Carmagnole: A Song Made Popular During The 18th Century

Before the French Revolution began, people were openly expressing their dissatisfaction with French society through written means. The discontent comes from many areas, but a large focus comes from the nobility. Voltaire, Candide, or Optimism, Isabelle de Charrière, The Nobleman (1763), and Nicolas Toussaint le Moyne des Essarts, The Noailles Affair (1786), gives a clear representation of how the nobility is viewed in the second half of the eighteenth century. Writers represented most of French nobility as mainly being only concerned about their family heritage and luxurious privileges, which greatly corresponds with reality as can be seen in William Doyle’s The Oxford History of the French Revolution.

In the late eighteenth to the early nineteenth century, France was undergoing major changes. Before the French Revolution, France was experiencing political, social and economic problems. During this time period France was unstable, and wasn’t able to keep up with the new arising Enlightenment ideas. In addition, there were high taxes, unequal power distribution and social inequality. The French Revolution not only impacted the citizens of France, but people from other countries as well.

Theme: The Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth century did not only change the human’s perception of the natural world, but also changed people’s way of thought. As a result of the scientific revolution, people began to use logic to establish social institutions and governments. The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that took place in the eighteenth century, in which reason, social reforms, and government advanced. Both, the Scientific Revolution and The Age of Enlightenment led to more secularism and individual freedom in Europe.

The French Revolution of 1789 was inarguably a significant turning point in the history of Europe. However, there have been historical debates over the major contributing factor that had caused the French Revolution. Many historians have argued that the French Revolution was sparked by the emerging new age ideas of Enlightenment in the 18th century, which encouraged people to think logically and critically about their society. Many notable writers such as Diderot and Voltaire began to publicly criticise the social structure and the governance of France. (Darlington et al., 2004, p.25) But other historians argue that ideas affected the way people saw

More importantly, the Enlightenment paved way for what came to be referred to as Romanticism in the 19th century (Wade 155). The 17th century pioneers included the Frenchman Renee Descartes and, Englishmen Thomas Hobbes and Francis Bacon. Nevertheless, the French revolution was greatly influenced by the works of François-Marie d 'Arouet (1694–1778), Marie Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793) and Denis Diderot (1713—1784). The essay will examine the above mentioned three pioneers and their contribution to the French revolution during the Age of Reason. The essay will show that the French revolution of 1789 was a result of High Enlightenment vision that led to the abandonment of the traditional authority to shape the society along the lines of rationality.

The author explained how the French Revolution starts and also how choice made by the royal government affect the old regime which moved the country into different conflicts. For example, in chapter 1 “The

“Old Paris” was viewed as a collection of picturesque memories, cherished dwellings, close neighborhoods, and lively streets. The people inhabiting “Old Paris” included those in the banlieues

The nobility of the Kingdom of France has been evaluated by various scholars of history. There is something to be said, however, for those who chronicled their impressions while living them in the 17th and 18th centuries. The excerpts of Charles Loyseau’s A Treatise on Orders, written in 1610, and Isabelle de Charriere’s The Nobleman, written in 1763 provide two very different glimpses on the French nobility from differing time periods. From these two accounts, it is clear that there was a marked shift in the way some viewed the nobility and their role in the operation of the French state. While Loyseau praises the nobility nearly wholeheartedly,

The 18th century was an incredibly different time, full of corruption and brutality. New France

Everything was being destroyed, weather different houses, churches, businesses, and even schools. When the fighting subsided, the economy of France, especially it's commerce, was shattered, leaving it vulnerable and extremely weak. Power was one of the most necessary ingredients towards the prosperity of their governments, and became more important to the country's well being and future.

The scientific revolution and the enlightenment began to alter the everyday life of people in France. Navigation became a huge part of many people’s lives. Men began to study the sky’s more to figure out where they were on the sea’s (Turner 482). The study of the sky led some to make hypotheses about the universe. During this time there was a rebirth of the quest for knowledge. Universities grew during this time; it became more popular to know how to read and write. And the middle class society began to grow and grow. At this point in time monarchies have more power than ever before, they rule everything, including the churches and the military (Davis 55). Louis XIV build Versailles in hopes of creating the richest and most powerful nation in the world. Nobles are invited to

The French Revolution (1789-1814) was a period that affected the outcome of world history tremendously. This is considered a major turning point in European history which has led to dramatic changes in France and other regions of the world. Various social and political issues led to the start of the revolution. Politically, France suffered under the rule of Louis XVI, who ruled by absolute monarchy. Many people had their natural rights renounced and weren’t able to have a political voice. Socially, France had divided its population within 3 estates (classes). French citizens took it upon themselves to remodel their country 's’ political structure. The French Revolution had encountered both positive and negative effects. However, many Europeans viewed the Revolution as much more than just a bloody massacre. The French Revolution was used to demonstrate new ideology that would emphasize the principles of liberty and equality throughout Europe.

The Enlightenment is intriguing period lasted from 1600 to1800.French historians traditionally place the period between 1715, the year that Louis XIV died, and 1789, the beginning of the French Revolution. The Enlightenment is known in French as the ‘’Siècle des Lumières’’ (Century of Enlightenment) was a philosophical and architectural movement which dominated the world of ideas in Europe in the18th century.

France was experience a great amount of change in the summer of 1793, when the Jacobins succeeded the moderates in the National Convention. With the radical Jacobins in power, the country was in tumult, and a Reign of Terror ensued due to a law of suspects that legalized local revolutionary committees. Because of this, thousands of people were killed by guillotine or other methods. Throughout the summer of 1793, the radical Jacobins’ control of the Committee of Public Safety instituted the Terror which was advantageous in it’s intended purpose, yet it was disadvantageous because of the enemies it created.

The enlightenment took place in Europe in the 18th century. It was a time of reason and science. During this period everything was redone from science to politics and also philosophy. There was also clashes between the church and society because of the change that was taking place. Great philosophers came out of this time period such as Rousseau. The ideas of the 18th century would influence how people thought and wrote.