Top 10 Events of the French and Industrial Revolutions
1. Agricultural Revolution
2. Enclosure Movement
3. Industrial Revolution
4. Spinning Jenny
5. Steam Engine
6. National Assembly
7. Reign of Terror
8. Thermidorian Reaction
9. Napoleonic Code
10. National Convention
- The agricultural revolution was a period of time where agricultural developments transitioned Europe out of the open field system into a more efficient and productive agricultural system.
- 1650-1850
- The agricultural revolution meant that there was improved production in crops which allowed for even more production, more food for the population, and as a result healthier diets to lead to longer lives.
2. Enclosure Movement
- The enclosure movement was a period of time where parts of land in Europe was closed off or sold so that there were fenced-in fields for more efficient farming.
- 17th and 18th centuries
- The enclosure movement was a revolution for village life; it also meant that peasants and poor rural people were cut off from extra resources that could make the difference between survival and famine.
3. Industrial Revolution
- The industrial revolution was a change in Europe, mainly Britain, where manufacturing, transportation, and factories made work and production more efficient and advanced.
- 1780-1850
- The industrial revolution led to a boom in textile production, new technology such as the steam engine, and construction of roads for a more connected transportation system.
4. Spinning Jenny
- The Spinning Jenny was developed by James Hargreaves and was a textile-producing machine that allowed multiple threads to be spun at once.
- 1767
- The Spinning Jenny lead to an explosion in thread production and upset the balance of manufacture by producing thread at a speed faster than the weavers were able to use at the time.
5. Steam Engine
- The steam engine, developed by James Watt, was a new technology that used heat and steam as power to fuel machines for mechanical work.
- 1763
- The steam engine was a fundamental machine to advance the industrial revolution, allowed work to be done anywhere, made energy largely available, and made work more efficient.
6. National Assembly
- The National Assembly was the name the third estate of France gave to itself; it consisted of the third estate, a couple clergy, and a handful of nobility.
- 1789-1791
- The National Assembly was one of the first French revolutionary government groups attempting to establish a new constitution, eventually abolished the nobility as a legal order, while working to apply Enlightenment ideals on the French governing systems.
7. Reign of Terror
- The Reign of Terror was a period of time in France where Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety tried thousands of French citizens for treason.
- 1793-1794
- The Reign of Terror was Robespierre’s way of serving justice, was an attempt to save the republic, and was a warning for all persons considering protest against the government.
8. Thermidorian Reaction
- The Thermidorian Reaction was the response to Robespierres terrorist and violent actions, and was led by the remaining members of the Convention and middle class professionals.
- 1794
- The Thermidorian Reaction resulted in the execution of Robespierre, mirrored the beginning of the first revolution, and led to the collapse of economic control.
9. Napoleonic Code
- Napoleonic Code, also known as the Civil Code, was a French document that summarized a bribe or agreement of sorts between Napoleon and the middle class.
- 1804
- The code basically restated the basic ideas of the revolution; that there was male equality, female restrictions, and protection of private possessions and wealth.
10. National Convention
- The National Convention was a constitutional and legislative assembly that was popularly elected and mostly republic, made up of two groups called the Girondists and the Mountain.
- 1792-1795
- The National Convention abolished slavery in Saint-Domingue, established the republic, and severed economic controls, but was known for being a very sporadic and irrational government.