The Bastille was a French prison that held the monarchy’s authority. On July 14, 17 the common people attacked it. Prior to the revolution in France, individual freedom and natural rights were stripped from the French because of incompetent and political ignorance of King XVI. Marie Antoinette was a lackluster leader and intelligence. Financial ruin and bankruptcy resulted from the Third Estate’s incessant taxation. The principal source of injustice was the social privilege of clergymen, nobles, which caused the dearth of opportunities for those in the middle. French Revolution was caused in part by the failure of the French government, excessive taxation of the lower class, as well as the unjust social structure. The French Revolution was caused by the concentration of power in an elite circle. Political absolutism was a hallmark of the Bourbon dynasty, which enjoyed unimaginable power. The monarchy was justified in its right to rule on divine rights. He used his power as a political influence to limit the Estates General from meeting. The Third Estates began questioning the rules and traditions of the absolute monarch after years of abuse and unjust treatment. Before their 175 year anniversary, the Estates General established Cahiers where they shared their grievances. It mentioned especially the Third Estates’ political freedom. Head …”. should take the Third Estate’s votes in the Assembly to ensure it has the power and influence it deserves due to its size. The First and Second Estates were three percent and the third was all Third Estate. Also included were grievances about the abuse of kings and the tyranny that was letter de cachet. Another political event that inspired French revolutionaries was the American Revolution. “The monarchy was not overthrown by the condition of France. The ideas of the philosophers did not cause the outbreak… but the American example led to the Revolution. …”. The Declaration of American Independence changed Third Estates thinking and caused anger to be expressed towards the absolute monarchy. With the support of the bourgeoisie class as their leader, the Third Estate created the National Assembly and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. It made law supreme over all others and law became their will. “Men were born free and can remain so; social distinctions can only serve the common good…the rights that are available to all are liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression The centralization and control of government power created discontent among most of France’s population and led to rebellion. France’s economic problems were caused by increasing war debts, resulting in a number of wars. The wealthy estates sought to remedy the situation by imposing financial restrictions upon the Third Estate. When they only owned sixty-five percent, they pushed all government taxes towards the Third Estate. The taille, the tax on land and its produce was not paid equally based on estates. “It is wrong to tax each person for the same amount. The nobility holds very few lands. Commoner land is heavily taxed. Ironically, while the richest people didn’t pay taxes, the burden of tax was shared equally by the poorest. The tax on bread was particularly high, which had a significant impact on the Third Estate’s insecure life. It was more than people could pay. “The shortage of bread is horrible. “The lack of bread is terrible. Many people were upset at the size and severity of their feudal obligations. The Third Estates were unhappy with the tax exemptions that the First, Second and Third Estates received.
The French economy was in financial trouble due to war debt. However, the unwillingness of the upper estates to give up their privileges led to societal chaos. The French society’s rigid social class structure, known as the Old Regime, caused resentment and was finally overthrown by French Revolution. The First and Second Estates were made up of clergymen and nobility. They made up only three percent of French citizens. The Third Estates comprised peasants as well as bourgeoisie and made up ninety seven percent of the remaining population. They were treated badly and unjustly by both the First Estate and Second Estates. They were also not treated differently by the government in the years before the French Revolution. The middle class of the bourgeoisie was resentful at not having any say in government, even though they were educated, well-off, and hardworking. They wanted to see change in France and were responsible for spreading the Enlightenment ideas to all Third Estates. The National Assembly was headed by the bourgeoisie, who voiced their concern about the injustice and urged France to abolish feudalism. “The middle classes… were sensitive to their lower legal status. They-the middle class – were responsible for the Revolution. Their ultimate goal in creating a society were to determine social status based on individual merit and not birth names. The Third Estates, which were under the Old Regime, had to abide by social restrictions.
French Revolution was the result of the growing resentment towards the French government’s structure. The monarchy was widely opposed due to its inability to govern the country and appeals to Third Estate. France’s economic crisis was caused by the inequal taxation that was continued towards the lower classes. French society was further divided by the clerical privilege. The French Revolution was a turning point in France and other countries, allowing all people to be treated equally and free. The changes are still being felt in today’s society.
