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Essay on Louis XVI

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Louis XVI

When Louis XVI became King of France in 1774, he was only 20 years old. As the years passed, he learned how to rule better. Then he began to make changes. He abolished the age old practice of feudalism. The calling of the Estates-General was another change in the
French government which he introduced. When the monarchy was abolished, he saw it as something that would help his country. All of Louis actions were attempts to achieve one goal. Louis XVI tried to please the French people and prevent the French Revolution.
For many centuries, a feudal system had been in use in France. The peasants and serfs were at the bottom of this system. They made up 75% of the population. The National
Assembly (formerly the …show more content…

Having the ideas of the French people in the French government would make the government closer to the people. A system with representatives from all the provinces of
France would accomplish that deed. Louis XVI achieved this by calling the
Estates-General into the government in May 1789. This was a group of peers and deputies from towns and provinces across France. They had not been used in the government since
1614. They were originally put on an equal level with the King. The King had to approve all the laws that were to be passed. The commoners had one of the three votes in the
Estates-General, so they had their say. Laws were passed by the Estates-General and
National Assembly, including removing the nobles rights over the serfs and peasants.
Another law reduced the power of the church by not allowing the church to own farming land. The National Assembly was the name they used when the third estate broke away and gave themselves power, but that is a different story. By giving the Estates-General power, Louis XVI got the peopleÕs ideas into the French government.
One of the wants of the insurgents in France was the removal of the monarchy altogether.
To satisfy the wants of the revolutionaries, Louis XVI stepped down from the throne. He actually did this because of a measure taken by the National Assembly on August 10,
1792, which

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