Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present

The use the terms “Left” and “Right” as descriptors for political liberals and conservatives is of relatively recent origin. It wasn’t until the French Revolution in 1789 that such notions acquired any meaning. Before that time, France and most of Europe were governed by absolute monarchs whose actions were guided solely by their whims, and no one else was consulted in the decision-making process. However, this method changed irrevocably with the French Revolution. The first meeting of the National Assembly was conducted in a room that did not allow for a circular seating pattern; instead, delegates were required to sit either on the left side or the right side of the chamber, and political sympathies soon determined which side one occupied. Those loyal to the crown and to the aristocracy sat on the right, while those who wanted greater liberty and representation by the people sat on the left. A description by one conservative attendee, Baron de Gauville, encapsulated the dilemma when he stated, “We began to recognize each other: those who were loyal to religion and the king took up positions to the right of the chair to avoid the shouts, oaths, and indecencies that enjoyed free rein in the opposing camp” (Hodgson, Geoffrey M.