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The Indirect Cause Of The French Revolution

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The French Revolution was a period of turmoil in France that took placed in the 18th century between 1789-1799. During this time, there were many reasons as so why this took place. One long-range or indirect cause of the French Revolution was the social organization of the old reign. Before the Revolution happen, the French society was separated into three groups or estates (Spielvogel 567). The First Estate were the clergy and they were subdivided into the higher clergy and the lower clergy. The higher clergy held the highest position in society due to the fact that they came from privileged families (Spielvogel 568). They handle the churches and educational facilities in France. They were excluded from paying France's chief tax to …show more content…

Just like the clergy, the nobility were also subdivided into two groups; the nobility of the rope and the nobility of the sword (Spielvogel 568). The nobility of the rope, although they had some status, they were not as prominent as the nobility of the sword. They normally obtained their status from the positions they held in law courts and administrative offices or by buying their title from the king (Spielvogel 568). The nobility of the sword, were around since the middle ages and declared to be heir of the earliest nobility. These nobles were the ones that were seen in court. They ran the provinces, churches and government (Spielvogel 568). They were improvised and typically married within their individual class (Spielvogel 568). The Third Estate included everyone else in France. This social class was separated by their profession, type of schooling, and affluence (Spielvogel 568). The largest group in this class were the peasants. They typically owned 35%-40% of the land (Spielvogel 568). They were required to pay tithes to the clergy, taxes and rents; to which they bear a

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