Most Important Eras In French History: The French Revolution

In the 1700s, France had a social and political system that divided the people into three social classes: the first estate, the second estate, and the third estate. The first estate consisted of the Roman Catholic Church’s clergy and made up one percent of France’s population. The second estate was made up of rich nobles and represented two percent of France’s population. The remaining ninety-seven percent of France’s population fell under the third estate. The third estate was also divided into three categories: the bourgeoisie, the workers in France’s cities such as tradespeople, apprentices, or laborers, and the peasants. The peasants formed the largest category in the third estate and made up eighty percent of France’s entire

Prompt: What Causes led to the French Revolution? There were many causes that led to the French Revolution but before you can know that you first have to know what the French Revolution was. The French Revolution was a period of far reaching and social and political upheacel in France that lasted from 1789-1799(10years), and was partially carried forward by Napoleon during the later expansion of French Empire. So now that you know what the French Re olution is I am now able to tell you the causes that led to the French Revolution. Based on the DBQ'S the causes that led to the French Revolution was the corrupt political & social system, American Rights, and the population.

During the period of the French Revolution, a quest towards gaining a country with equal rights for all, began flourishing. This was influenced by the want for freedom, equality, and independence. Most of the wealth during the French Revolution belonged to the 1st and 2nd estates, otherwise known as the clergy and the nobles, which made up 3% of the population. The 3rd estate, the rest of society, made up 97% of the population. Unfortunately, the people of the third estate did not receive all of the commodities as the first and second estates, and could not say or do anything about it.

The social order in France was complex in the 18th century. The population was legally divided into three social ranks, or the Estates. In the first estate was comprised of the clergy who had privileges, some of theses privileges included not having to pay taxes and owning 10% of France’s land. In the second estate, the nobles who owned 20% of the land, also had feudal privileges, which meant that they were exempt from taxes and had important hunting rights. Finally, the third estate consisted of 98% of the population: the commoners, the middle class, rural workers, urban poor, and merchants. The middle class was also known as the Bourgeoisie. The estates during this time period no longer reflected the social reality because the middle class were expanding into the second estate. The rising middle class actually caused tension between the social groups because they pushed for social change and the nobles felt like they were losing power.

Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, there were three social tiers in France, known as “Estates”. The First Estate was comprised of the clergy, the Second Estate referred to the nobles, and the Third Estate included the remaining population of France, about 98 percent of the entire French population. The Third Estate included people across the full range of social classes, each with their own grievances against the French government. In 1789, the Third Estate formed into a National Assembly, going against the orders of the king. This is known as the opening of the Estates, and marks the beginning of the French Revolution.

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.

There are very few members in the first and second estates, yet they owned the most land, while the third estate made up most of the population, yet owned very little land. “First: Clergy - 1% of the people owned 10% of the land. Second Estate: Nobles - 2% of the people owned 35% of the land. Third Estate - Middle class, peasants, city workers 97% of the people owned 55% of the land.” (Document 2) There were high prices, high taxes, and people were listening to enlightenment ideas. Louis XVI decided to tax the Second Estate. They called a meeting of the Estates-General - an assembly of representatives from all three estates. (ROI) In addition, as a political cause, the third estate had no privileges or say in the government,while both the clergy and nobles did. As mentioned before, the inequality of taxes proved another gap in the social classes. “The Revolution had been accomplished in the minds of men long before it was translated into fact.... The middle class...was sensitive to their inferior legal position. The Revolution came from them-the middle class. The working classes were incapable of starting or controlling the Revolution. They were just beginning to learn to read.” (Document 4) Estates- General was the first such meeting in 175 years. Met on May 5th,1789 in Versailles. In the Estate- General each estate had one vote. (ROI)

Considered one of the most powerful empires in the 17th and 18th century, France underwent massive changes in its social, political and economical structure. In early 18th century it was governed by an oppressive feudal system of land-holding between 3 estates, which resulted in an unequal and unfair distribution of privilege and wealth (2005, Calum Crosbie). The 1st estate of clergy and the 2nd estate of nobility owned the majority of lands, held privileges like tax exemption and presided over the 3rd estate which consisted of everyone else. This system had been stable for a long time, mainly due to the illiteracy of the 3rd estate, but the rise of the middle class educated bourgeoisie meant perceptions were changing. By the late 18th century

During the time of the French revolution, there were three estates in total. There were the Clergy: a member/leader of the Catholic church; the Nobles: a very wealthy group of landowners/relatives of the royal family; and finally the lower and middle class: they had the least amount of power and money yet were the only people who were actually taxed and very heavily taxed at that! This is because by taxing and borrowing money from other countries was the only way France got any profit although this left them in extreme debt. The French Revolution was a watershed event (turning point) in modern European history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Inequality fosters resentment. The French Revolution has been variously called a great turning point, a watershed, and a point of departure at which the traditional social and political institutions of premodern Europe began to give way to powerful new forces and ideas (5). While several historians concentrate on the discrimination of the Third Estate, the social troubles among France were a lot more extensive than those felt by the commoners. The French Revolution comprises a series of events which contributes to both its rise and downfall including the establishment of the Estates General and National Assembly; nonetheless, the unstable country has reached its limit resulting in the Fall of the Bastille and the Great Fear. The country experiences

The final group of the Old Regime was the third estate. This was France’s workforce. These people made up ninety-seven percent of the population, but were only allotted seventy percent of the land. The third estate had sub-groups of its own. The first group was the Bourgeoisie. This translates into “city dwelling” but is commonly known as the middle class. Those that made p this group were doctors, lawyers, and merchants. These people were fairly well off and had a bit of extra money. The main difference between the Bourgeoisie and the others in the third estate was that the Bourgeoisies were educated, specifically in enlightenment ideas. They later helped to steer the French Revolution. The next group within the third estate was laborers and artisans. This group consisted of the skilled craftsman in society. Along with the others in the third estate, they had low wages and high taxes. The third group of the third estate was the peasants. Making up roughly eighty percent of the population, the peasants were at the bottom of society. They lost nearly half their wages to taxes even though they had miniscule wages in the first place. They were forced to pay a tax to the church (tithe) and could not influence society. They disliked the first estate because they were the tax collectors and the second estate because they were the government officials. They fought this by

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 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.

Nearly one percent of France’s population fled the country in 1789. The French Revolution was one of the most horrific and violent eras in world history. For centuries prior to the revolution, the people of France were set in a strict caste system. This system had three groups: the First Estate, made up of the clergy, the Second Estate, made up of the nobility, and the Third Estate, consisting of everyone else. At this time, the Third Estate was the largest group, and the only group that paid taxes.

Revolutions are often characterized under two dominant schools of thought, either the structural or the cultural viewpoint. The structural approach favors causes that are of inherent forces in the system of sovereign nations, whilst the cultural view favors individuals actions and ideas as rudimentary to revolution. Skocpol and Trimberger’s essay Revolutions: A Structural Analysis modernizes the ideas of Karl Marx and reconciles them with the modern revolutions that have occurred to form a new viewpoint; the structural school of thought. Consequentially, the French Revolution’s long list of factors and participant’s carry differing levels of weight in either school of thought, yet the structural approach is more pronounced in the summation of them all. As an extension of internal strife, the Haitian Revolution also plays an important role in highlighting this structural overtone of the French Revolution. The duality between the Haitian revolution’s class of slaves and the Third Estate of the French Revolution proper as well as the reactions they both had to international and internal strife are best classified under the structural school of thought. This analysis begins with looking at the logical first aspect of structural analysis; the status of the peasantry.