Similarities Between Enlightenment And French Revolution

all faith in his reformation. His weak leadership combined with Marie Antoinette’s wasteful and detached manner, caused the country to suffer which led to the famous rebellion. The live of a commoner was different than what was originally perceived by the royals. Taxes, debt, food prices, disease, and drought all affected the condition that the commoners faced every day. “Not only were the royal coffers depleted, but two decades of poor cereal harvests, drought, cattle disease and skyrocketing bread prices had kindled unrest among peasants and the urban poor. Many expressed their desperation and resentment toward a regime that imposed heavy taxes yet failed to provide relief by rioting, looting and striking” (French Revolution). France had
It should be apportioned equally among all the citizens according to their capacity to pay” (Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen). Louis taxed people that were poor and had no way of affording taxes while the seemingly rich didn’t have to pay nearly as much, this is one of the point that was clearly made in their Declaration. This Declaration represents many Enlightenment ideas and philosophies. The Enlightenment Age deeply affected the ideology of the poor to seek their own nature rights. “Unlike the English and American Revolutions, the French Revolution went through a series of phases, each of which almost amounted to a revolution in itself; and as the Revolutionists repudiated one policy to adopt another, more or less its antithesis, they were able to turn from one philosopher of the Enlightenment, to an alternative, competing or rival theorist from the same stable” (Cranston).The thought of being able to control your own life appeal to the masses for people that were starving to death due to their neglectful King. The commoners were able to watch what was happening in America, a sociology change was triggered in the group when the pressure became too much. Another problem that the commoners had to face