How Did The Tax System Cause The French Revolution

Despite being paid the lowest out of the three estates, the third estate was responsible for nearly all of the taxes. After taxation, the peasants barely had enough money provide the basic necessities of life, such as food and shelter, for their families, while the first and second estate rarely paid taxes for any products. When the economy declined drastically in the 1780s, the third estate suffered tremendously, in addition to the burden of paying half of their salary towards taxes, the bread price doubled and the living expenses increased. This situation worsened with crop failure, causing many people to face starvation. Peasants were not the only people who suffered in the third estate, the working class found that it became extremely difficult to make a profit, as the price of produce rose. During this time, the first and second estate refused to pay taxes, leaving all of the governmental fees solely dependent on the third estate. Citizens became discontent with the economic injustice and began to revolt, hoping for a change in order to provide for their families. The French government’s debt was further increased the by the deficit spendings of King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette. In addition, France obtained even more debt from government loans taken out to support the Americans during their revolution, for the

The citizens of the 3rd estate and some citizens in the 2nd estate in France during 1789, were not happy at all. They were getting heavily taxed by Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, and the Catholic Church. When they didn’t have the money to pay the taxes that was forced upon them. After all of the hard work they put in to growing crops, the crops were taken

One of the most important causes of the French Revolution was the French system of taxation. According to document one, there was an “injustice in levying the amount each person must pay. Lands held by the nobility were taxed very little. Lands held by commoners were taxed heavily.” This means that the third estate was responsible for paying most of the country’s taxes, while the first and second estates, were responsible for very little. Since the third estate was responsible to pay the most in taxes, they began to suffer the most. The taxes caused them to not be able to afford simple necessities in life, such as bread. This injustice caused the people to want to reform their economic situation by finding a way to avoid strangling taxes and make the first two estates contribute to a failing economy.

The third estate’s citizens had the lowest income in France, yet they were the ones who were supporting the government. The burden of the countries taxes was nearly impossible for the third estate to carry. One peasant woman said that the taxes were “crushing” her and her fellow third estate members. (Document 2).The first and second estate made up the wealthiest portion of France, yet they paid next to nothing in taxes. This obviously and rightfully angered members of the third estate. Why should the only people who can afford to pay taxes be exempt from them? This kind of inequality resulted in violence from the third estate. As a form of rebellion, peasants attacked tax collectors whom they owed money. They also burned land registers and court records. This example, along with the formation of the National Assembly show that the first actions of the revolution were a result of not giving the third estate the voice that it’s members felt it

The French Revolution is said to have a number of causes. It was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799, and was partially carried forward by Napoleon during the later expansion of the empire. The main causes of the French Revolution was the political, economic, and social problems happening in the society during this time. One of the causes of the French Revolution of the political tension going on during the time.

​The French revolution was caused by many political reasons. The main political reason was that the members of the third estate occupied 97% of Frances population yet they had little to no political power. They had no control over their own government, rules, and regulations. One person, King Louis XVI, had all the power. On top of the third estate having little to no power at all, they barely had any land to live on. The third estate was 97% of France’s population yet they only owned 55% of the land. Based on that statistic, it’s pretty obvious that the third estate lived in cramped and uncomfortable conditions (Document 2). The monarchy played a huge role in the start of the revolution. King Louis XVI was allowed to

The First and Second Estates were free from taxes, which led to the Third Estate, primarily peasantry, being heavily tax. Due to King Louis XIV’s Palace of Versaille, and his extreme deficit spending, an extreme overspending of the government’s money leading to debt, taxes became heavier and heavier. This was an extremely heavy burden on the Third Estate considering that they had low income to begin with, while the first two estates were swimming in money. When peasants couldn't afford to make bread because of taxes, then bread prices inflated (Doc. 1). The prices were more than the peasants could afford, so this led to riots and disturbances, which were the roots to the beginning of a revolution (Doc.

To begin with, King Louis XVI did not know how to make informed decisions on his own accord, much less be responsible for an enire country’s well being. This led to the rise in taxes in the third estate, since Louis XVI chose to under tax the nobles and clergy. This sent France coming into great unrest as they requested “that the taille (a tax on land) be borne equally by all classes” (Doc C). Furthermore, the third estate was outraged as they could not even afford one loaf of bread and the king would eat himself into obesity. It was the king’s ignorance that truly brought his downfall in the eyes of the people, and ultimately, the downfall of

Before the French Revolution took place the people were oppressed by their king, Louis XVI. The irresponsible king did not call upon parliament for advice, instead ignoring Parliament for many years. This rule of no regulation by Louis XVI made the people see how unfair the circumstances were and put their laws and government into perspective for the way they were living. Because of the neglectfulness of the king, the people were left without another power to keep the balance over their neglectful King. Without Parliament’s influence on the King, the third estate was accessed unfair

The French revolution had many long range causes. Economically the French were separated into three estates. The largest section being the poorest and the heaviest taxed. socially they were separated into three part 1st being priest, 2nd nobility ,3rd the working class. politically the third estate was upset the king for the unfair taxes and rights.

France was in a financial crisis before Louis took the throne. The country participating in the Seven Years War and the American War of Independence did nothing to help the economic issues. There was heavy taxation on the people of the Third Estate, including the taille, a land tax, and the vingtième, a 5% property tax. This caused strife for the Third Estate because they could not afford to pay these and still feed themselves. In addition to this, Louis wouldn’t introduce taxes for the First and Second Estates, as they would convince him not to. While the Third Estate were struggling to pay feudal dues, rumours of the Monarch’s lavish lifestyles were reaching the lower classes, which angered them greatly. That being said, the Clergy and Nobility

The majority were already struggling with the cost of living, and the addition of extra taxes caused it to be near impossible for them to survive financially. This angered the third estate, and provided an incentive for the revolution. Therefore, it is evident that the social inequality that derived from the three estates system was the most significant cause of the French Revolution.

To begin, during the French Revolution the peasants lived under the worst conditions. Peasants formed the largest group within the third estate, more than 80% of 26 million people in France. The poor had no part or say the decisions that the government would make. Peasants and the rest of the third estate were expected to pay an enormous amount of taxes, that the second and first estate did not have to pay. For example, there was bad weather around 1780 caused a widespread of crop failures, resulting in a shortage of grain. That lead to the doubled price of bread, peasants could not afford to purchase the bread because of the outrageous amount of taxes that they had to pay, this lead to many people in the third estate facing starvation. Not only was this unfair for the peasants, it made them become outraged, and lead them to the beginning of the Great Fear.

While the third estate, the middle class of French society, held the majority, containing ninety seven percent of Frances’s population, actually had little to no power. This, combined with other factors in France and Haiti, caused them to revolt to solve their problems regarding inequality creating two revolutions that history would forever remember.

Before the French Revolution, the Third Estate, or the lower class, were the only ones to pay taxes. During Louis XVI’s reign, the