27-29.