“Let them eat cake” is a very popular quote that you may have heard before. It was supposedly said by the Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette, during the late 18th century in the middle of an outbreak known as the French Revolution. There were many causes that lead to the Revolution, including the third estate´s predicament. They struggled with being denied basic rights, over taxation, and neglect from the monarchy.
National Assembly accepted a declaration of revolutionary principles, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This document specified rights that included rights to security, property, liberty, resistance to unjust treatment and assured citizens freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equal justice. Thus the slogan "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" was adopted by revolutionary leaders. Liberty stood for individual freedom from governmental restrictions and intrusion. Equality stood for one law and one tax system for everyone, equal opportunity to advance based on merit, and political equality. Fraternity is the idea of brotherhood of all Frenchmen.
The primary causes of the American Revolution were because of the unjust treatment of the colonists. The French and Indian War was extremely expensive for Britain, so to pay off the debt they decided to tax the American colonies. Several taxes were created, one of them was the Stamp Act. This act required the colonists to pay taxes on every piece of paper that was used, such as legal documents, licenses, newspapers, ship’s papers, etc.
Many factors went into the starting the French Revolution. One of the main contributing factors was the lack of a fair hierarchy in the French society. There were 3 main classes and only 3% of people were inside of the top 2. This created a problem as the first 2 had twice the representation that the third did in the government. The first Estate was made up of the clergy from the Roman Catholic Church. They also owned almost 10% of the land inside of France. The Second Estate was the rich nobles. They owned almost 20% of the land. Both of the classes paid almost no taxes and shot down almost any ideas of the Enlightenment. The Third Estate
1789, The French Revolution has started. This was a time when people began to speak up against the government to fight for their rights and their freedom. Although what sparked this sudden event? There many different reasons for the French Revolution but they have been boiled down to these 3 main reasons.
The French Revolution had a lot of causes but the main cause was in my opinion, the increase of taxes, and the major increase in labor. The citizens of France called for change in government and the government ignored these problems. King louis XIV turned his back to these accusations. The citizens pleaded for control over the population, labor, and taxes but no change had come. It was when the government moved the peasants off the farms that the food shortages were fixed.
In a period of four years, the French Revolution went from women marching to Versailles and demanding bread, to the institution of the Reign of Terror, which killed close to 250,000 people. The late 18th century was a dramatic time of French, political transformation which originally strived to implement equality throughout the nation. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen reflected the ideas of the Enlightenment and presented the idea of equality and liberty. In theory, the French Revolution of 1789 was to protect the rights of the French citizen and provide political equality, but with the institution of the Reign of Terror, the revolution took a bloodier turn. Why did the French Revolution become so chaotic and
The French Revolution took place from 1789 to 1799 and has become a symbolic icon that represents the struggle for liberty and equality as well as the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchies throughout Europe. The revolt spurred the expansion of nationalism and democracy to change many nations forever. Many factors contributed to the eventual spark that led to challenges against the monarchy, estate system, and political and social ideas that would shape the nation in futures to come. The long term and short term issues that triggered the French Revolution include the social conditions brought about by the estates system, the financial crisis caused by the extensive accumulation of war debts, and the tremendous spending on court
What were the major causes of the French Revolution, and why did it take the course that it did? The French Revolution of 1789 is an important milestone in the history of Europe. The revolution, not only transformed the political, social and economic life of the people but also altered the entire course of the worlds history. In the 18th century, France was a feudal society under the authority of an out-and-out monarchy. The Bourbon monarchs lived in brilliance in the royal palace of Versailles. The finances of France were in terrible conditions. The treasury was essentially empty after the many wars that France was involved in. King Louis XVI was unable to guide France through the political and financial crises. Queen Marie Antoinette, an
By the 1780s, Frances excellent economy was in a major decline. The France was in need of a revolution. The French Revolution had many causes. Bad weather caused crop failure to sweep over the area, resulting in a shortage of grain. Food shortages lead to starvation and higher prices. When the cost of bread would rise, the starving third estate would steal from bread shops. Taxation was a major cause of the French Revolution. Louis nearly doubled the governments debt. To solve the debt problem, Louis decided to impose taxes to get out of debt. They called a meeting of the Estates General to approve this new tax. The heavy taxes made it almost impossible to run a successful business.The cost of living rose. The failure of having a great and
The most important causes of the French revolution were the rising prices of food and having a bad harvest. Another reason for the French revolution was France being bankrupt and 400 million livres in debt which the royal mainly wasted on luxuries and France also waged some costly wars like the American Revolutionary war against the British. Another issue was taxes the peasant payed the king heavy tax and the feudal lord taxes which were too much for them. The important causes of the French revolution are France being bankrupt having bad harvest and third estate not having much political power because they are 98% of the population and didn’t have much power in the estate general.
Throughout the course of history, economic, social, and political issues occasionally led to the revolt of citizens against their government. When the Old Regime held power in France the people were categorized into three estates. The Third Estate began the French Revolution due to the social, economic, and political problems they faced. Additionally the Third Estate caused the end of the old Regime with the storming of the Bastille. Overall the French Revolution impacted the lives of people in France and people in varying nations of the world.
It is certain that the French Revolution was not caused by one single phenomenon, however it can be said that the events occurring in accordance with the French Revolution were not only terrifying but when looking through our eyes just clearly wrong. The most significant reasons for the French Revolution are the imbalance of equality, power, and rights these reasons are supported by the ideas of liberty and fraternity which developed from the enlightenment era philosophers. In conclusion to the French Revolution the people started to make their own laws that would apply to all equally this is what we can consider as the lasting effect of the French Revolution on France/Europe. The main cause for people to feel like they were not being
In 1789, the first shots that marked the start of the French Revolution were fired. The French Revolution did not occur on a whim, for the nation’s instability had been a growing problem throughout the years leading up to the revolution. The overall cause of the revolution is deeply rooted in France’s economic problems, failed attempts at reform, and the antiquated social system that stood in place: the Old Regime.
The French Revolution was arguably one of the most significant and controversial events in European history. It occurred during the years 1789-1799 when many French citizens became enraged with society and demanded political, financial and social change. The French people’s primary goal was to put an end to monarchy and bring reform to many aspects of French life. Inspired and motivated by the famous American Revolution, French citizens were urged to take action in order to bring forth the change they desired. They strived to better society and instill Enlightenment ideals, such as popular sovereignty and inalienable rights, by any means necessary; even if it meant killing thousands who got in their way.