Everyday Life in Sixteenth Century France Essay

The French Revolution was a time of great social, political and economic tumult in the closing years of the Eighteenth Century. The motivators pushing French citizenry toward revolution are varied in scope and origin. They range from immediate economic woes to an antiquarian class structure. Modern historians still debate the value of the changes that the revolution brought to modern society. The middle class made gains that would never be rescinded, but do revolutions always end in tyranny? In the years before the revolution citizens were rigidly constrained by the estates of the realm. These social strata had been in place since the medieval ages. The people were divided into three groups; clergy, nobility and everyone else. The clergy

The People of France in the last part of the 18th century were experiencing severe food shortages, increasing the cost of living, and political leaders who were doing very little to fix the state of chaos in which most people found themselves. In both rural and

The French Revolution was a time of period where social and political was a disruption in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799. This time of period affected Social Structure of France prior to the French Revolution. The factors that caused this revolution was due to having a bad government system, weak superiority, and inequality of the classes of people in France during the war. In this research, I will define and explain how Social Structure contributed to the French Revolution Resentment of royal authoritarianism. The three estates that social structure consists of are first estate which are the clergies, second estate known as the Nobleman, and third estate which are the Bourgeoisie, peasants, and workers. The Revolution did not omit sharp distinctions among the social groups, neither did it alter the distribution of wealth. This caused them to divide into these three groups called as estates.

The European economy was earlier organized under the feudal system, which depended upon agriculture. The Hundred Years’ War had a negative effect on the French farmlands, which were ravaged and ruined. Conversely, the Black Death decreased Europe’s immense population so that agriculture did not have to support as many people. The high mortality rate of the Black Death “produced a fall in production, shortages of good, and a general rise in prices”(McKay 330). A shortage of laborers resulted in the economy relying more on available workers, who could demand and expect higher working standards and conditions (Mackay). In the Wife of Martin Guerre, Artigues’ isolation, prevented the farmland from being harmed by these religious wars: “Artigues enjoyed its isolation…and actual gold accumulated in the coffers of its more prosperous families” like the Guerre family (Lewis 12). Families in Artigues were unique because unlike the typical feudal system, they did not work under a dominant noble, so they prospered from their own farms. The Guerre family’s lives and income revolved around their farm. In Artigues, the feudal system permeated deeper into the family units itself, with the heads of families, like Monsieur Guerre, maintaining control over the household and farm. The economy in France required a large interdependency among the farm workers and

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.

In the whole wide world, people have a way or style of living and the values they cherish being individuals, families, communities or nations. The peasant families in the 16th century in France are no exception.

marriage for women was younger than that in France, as well, they also had more children. A

Family in eighteenth century France was ruled much like the monarch ruled France. Both were ruled based on the dogma of patriachalism, absolutism, and Catholicism (Merrick 171). The model of a French family was portrayed as a miniature kingdom; the father as the patriarch with absolute authority and his wife and children as his subjects. During this time period women were deemed as physically, mentally and morally inferior and were restrained to the roles of wife, mother, and homemaker (Merrick 172). Because the family model was so

The French Revolution was a period of time from 1789 to 1799 in France where there was political instability. It officially began on the 14th of July, 1789, when the Bastille, which was a symbol of the King’s harsh policies, was stormed. The King, Louis XVI, the Queen, Marie-Antoinette and about 40,000 people were all brutally murdered. But there was also a positive side, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was formally adopted on August 1789 and feudalism was abolished. This essay will address the issues of the three estates system, food shortages and the fiscal crisis. It will also be argued that the most significant cause of the French Revolution was the social inequality that stemmed from the three estates system.

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 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.

Before 1661 the French economy was in ruins. The economy had been greatly damaged by the 30 years war and there was also great corruption among the nobility.

Three percent speaks German dialects. The main Religion is Catholicism. Sixty four percent of the population identifies themselves as Roman Catholic. Seven point five are muslim. Art is everywhere especially in Paris and other major cities. “The Louvre Museum in Paris is one of the largest museums and is home to many famous artwork”(Zimmermann). It houses the Mona Lisa. From 700-500 BC the Celtic Gauls arrive in France. From 58-50 BC Roman Emperor Julius Caesar defeats the Gauls and France becomes part of the Roman Empire until 476 AD. French was ruled by kings for many centuries until the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution in 1789. Then Napoleon becomes Emperor of the French Republic until he is sent to exile. In 1946-1954 The French- Indochina War results in France losing control of colonies in Southeast Asia. 1962 the French gives up control of Algeria. In 1981 François Mitterrand is elected president. He is in office for 14 years, becoming the longest-serving president in French history. In 2002 the euro bills and the coins were introduced. The daily life of French children start offs off with waking up and eating breakfast. They have eight hour school days and an hour lunch break. They do activities, homework, or hang out with friends after school is done. Most of France are middle class people. Culture is all around France.

The population structure of France has remained stable over the past 27 years. Fertility has remained around replacement level. Mortality has remained relatively constant as far as crude death rates go, but there has been an extention in the overall lifespan of an individual during this time. Like most countries that have completed the demographic transition France is engaged in a balancing act between mortality and fertility, and is in danger of experiencing a population decline. If life expectancies continue to increase or fertility rates decrease France could have some hard economic decisions to make in the future.

The transition of Medieval to Modern happened over a long period of time. The middle ages marked a dark time in Europe’s history, and the people were anxious to get out. The Renaissance began, and art emerged to create a brighter society. During the Reformation, the country shifted away from the Roman Catholic Church, and many Protestant religions emerged. The Scientific Revolution also marked a change in medical to modern by creating new ways to look at the world and mathematics. The Age of Discovery marked yet another change in Medical to modern Europe when new technologies emerged in order to navigate around the world. Along with many other rulers, King Louis XIV changed France into a country looking to expand, which differed from