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. …show more content…
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.
Secondly, the food shortages and prices were a highly influential cause of the French Revolution. The third estate had to pay the gabelle, which was extremely expensive (Hetherton). Salt was an essential commodity that was not only used for seasoning but to preserve meats and vegetables for the cold season (Hills). When the peasantry could not afford the gabelle, they starved during the winter. This was especially significant during the winters of 1769, 1776, 1780–1783 and 1788, when there were heavy hailstorms and treacherously cold temperatures (Martin). This meant that there were several crop failures that impacted foods such as corn and grain (Ashwell). As a result, the crop failures caused prices of bread and vegetables to increase 9-fold and 6-fold respectively (Martin). Furthermore, the glacial weather caused several supply routes to freeze and close down. For example, the rivers Yonne and Oise were specifically used for supplying meat, so when they became unavailable to merchants, the price of meat escalated 10-fold (Martin). This meant that only those who could
In my view no one should be under one ruler because the one ruler only cares about himself. The British did not care about the colonist. The British wanted the colonist to pay for the debt they had after the French and Indian war. The only way to do that was by making Acts, taxes, so the colonist can pay for the debt the British were in.. The colonist had every right to push for revolution, even though they were subjects of the British crown. King George III did not do very well in protecting their interests. The colonist had every right to push for revolution especially, when the British had George Grenville, one of the ablest men in Great Britain, to make Acts, the Currency, Sugar, and Stamp Acts so the colonist could pay for them.
The three main focuses of the French Revolution were liberté, égalité, and fraternité. Napoleon’s action show that he supported liberté and égalité, and therefore Napoleon supported the revolution.
The French Revolution evokes many different emotions and controversial issues in that some believe it was worth the cost and some don't. There is no doubt that the French Revolution did have major significance in history. Not only did the French gain their independence, but an industrial revolution also took place. One of the main issues of the Revolution was it's human costs. Two writers, the first, Peter Kropotkin who was a Russian prince, and the other Simon Schama, a history professor, both had very opposing views on whether the wars fought by France during the Revolution were worth it's human costs. Krapotkin believed that the French Revolution was the main turning point for not only France but for most
Many connections regarding the causes and circumstances between the French and American Revolutions existed due to the people and ideas of the day, but ultimately, they were motivated by different concerns. Americans wanted to be a sovereign nation and the French nationals were revolting against years of oppression and social inequity between the classes.
to get all the power of France. It should also be said that not all the nobles
During the late 1700's, two great revolutions occurred, the American Revolution and the French Revolution. These two historical events happened at the same time, but had a great number of differences and very little similarity. When French Revolution occurred, it turned into a very violent and bloody event, while the American Revolution was almost nonviolent, aside from the war. In 1774, King Louis XVI made a decision that could have prevented the French Revolution by breathing new life into the French economy: he appointed Physiocrat Robert Turgot as Controller General of Finance.
Much like the English revolution, the French Revolution was largely caused by a leader denying his subjects their percieved right of representation in government. There, due to looming financial problems, the state attempted to levy additional taxes without an elected body to approve them. The French Parlement rejected this idea and insisted on the Estates General as the only body able to allow this. Despite the efforts of many to establish the Estates General to ratify the taxes, the Kings blatent disregard for the peoples concerns over the abuse of power quickly pushed the country to war.
Voltaire was born on 21 November 1694 in Paris, France, the most youthful of five youngsters in a working class family. His dad was François Arouet, a legal official and minor treasury official; his mom was Marie Marguerite d 'Aumart, from an honorable group of Poitou territory. Voltaire (real name François-Marie Arouet) (1694 - 1778) was a French rationalist and essayist of the Time of Edification. His knowledge, mind, and style made him one of France 's most noteworthy authors and savants, regardless of the discussion he attracted. He was a candid supporter of social change (counting the resistance of common freedoms, the flexibility of religion and organized commerce), in spite of the strict oversight laws and cruel punishments of the period, and made utilization of his sarcastic attempts to scrutinize Catholic creed and the French foundations of his day. Alongside John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, his works, and thoughts impacted essential scholars of both the American and French Revolutions. He was a productive author and delivered works in practically every artistic frame (plays, verse, books, expositions, chronicled and logical works, more than 21,000 letters and more than two thousand books and leaflets). This essay will cover, Voltaire 's life and Candide 's production, the explanation of the optimism, how Voltaire uncovered the absence of ladies rights and the unfairness against them. (Cunegonde, the old lady, and Paquette) stories, and Voltaire
DBQ Practice The French Revolution was caused by many problems within France. During the 18th century, France participated in wars such as the American Revolution and the 7 years war. With France participating in those 2 wars, they became bankrupt. France had to somehow make money so they decided to start heavily taxing the 3rd estate and made them work harder for their own food and wealth.
The French Revolution was arguably and widely regarded by historians as being one of the most important events in human history. The revolution in France (between 1789 to 1799) accelerated the rise of republics and democracies. It became the “focal point for the development of all modern political ideologies, leading to the spread of liberalism, nationalism, socialism, feminism, and secularism (among many others).” The French revolution bared witness to the birth of ‘total war’ by organising the resources of France and the lives of its citizens towards the objective of military conquest. Some of its “central documents, like the Declaration of the Rights of Man, expanded the arena of human rights to include women and slaves, leading to movements for abolitionism and universal suffrage in the next century.” As the modern-era has unfolded in the wake of the French revolution, I will be examining the causes and consequences of the crucial Tennis Court Oath, analysing primarily the work of historians and their perspective on the French Revolution to draw my own conclusions and make insightful comments based off their historiography. I will then draw a conclusion connecting the importance of the revolution to modern society today, and its significance for New Zealanders.
Revolution? The major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes between the different types of social classes in French society. The French Revolution of 1789-1799 was one of the most important events in the history of the world. The Revolution led to many changes in France, which at the time of the Revolution, was the most powerful state in Europe. The Revolution led to the development of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism. It questioned the authority of kings, priests, and nobles. The Revolution also gave new meanings and new ideas to the political ideas of the people.<br><br>The French Revolution was spread over the ten year period between 1789 and 1799. The primary cause of the revolution was the disputes over
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
France is still recovering from several ISIS attacks that stroke those last few years. Thousands of non-Muslims French citizens are currently protesting in the street of the France’s capital, Paris. “France is scaring its own people” and it is becoming a huge political issue. According to Marine Le Pen, the president of the National Front, 44 percent of the immigrant in France and Corsica are unemployed and take advantage of France. The issue is becoming more and more important and the economic wound is growing, not because of the immigrant themselves but because of the French people and their media. “All Muslims are terrorist” said a gentleman while attending a Mosque construction meeting. France is having the wrong idea on this issue. People are scared to hire Muslims for the only reason that they are scared of them and because they see them as a threat to their business. In fact, Two Muslim women went to a restaurant in Paris and were kicked out by the manager. “Terrorists are Muslims and all Muslims are terrorists,” he told them. The incident was recorded and went viral on social media, causing an outrage (Daniel Gilenson 2016). France has been compared to the United States and it have been proven that the U.S provide a more Muslim-friendly workplace than France or Europe in general.
Economics also played an important role in the French Revolution. In France there was an abundance of debt and taxation. The French monarchy managed their fiscal affairs by using an unequal system of taxation, borrowing money, or selling noble titles and other privileges. This led to a long running fiscal debt. France could not solely rely on tariffs to generate income. Although other countries had higher taxation rates, the burden on the common people was greater in France. Peasants and other third estates were taxed harshly which in good times was burdensome and in bad times it was devastating. Nobility and clergy were exempted from paying taxes. This left the peasants, wage earners, and the professional and business classes with the burden of taxes. This burden caused the unrest, which eventually led to the French Revolution.
ON 9th JULY 1797 the statesman and the philosopher Edmund Burke died, after having contracted stomach cancer. He was buried in Beaconsfield Church near his Buckinghamshire home. Burke had been a distinguished Member of Parliament but never attained high office. His political career must be judged a failure.