1789: The Threshold of the Modern Age

by David Andress

The world in 1789 stood on the edge of a unique transformation. At the end of an unprecedented century of progress, the fates of three nations—France; the nascent United States; and their common enemy, Britain—lay interlocked. France, a nation bankrupted by its support for the American Revolution, wrestled to seize the prize of citizenship from the ruins of the old order. Disaster loomed for the United States, too, as it struggled, in the face of crippling debt and inter-state rivalries, to forge the constitutional amendments that would become known as the Bill of Rights. Britain, a country humiliated by its defeat in America, recoiled from tales of imperial greed and the plunder of India as a king's madness threw the British constitution into turmoil. Radical changes were in the air.

A year of revolution was crowned in two documents drafted at almost the same time: the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the American Bill of Rights. These texts gave the world a new political language and promised to foreshadow new revolutions, even in Britain. But as the French Revolution spiraled into chaos and slavery experienced a rebirth in America, it seemed that the budding code of individual rights would forever be matched by equally powerful systems of repression and control.

David Andress reveals how these events unfolded and how the men who led them, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès, and George Washington, stood at the threshold of the modern world. Andress shows how the struggles of this explosive year—from the inauguration of George Washington to the birth of the cotton trade in the American South; from the British Empire's war in India to the street battles of the French Revolution—would dominate the Old and New Worlds for the next two centuries.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, France, 18th Century, European History, World History

453 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2008

About the author

David Andress, a leading historian of the French Revolution, is Reader in Modern European History at the University of Portsmouth and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Reviews

[Eugene Kernes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is This An Overview?
Many social changes were happening to the United States, France, and British during the 1780s-1790s. Obtaining independence from a monarchy, to defending sovereignty, to economics, to social rights. Each were forced to reconsider what they thought of liberty and freedom. Each considered the rights and treatment of slaves, along with the penal system. Methods were used to protect free speech, to prevent persecution for disagreement with those in power. The privileges of the elite, the nobles were challenged. Exploitation by those in power were to be resisted. As power shifted to private entities, to the market system, those in power had their own exploitation methods which were challenged. Developing a need for workers’ rights. Technological development changed infrastructure.

Caveats?
The book covers a range of topics, and therefore there is limited information on each topic. More research would be needed to understand each society and event. The history is represented using contemporary values, of the early 21st century. Creating a narrative fallacy for what was right and wrong.

[Joseph Caygill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tantalisingly close to a really good book. Great, coherent conclusion but too convoluted for the most part

[Bill F.]

By all rights, I should not have enjoyed this book. I've never been in love with European history - probably because it's too damned long. U.S. history is great: concise, 200+ years, simple. Boom, that's it. With Europe though, you're talking about at least 1,000 years - and that's if you write off whatever happened before 1066 as utter misery.

Andress' book, however, blends American with European history through the spectrum of 1789 in America, France and England. The events of that year - and the years immediately preceding and succeeding it - led to what Andress calls "the threshold of the modern age."

We know that in the United States 1789 saw the installation of the form of government approved in the newly-ratified Constitution. The irony is that in England at the same time, a centenary celebration of the "glorious" revolution of 1689 led many to question whether England's unwritten constitution - or an actual written document like the United States now had - was the preferable form. As President Washington settled into his new digs in New York City, Congress began debate on a 'bill of rights' - which had been demanded by many states in return for their agreement to ratify the Constitution at all. Andress covers most of the basics in the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debate, although his portraits of Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are a bit thin. He does accurately bring to life, however, Benjamin Franklin and the role his ideas played in the new government.

In England, a battle between political forces led by Charles James Fox against those led by William Pitt coincided with the centenary celebration. At the same time, Thomas Paine was preparing his epic, The Rights of Man, which would turn much of the world on its proverbial ear with such truly revolutionary concepts as the fallacy of monarchy and the inherent rights of the common man [hence, the title, folks] that exist - written or unwritten - now and for all time.

Meanwhile, in France, we know that a whole lot of guillotine makers are about to get rich. Which is ironic, since it is the rich who will end up at the losing end of the guillotine over the next five years. Andress' description of Louis XVI - and Marie Antoinette - make the book worth reading in and of themselves. The duplicity of Louis - according to Andress - is what truly was his ruin in the end. His half-measures in dealing with the Estates General were simultaneous with his plans to crush the 'parlement'.

Andress' work is well-researched and a relatively easy-read. It gets a bit mundane in the inner-workings of each country's system of government - but such a background is necessary in order to make his larger point that the events in and around 1789 laid the foundation for the modern age.

In addition to revolutionary ideas [and, in the U.S. and France, revolutionary actions], all three powers shared another common bond: slavery. Andress goes into great detail about how slavery and slave trade came to be in each of the three nations, and what effects slavery had on the shaping of the revolutionary ideas that were taking shape in the world of 1789.

While not necessarily a work for those looking for a quick-read of light fare, Andress' 1789 is a good starting point for anyone seeking to get a primer on the age, with the idea of then delving deeper into any of the many issues he touches on in his work.

[Abcdarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chapter 1 was depressingly modern sounding: the haves want to hang on to everything they've got, run the country on credit & avoid taxes except for the have-nots.
Gave up eventually ... the writing is like wading through thick mud.

[Greg Strid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a decent number of books about this time period, mostly dealing with specific events like the French Revolution, the American Revolutionary War and the Constitutional Convention. Given my interest in this time period, I was eager to read this book by David Andress, which I thought would tie together the events in America, Great Britain and France, centered around 1789. I'm sorry to say that my enthusiasm for this book began to wane very early on. Andress's handling of each phase/chapter of the book was clunky and unnecessarily confusing. I found myself having to turn back several pages in each chapter to try and make sense of what he was trying to convey. Needless to say I gave up after four chapters (close to 100 pages) - which is rare for me. However, I do recommend his book on the French Revolution called "The Terror: The Merciless War for Freedom in Revolutionary France"- as it was much more clearly written/focused.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating inquiry into the interrelation between France Britain and America in 1789 on the eve of the French revolution. Also explores the response to the revolution from Jefferson, Paine and other contemporary British and American political figures. Examines in detail the chronological timeline of the Revolution at its epicentre in Paris.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I had the wrong impression as to what this book was when I started reading it...I thought it was more of a focus on French Revolution, American Constitution and whatever happened in England and how they were similar in that year...this book is more of a set up as to how the events in that year in those countries are the transition to the modern age. Not as interesting in my opinion

[Steven Poore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather dry reading of revolutionary events in the late 18th century, drawing pieces from around the world. While there are a few details that really spark, and quotes that resonate even today, Andress struggles to put together a convincing final picture.

[Greg Bradford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just couldn’t finish this book. I feel like I learned a lot in what I did read, but in my opinion it reads like a text book, and I could t get into it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with many books with dates in the title, much is covered both before and after 1789. The author produced prequel events and future events of that year but 1789 is the hinge as it is the year the Constitution of the United States was adopted and the year the current form of government of the United States began. David Andress knows his subject and covers it will. The American Revolution left the United States, England and France nearly bankrupt in and age of revolution and Andress writes of how the three nations handled their situations in what had become an explosive revolutionary period. The British parliament was balking at royal control and found a way out of it as did the United States; France however descended into the darkness of the Terror of the French Revolution. In the background is the industrial revolution which will change things forever. There is fairly broad scope to the book, numerous historical characters are covered such as Captain Bligh of the Bounty, Thomas Paine, Lafayette and Lord Cornwallis. It is a good book covering an important subject, is well written and I recommend it highly.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I'm glad to have on my shelf to refer to from time to time, but it's not necessarily the best read as a whole. The book is ambitious in its scope, covering political, social, and economic developments in the US, France, and Britain (which in turn means much of the world, as this was the imperial age, and European activity in India and the Americas is particularly deeply covered) and provides excellent detail on the materials it covers, but never gels as a coherent whole. It is almost a "next level" textbook or reference book - I believe I'll re-read certain passages to brush up on details, but I almost certainly will not re-read it as a whole again.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were parts of this book that I really liked - it's a collection of essays about various topics across the US, UK, France and other participants in the world of 1789. And I liked many of them, but by the end of the book, I found my attention wavering and the essays to stretch on and on and on. So a great concept, lots of great individual pieces but I was struggling to get to the final page.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays detailing the world in and around 1789. By world, I mean the rising or falling powers of the time, minus Spain. It focuses on the shrinking British Empire, the rise of the American Republic with the adoption of the Constitution, and the French Revolution. Interesting read to see the winds of change among old world powers and new rising powers. I think it might have been better if written in novel form. The essays get a bit pedantic.

[Daniel Hammer]

Maybe I'll come back to this. I'm looking for a book on the French Revolution that gets at the 'big' questions of the people and the state, in the context of the time. This is good so far, but too detailed--I don't have the time to delve into which particular parliamentarians made what debates for a few days in 1788.

[Martine Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a fascinating period, this is a type of history book I generally avoid - political and elite-focussed. It made me realise I much prefer social history, although the thesis of the book, being about transformative years of the industrial and French in particular, was fascinating.

[Larry Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating material for me. Highlighted what I did not know about this period.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much! It tries too hard to tie in too much across too large a landscape...it's intellectual whiplash! It's rather readable whiplash, but its reach just manages to exceed its grasp.