--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Revolution was the great nightmare of…" description: "\"“Revolution was the great nightmare of eighteenth-century British society, and when first the American Revolution of 1776, then the French Revolution o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/ronald-carter-13636_american-revolution_revolution-was-the-great-nightmare-of-ei_814158.jpg" --- # Revolution was the great nightmare of eighteenth-century… ![“Revolution was the great nightmare of eighteenth-century British society, and when first the American Revolution of 1776, then the French Revolution of 1789 overturned the accepted order, the United Kingdom exercised all its power so that revolution would not damage its own hardwon security and…” quote by Ronald Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/ronald-carter-13636_american-revolution_revolution-was-the-great-nightmare-of-ei_814158.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/ronald-carter-13636_american-revolution_revolution-was-the-great-nightmare-of-ei_814158.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/ronald-carter-13636_american-revolution_revolution-was-the-great-nightmare-of-ei_814158.jpg) > ““Revolution was the great nightmare of eighteenth-century British society, and when first the American Revolution of 1776, then the French Revolution of 1789 overturned the accepted order, the United Kingdom exercised all its power so that revolution would not damage its own hardwon security and growing prosperity. Eighteenth-century writing is full of pride in England as the land of liberty (far ahead of France, the great rival, in political maturity), and saw a corresponding growth in national self-confidence accompanying the expansion of empire.”” [Ronald Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-carter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. British elites feared revolution would threaten their security and prosperity, so they emphasized liberty and empire to counteract revolutionary ideas. **In simple terms:** Britain used pride in liberty and empire to resist revolutionary threats. Key Takeaway Recognize how narratives of security shape political attitudes. Themes politics national identity imperialism revolution security Mood reflective analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - historical analysis - policy making - education - media commentary Key Concepts Britishism nationalism imperialism political rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - How did revolutionary ideas influence British reforms? - What role did empire play in shaping British self‑image? A Different Perspective The view may overlook internal dissent and class struggles within Britain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-revolution/) [French revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/french-revolution/) [Literary criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-criticism/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [United kingdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-kingdom/) ## Related quotes > [It was just so in the American Revolution, in 1776, the first delicacy the men threw overboard in Boston harbor was the tea, woman's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/it-was-just-so-in-the-american-revolution-in-1776-the-first-delicacy/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [“Hauriou, became a crown witness for us when he confirmed this connection in 1916, in the midst of WWI: “The revolution of 1789 had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/hauriou-became-a-crown-witness-for-us-when-he-confirmed-this/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [“In the eighteenth century, with the growth of publishing and with the intellectual climate of the Enlightenment, there was a great demand for new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-carter/in-the-eighteenth-century-with-the-growth-of-publishing-and-with-the/) [Ronald Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-carter/) > [“To an amazing degree, from the Revolution in 1776 to Vietnam, belief in a quick victory pervaded the opening months of almost every war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fleming/to-an-amazing-degree-from-the-revolution-in-1776-to-vietnam-belief-in/) [Thomas Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fleming/) > [The consequences of things are not always proportionate to the apparent magnitude of those events that have produced them. 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