Synopses & Reviews
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 nationsFrance; the nascent United States; and their common enemy, Britainlay 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 kings 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 yearfrom the inauguration of George Washington to the birth of the cotton trade in the American South; from the British Empires war in India to the street battles of the French Revolutionwould dominate the Old and New Worlds for the next two centuries.
David Andress is Professor of Modern European History at the University of Portsmouth. He is the author of The Terror: The Merciless War for Freedom in Revolutionary France.
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 nationsFrance; the nascent United States; and their common enemy, Britainlay 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 kings 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 yearfrom the inauguration of George Washington to the birth of the cotton trade in the American South; from the British Empires war in India to the street battles of the French Revolutionwould dominate the Old and New Worlds for the next two centuries. "Guiding readers on a journey across the three interlocked powers of the late 18th centuryFrance, Britain and the new United Stateshistorian Andress regales with stories of such leaders as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès, who stoked the flames of revolution, and Edmund Burke, who tried to extinguish the blaze. Looking at the social, economic, political and imperial factors coming together in 1789, Andress weighs the ironies of that revolutionary moment: the Bill of Rights and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man both appeared in that year, but Andress points out the familiar truth that the freedoms proclaimed by these documents were often compromised by the very governments that trumpeted them. A new language had emerged to confront those holding power, but that language too often licensed aggression against slaves, women and others seen as not subject to guarantees of liberty . . . he reminds us that the struggle between individual rights and oppressive social systems might have begun in 1789, but it is still with us today."Publishers Weekly
"Andress skillfully brings together the revolutionary currents from France, Britain and America in this exuberant study of the 'hour of universal ferment.' The explosive year of 1789 saw the convergence of a host of often contradictory forcesequality and human rights; the diminution of monarchial power; the spur to abolition, as well as new ways of enslavement; renewed global expansion; and the launch of the industrial revolution in the harnessing of cotton manufacturing and steamthat would usher in the modern age. Andress proceeds both chronologically and contextually, demonstrating a terrific grasp of the vast material. During the time, both France and the fledging American republic were reeling from the ramifications of the War of Independence, as both were close to bankruptcy (France having largely financed it) and grappling with constitutional crises. The new American Congress convened in New York City and argued over issues of federalism and debated a bill of rights. Meanwhile, Britain, under Prime Minister William Pitt, was recovering from the 'trial of the century' of East India Company governor general Warren Hastings, as well as the destabilizing madness of George III. The same year that William Wilberforce made the ringing parliamentary denunciation of the slave trade, the new governor general of India, Lord Cornwallis, consolidated British supremacy in India; Captain Bligh wrestled mutiny aboard the Bounty; and President George Washington attempted to broker land treaties with the Indians. Rights, as Andress notes, provided the tinder of 1789, the apotheosis of Enlightenment ideals, disseminated by legendary figures such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. This important message endured through the turmoil and bloodshed that followed the French Revolution. A thorough, bracing primer for students of global history."Kirkus Reviews
"History has some years in which little happens and some in which everything seems to happen. Andress addresses one of the latter kind . . . He examines the state of affairs in the United States, Britain, and France during 1789. Here, of course, is the French Revolution, but here also is the mutiny on the Bounty, the establishment of the American federal government, the insanity of George III, William Wilberforce's battles against slavery, American-Indian aggressions, and the British Empire's challenges in India . . . 1789 is fresh, revealing, and insightful, particularly in its parallels among the different nations, e.g., the oppression by tax collectors everywhere. Although Andress covers a great deal of material, the narrative
Review
Praise for 1789
“Andress . . . has done remarkable work in composing a provocative narrative linking the concerns of the late 18th century with the ongoing debates of our own time. Writing with keen insight into the human actors who embodied and directed the social forces of their age, Andress has an unerring eyes for the right, telling details.” —David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express
“Andresss in-depth yet highly readable account succeeds in illuminating how 1789 was experienced as an international phenomenon . . . [Andress] does an outstanding job.” —Chuck Leddy, Barnes and Noble Review
“Andress…skillfully brings together the revolutionary currents from France, Britain, and America in this exuberant study of the ‘hour of universal ferment…A thorough, bracing primer for students of global history.”—Kirkus Reviews
“1789 is fresh, revealing, and insightful, particularly in its parallels among the different nations…Although Andress covers a great deal of material, the narrative never feels rushed or shallow. It leaves you wanting more. A first-rate book; highly recommended for all libraries.” —Michael O. Eshleman, Library Journal
Synopsis
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 kings 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 Empires war in India to the street battles of the French Revolution—would dominate the Old and New Worlds for the next two centuries.
Synopsis
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 nationsFrance; the nascent United States; and their common enemy, Britainlay 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 kings 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 yearfrom the inauguration of George Washington to the birth of the cotton trade in the American South; from the British Empires war in India to the street battles of the French Revolutionwould dominate the Old and New Worlds for the next two centuries.
Synopsis
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 evolution, Andress shows how the struggles of this explosive year would dominate the Old and New Worlds for the next 200 years.
About the Author
David Andress is Professor of Modern European History at the University of Portsmouth. He is the author of The Terror: The Merciless War for Freedom in Revolutionary France (FSG, 2006).