Summary

Summary - The Age of Revolutions

Oppressive taxation measures of Britain and the resistance of colonists leading to the outbreak of American War of Independence are narrated.

The course and outcome of the War along with the significance of Revolution are assessed.

The woeful conditions of peasantry, the financial bankruptcy of the French government, and the revolutionary ideas articulated by the intellectuals of the time leading to the French Revolution of 1789 are explained.

The formation of National Assembly and its Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen are detailed.

The execution of the French king and the abolition of monarchy, and the work done by the National Convention dominated by the Jacobins are elaborated.

Revolution in the French-controlled Saint-Domingue followed by revolutions in other Latin American countries like Venezuela, Columbia, Mexico and Brazil are highlighted.

The essential features and causes of Industrial Revolution of England, the machines invented and the use of steam revolutionising cotton, and iron industries and transport and communication systems are dealt with.

The Second Industrial Revolution in Western Europe, notably in Germany, and in the US is explored.

Impact of Industrial Revolution and the incidence of state violence on organised working class movement in England and America are related.