What was the situation of England and France in the year 1780?

As the book states, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." England and France were embroiled in their own different issues in 1780. England had just cut off the American colonies after the American Revolution and had previously established a democratic parliament to complement the monarchy. The people in England were relatively free and had some sort of economic mobility because of the democratic ideals of the parliament and the free market that was established.
France, however, was in the throes of conflict. Having witnessed the American Revolution, the lower classes of France wanted more freedom and stability in their lives. They were being bled dry by a power-hungry and greedy upper class, and the poverty was rampant and growing. In addition, the monarchy only helped to support the wealthy. Because of this, civil unrest was growing in intensity every day. A Tale of Two Cities focuses greatly on this conflict, as many of the characters who make up the middle class are caught in the cross hairs of a dangerous revolution.

The French Revolution took place in France from 1789 (beginning with the Storming of the Bastille) to 1799 (ending with the Reign of Terror). A Tale of Two Cities, though published in England in 1859, takes place in the years leading up to and during the French Revolution. In 1780, there was extreme social and financial inequality in France. The vast majority of the country belonged to the Third Estate, or working class, and had little representation in the government. Also, the French government was getting deeper and deeper into debt from helping the American colonists in the Revolutionary War, leading to an economic crisis in France that hurt the working-class people the hardest. These factors, among others, led to increased discontent with the French monarchy.

England in 1780 was also a monarchy (George III was in power), but, unlike France, it was a parliamentary monarchy, meaning there was also a Prime Minister (Frederick North) who advised the monarch. In 1780, England was preoccupied with the American Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 until 1783. France, as mentioned above, was fighting against England in this war. It's important to note that France and England were not allies at the time. The American Revolutionary War, however, would serve as inspiration for the revolutionaries in France.