When Bread Changed History : The French Revolution

The initial impulse of the French revolution was destructive. For those who lived through all, or even part, of these vast upheavals, the shock was overwhelming. Maximilien Robespierre was a proud disciple of the enlightenment and declared that no political writer had foreseen this revolution. Robespierre (1758-1794) was one of the leaders of the Committee of Public Safety, the effective governing body of France during the most radical phase of the revolution. The leaders of this revolution attempted, perhaps more than any other revolutionary leaders before or since, to totally transform human society in every way. (Supreme Being) Although Robespierre began with patriotic intent he still was the face of the Reign of Terror and was viewed as being a radical person.

“A Framework for Thinking Ethically” introduces five major ethical standards of everyday life--- some of which analyze “Bread” more effectively than others. One of these standards is “The Virtue Approach…[which] enables us to act according to the highest potential of our character and on behalf of values like truth and beauty’’(Santa Clara University, (2008)). Although the “Virtue Approach” is an effective means of living a full and enjoyable

White bread, something everyone from the poorest of the poor to the rich elite of this world eats is for breakfast lunch and dinner. This food item has been a staple in American’s lives from beginning of the settlement of this great nation. Aaron Bobrow-Strain in his book White Bread put it best when he wrote, “it has served as a touchstone for fears and aspirations of racial eugenicists, military strategists [and] social reformers” as a way to bridge the gap between most aspects of our lives (Bobrow-Strain p. ix). Bread has had the journey of being religiously important, a sign of class status and wealth, to finally its importance to health of soldiers and citizens of low income. This simple food item became an important part of our food

In the French Revolution there was a loosely knit political faction known as the Girondists or Girondins. They were a part of the Jacobin movement but, not every Girondin was a part of the Jacobins. The Girondins were very active in the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention in 1791 through 1793. In their Legislative Assembly they represented democratic revolution in France. They also supported patriotic defiance against European powers. The Girondins also had an aggressive foreign policy. In 1792 through 1793 the Girondins constituted the war party. They did this when France commenced a series of revolutionary wars with other European countries. Brissot, a Jacobin club member, showed a military plan that would spread their revolution

Cobbs bread-Baked freshly in store every day. The only ingredient I didn’t recognise was ascorbic acid, but I did a little research and found out that it was healthy for your body and that it is also known as vitamin c

Strausser believes in staying true to “old school” baking and teaches that to his neophytes in the baking

New ideas sparked change and conflict in the late 18th and throughout the 19 centuries when the french revolution was in place. it changed the idea of government and it sparked a series of revolutions later on in the world. however, even before that, the enlightenment period was a change in the way people thought as to why and how things work. this also caused conflict because the new scientific ideas that were found,explained many things was against the word of the catholic church/ the pope.

Today, when the French stand in line to buy their daily loaf or baguette, they do not care to think that they are purchasing what is associated with centuries worth of tradition. They do not grasp that they, in fact, are buying not only bread but a piece of history. Bread played an even larger role than credited in the course of the French Revolution. The actuality, according to Cuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People, by Linda Civitello,

Before the French Revolution, France was ruled and governed by the king, his Grand Council of ministers, and 13 courts called parliaments. King Louis XVI ruled by “divine right,” believing that he had been put on the throne by the grace of God. France then was one of the most powerful and wealthiest countries, and had a strong army, and even stronger cultural influence. (Plain, 5) Louis XVI and his wife Marie-Antoinette were shielded from the daily lives of the ordinary people in France. When Louis XVI inherited the throne in 1774, he also inherited many problems left behind by the previous king, King Louis XV. The country had been involved in the Seven Years War, also known as the French and Indian War, and was left with many debts of the

The first stage of the revolution was caused by a number of factors, both economic and social. First of all, toward the end of the 18th Century, France was in deep financial trouble. The country was nearly bankrupt, due to a combination of leftover national debt from previous kings, several bad harvests in a row, and the recent expenses related to helping the American Revolution. To make things worse, the tax system was out of date and no longer met the financial needs of the nation (Nicassio 481). Under this system, the population of France was divided into three Estates. The First Estate was composed of members of the clergy, the Second Estate represented the nobles, and the Third included everybody else. Traditionally, the First Estate would

The famous gastronome Savarin said “The fate of a nation depends on how well they’ve been fed.” The French Revolution is an excellent example of this. Bread and salt were the foundation of cuisine for the French, take this away or add taxes to it a revolution would begin and that is exactly what happened. Although the French Revolution had many factors that played in the cause of it, food was a huge contributor. Not only did food had a profound effect on the French Revolution, but the French Revolution greatly impact the culinary world in its aftermath.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité was the cry of freedom that countless people used to propel them through, and to the end of the French Revolution. This long period of social, political and economic change in France lasted 10 years, starting in 1798 and ended with Napoleon Bonaparte. The French Revolution greatly affected all of Europe at the time and continues to represent the embodiment of revolution to this day. This constant struggle between the heavily taxed, burdened, and unrepresented third estate and those higher created an environment of monumental change for everyone. In the years leading up to the French Revolution, new beliefs and ideas were reaching every corner of Europe creating the thought that men should live free of oppression. However, in France the leader Louis XVI lead like a tyrant leaving the people impoverish and angry. Through the analysation of numerous circumstance present during the Ancien Régime, such as an inferior fiscal leadership, massive debt, and the forthcoming of new ideas during the Enlightened period, it can be concluded that the means for this revolution were justified as it is in our essence to revolt for a change.

Revolutions are a common occurrence throughout world history. With the amount of revolutions in history, there are those that get lost and those that are the most remembered or well known. One of the well known revolutions is the French Revolution which occurred in the years 1789 to 1799. Before the French Revolution, France was ruled by an absolute monarchy, this meaning that one ruler had the supreme authority and that said authority was not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs, a definition given by wikipedia.com and the feudal system, which was a system that said a peasant or worker would receive a piece of land in return for serving under a king, a definition given by vocabulary.com. Those who opposed the, then

The new menu in France offers many choices not familiar in the US such as the P'tit Plaisir (mini snack foods), Little Mozza (tomato and mozzarella salad), Croques Monsieurs (grilled ham and cheese), and Jambon Beurre (ham and butter on a crusty baguette). In addition, stand-alone McCafes carry traditional France sweets such as macaroons, fruit tarts, and flan, and serve beverages ceramic mugs.

Pastries made of laminated dough are numerous; croissants and millefeuille in France, crescent roll in US, crispy sfogliatelle and millefoglie in Italy…