French and Industrial Revolutions Change and Effects on Civilization

French and Industrial Revolutions Change and Effects on Civilization

French Revolution is the revolutionary movement that was experienced in France in the year 1787 and 1799 by the people who were against the monarchy. The wealthy individuals in the country were aspiring to rule the people by excluding the middle class in political positions, acquire the rights of land ownership, which made the people revolt. Ordinary individuals too started participating in the revolt as they were aware of the political situation in the country, French participation during the American Revolution had almost led the government to be declared bankrupt. Also, the monarchy rule which existed in France was unable to adapt to the societal and political issues that the people wanted. The First Industrial Revolution began earlier than the French Revolution after 1750 in Great Britain, who were after a more industrial society. This was a period with new aspects in various industrial sectors such as sources of new energy, an increase of machinery used to reduce human labor in production. The population increase in the country created a demand for different goods and services. These two revolutions had different patterns of development, but they were crucial in developing various aspects in Europe and the world. Industrial Revolution led to a fully industrial society while the French Revolution led to the formation of different aspects states and diplomatic matters, and through the various aspects, they were crucial in Western civilization.

The Revolutions had an impact on Western peoples’ life in political, social, and economic matters. On political issues, the two revolutions advocated for a change as the liberals were against the absolute power held by the kings. Heywood states that the liberals were mainly the middle-class group and the peasants who their political interests differed from the already established monarchy who had absolute power. The liberals had lost trust in their government, led by the doctrine of the divine king’s, were experiencing unfairness in society, and criticized the different political and economic privileges that were in place. They advocated for a constitutional government and later an authoritative government that was guided by the constitution. These movements for a lawful and authoritative government were to be in place of absolutism, which created unfairness in society. This movement’s further led to the growth of nationalism and socialism in various parts of Europe (Heywood, 25).

In economic aspects, the competition between the monarchs in Europe led to nations adopting policies that led them to seek an increase in wealth and power through importing and exporting goods, minerals such as gold and silver. During this time, different colonies were affected by different mercantilist policies. The trade between the provinces, importation, and exportation of goods was also affected by the plans. The nations had to export more than what they imported, the nation’s wealth was measured using the gold and silver they possess; the government had to protect local industries by importing goods and raw materials. These colonies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia were affected by the Revolution, which led to the rise of capitalism. Individuals were able to think of themselves during this time as the revolutions brought a change from the traditional way of thinking to an individual based. People were allowed to use money in profit, making business, and invest in the industrial field. The industrial sector had now changed from as new sources of energy and use of machinery was adopted to reduce human labor in the industries.

In the social aspect, people had started reading different philosophical writings produced and could now demand for equality. The Revolution facilitated the end of issuing of land monarchs to their fellow wealthy individuals. The kings’ through their doctrines, had the power to give land to other lords, which created tension among the middle class and the poor. Social classes were started to be considered in society as the different aspects were offered according to the classes. There was also tension among the middle class and wealthy individuals who felt the system favored the wealthy individuals alone. The political system at the time was mainly controlled by the wealthy, who usually oppressed the people according to their social classes, thus leading to the growth of the tension between the middle and working class.

The increase in industrial developments during the revolution period led to a rise in the purchase of goods and the demand for labor. The Revolution created different needs and led to discoveries of new sources for raw materials in other continents. Job opportunities had opened up in cities and in colonies, which were the primary sources of raw materials, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The different developments by the workers and the settlements led to the growth of cities and towns. The economic developments led to changes in the social structures of the societies as people were moving towards modernization. This impacted the native communities as they were driven away from their lands and also being exposed to slavery. The people were oppressed to provide labor to different farms and industries, something which was new to their traditional social organizations and norms. These new sources of raw materials led to the development of new industries and economic opportunities for the Europeans, especially in the labor and market industry. Furthermore, the different colonies under the rule of the monarchy or had authoritative governments established to govern the people. Their traditional system of law was also abolished as they were under their colonial government.

The Industrial and French Revolution also had a positive and negative impact on the different countries and socioeconomic classes in society. In the economic aspect, the revolutions led to an increase in labor productivity as new forms of energy were discovered, various machinery was also made, and the standard of living among the people improved due to the availability of jobs. Also, the revolutions made it capable for workers to form unions which helped in fighting for their rights and benefits.  In social change, led to improved standard of living as individuals had jobs. In Europe individuals were moving from rural to urban areas for job opportunities which led to the growth of cities. Political aspects facilitated by the revolutions include; the ownership of the land was now on changed as capitalists who worked in the industries took the property. The different political ideologies which favored the people were implemented such as the nationalism and authoritative government were also formed. During the Industrial Revolution, too, both men and women voting rights were exercised (Sharp & Weisdorf, 2012).

The negative economic aspect during this period is that the unplanned growth and development of different places led to poor living conditions in different countries. The workers’ wages were also reduced with working conditions, which were horrible. In various colonies, people were working on the farms during the industrial Revolution as slaves. In social aspects, it led to slavery and oppression in different provinces. Individuals were also forced to move out of their lands which facilitated the production of raw materials. Also, women and children were forced to work under harsh conditions. In the political aspects, the Revolution led to the expansion of different nations. They were able to rule over different territories, which led to tension between them. Also, the developed countries were able to control various aspects of markets and economic interests due to their political might.

In conclusion, the Industrial and French Revolution were two of the essential revolutions in Western civilization. The Revolutions witnessed during this period led to rising different political ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism, and authoritarianism. It also led to the development of capitalism and the end of mercantilism, while in the social aspects, it led to tension between the various social classes. In different colonies that were a source of raw materials for industries, it led to a change in social structures, and in the Western world, there was a new urban structure. Different aspects of the revolutions also affected different countries on political, social, and economic matters. It led to the formation of new political systems, improved living standards while also it led to slavery, especially in the overseas colonies.

Works Cited

Heywood, Andrew. Political ideologies: An introduction. Macmillan International Higher Education, 2017.

Sharp, Paul R., and Jacob L. Weisdorf. “French Revolution or the Industrial Revolution? A note on the contrasting experiences of England and France up to 1800.” Cliometric 6.1 (2012): 79-88.