The Three Most Important Causes Of The French Revolution

Poverty, crime, and death were all apart of a terrible reality in the French Revolution. During the 1700s, France was known as modern. It was seen as the center of the Enlightenment, yet there were many economical problems going on at the time that led to the French Revolution. The three most important causes of the Revolution were the feudal dues, inequality of the estates, and the new emerging middle class.
Feudal dues were harsh on the lower class, causing them to go in crisis. Poor people, such as workers and peasants in the third estate, were very destitute, and children were scruffy because the little money they had paid for feudal dues and taxes. It is unfortunate that the low income of the lower classes went to paying dues because they were already impoverished, yet they had to give their little money away. This made them become beggars and even commit crimes for money. People were also unable to buy bread due to the fact that bread prices went up, and everyone’s money went towards the feudal dues. Unable to buy food, such as bread, was not good for the lower groups in the third estate because that led to families starving, and many people dying.
The treatment of the estates were unequal, thus leading to the enragement of the third estate.
In 1789 during the Old Regime, the first and second estates owned more land than the amount of people in each estate. This was not fair for the third estate because 97% of third estates lived on 55% of land, which was a small amount compared to the number of people in the estate. Traditionally, the first and second estates were able to pay almost no taxes while obtaining the best jobs. This was unfortunate because higher estates received the best paying jobs, while the lower estates had to take the low paying jobs. They also paid more money for taxes, which demonstrated unequal treatment to the lower
classes.
The Bourgeoisie was the new emerging middle class. Some people in the middle class were richer than nobles, yet they were not given the same privileges as them and had to pay high taxes. It was unfair that the Bourgeoisie did not have the same social status or political power as the higher estates because they deserved the right to be in a higher class due to their wealthiness. The middle class also led the revolution because of their knowledge of the enlightenment. The fact that the middle class supported enlightenment ideas, such as liberty and quality, made them beneficial leaders because the working class was neither wealthy, nor intelligently strong enough to start a revolution.
Even though France seemed to be the ideal country from the outside, it had many conflicts within. The government went into decline, creating high taxes and dues. While everyone had to pay the dues, the third estate paid more for taxes and received unfair treatment. The Bourgeoisie, being the catalyst of the revolution, were the wealthiest of the third estates and led them on a road to equality. Although these were not the only causes of the French Revolution, feudal dues, estate inequality, and the Bourgeoisie were the most important causes.