Preview

What Caused The French Revolution

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
356 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Caused The French Revolution
During 1700s, France suffered a developing crisis that would eventually intensify. To begin with, numerous factors led to the cause of the French Revolution, which unavoidably transformed the appearance of France’s social, economic and political status. First of all, the beginning of the crisis was when France suffered poor harvest which ultimately damaged the economy. Secondly, they suffered financial difficulties due to the fact that the king spends his money excessively. In addition, the foremost problem was their aristocratic and traditional social system called the Old Regime. Basically, France’s society was branched into separate divisions. The citizens were divided by laws into three classes or estates; the First, Second and Third Estate.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Q: What was the result of the middle class’s knowledge of the ideas of the Enlightenment?…

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1789, France broke out into a revolution. The citizens of France rebelled against the absolute monarch and the system they deemed unfair. The people were starving while Queen Marie Antoinette spent fortunes on fake boats to put in her hair. The Revolution was centered on hatred for the king, Louis XVII, and the prospects of a governmental system that promoted liberty and equality. The unfair representation of the third estate, the spread of enlightenment ideas, and the high price and scarcity of bread caused the French Revolution, with the high price and scarcity of bread being the most significant because it caused the people to develop severe anger due to starvation, and they never would have had such a large amount of anger if they weren’t hungry.…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The French and Indian war was a key factor leading up to the revolution. In the war the French who were assisted by the indians and the British fought over land that the French were taking along the Ohio River Valley. In 1763 the British defeated the French who then had to give up land all the way west to the Mississippi. This was a key factor because it gave settlers room to expand and create a new nation.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Political, economic, and social conditions have led to changes to a nation and its people, which are called a revolution. A revolution is an overthrow and replacement of a government of the political system. The French Revolution happened was caused by the king, who did give his people equal rights. The revolution have many causes, events, and…

    • 58 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    For six of the eight causes of revolution, describe two events, actions or beliefs (evidence) during the years before the French Revolution that led to a developing revolutionary situation. Explain how each contributed to the revolutionary situation.…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The start of the French Revolution was directly in French society. Society was constantly dominated by nobles, or a social group that was primarily made up of: aristocrats, officeholders, professionals, merchants and businessmen. The French society was broken up into three social classes, or better known as “Estates.”. The First Estate was comprised of all the clergy; the Second Estate was comprised of the nobility, and the Third Estate was comprised of everyone else, including wealthy lawyers, businessmen, urban laborers and poor peasants. The Third Estate was by far the largest social class. All of these classes had one thing in common, and that was a want for an economy that would serve their interests. The nobility depended on a constant infusion of talent and economic power form the wealthy social groups represented in the Third Estate. Less prosperous lawyers were jealous of the privileged position very few had in their profession. Over the course of the century the price of offices rose, making it more difficult to buy one’s way into nobility, and creating tensions between middling members of the Third Estate and the very rich in trade and commerce who were the only group able to afford to climb the social ladder. Several fault lines ran through the elite and the middle classes which led to resentment of the government and a need for change.…

    • 564 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Before the Revolution, France was divided socially in a structure known as the Old Regime. It consisted of three estates. The First Estate was the clergy, who owned ten percent of the land but comprised of only one percent of the population. The Second Estate, with nobility, included two percent of the population but owned thirty-five percent of the land. The largest was the Third Estate, which was made up of the middle class, peasants, and city workers, owned only fifty-five percent of the land but made up ninety-seven percent of the population (Doc. 2). The Third Estate was taxed in extreme proportions so much so that bread, which was a necessity and the base of all meals, became very difficult to pay and obtain. It was becoming increasingly difficult to survive on so little (Doc 1). However, the first two Estates lived easily with no taxes. Even the bourgeoisie, the middle class, became as wealthy as the preceding Estate, but because of where they were born, they were still burdened by taxes. This led to restlessness in the Third Estate. Since they comprised most of France, they joined together and planned a revolt.…

    • 656 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    French Revolution Causes

    • 1739 Words
    • 7 Pages

    France’s social structure was an aspect of society that majority of the French were greatly displeasured about. The social structure was very unbalanced during the Old Regime. The majority of the Third Estate third estate was going hungry and only as time went on poverty kept increasing. It was also clear that as time went on that the nobles and the clergy were only seeking more privileges than what they already had. As if the Third Estate couldn't have any more burdens put on their lives, there was also a food shortage occurring that would completely shock the whole nation. The harvest season the year before was so “disastrous” that it’s effects were greatly “felt” and because of that bread prices quickly rose (Price 77). When that occurred, the poverty stricken people had a difficult time trying to provide for themselves along with their families. This enraged the Third Estate because while they were suffering horribly, the First and Second estates were living luxuriously and were able to afford the sky rocketing food prices. From there, the angered civilians had enough reasons to act out and because of that they lashed out against the higher ups. "The third estate seemed intent not just on removing fiscal inequality, but on undermining the entire social order” (Price 60). The Third Estate felt very strong about how they have been mistreated…

    • 1739 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The year is 1789, and the French have started their revolution. If you were asked for at least 4 reasons as to why it started, could you answer? If you think back to the American Revolution, they wanted freedom from a different country. The French Revolution was a little different. They wanted freedom from their country.…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A revolution broke out in France in 1789 between the people of first and second Estates and the people of the Third Estate because the people of the Third Estate were treated incredibly unfair so they came together and took matters into their own hands. The three most important causes of the French Revolution were the bad economy and unfair taxes paid by the Third Estate, lack of voice and rights, and the idea of enlightenment and the inspiration of the American Revolution. The revolution led to the execution of the king and queen of France, Louis XVI and Mary Antoinette.…

    • 517 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The late 1700's were a period of great social and political revolution in Western civilization. The French Revolution was a major part of this sweeping change in the way Europeans (and the newborn Americans) perceived the function of government and the most effective ways of governing. The French Revolution had many long term and short term causes and effects, and was one of the most violent periods in the history of the country. There were many factors that contributed to the spark of the revolution. There were three main causes of the French Revolution: gross mishandling of governing duties and incompetence in the leadership of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the large and very unjust social and economic gap between the first two privileged estates and the poor third estate, and finally the revolutionary ideas of the enlightenment and their influence on the philosophies of the people.…

    • 1094 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The French revolution was the result of many problems concerning the unfair treatment of the middle class and peasants (the 3rd Estate). The 3rd Estate made up 97% of the total population of France, and yet they only counted as one third of the total votes. The lower class was forced to pay heavy tailles, while the upper class paid minimal. The price of bread had also risen above the peoples' ability to pay. These three problems led to a huge revolution that would change the shape of France forever.…

    • 538 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The French Revolution was sparked by a combination of social, economic, and political factors that had been developing over a long period of time. One of the primary reasons for the revolution was the rising discontent among the French population towards the absolute authority of the monarchy and the unequal power dynamics among the nobility, clergy, and commoners. French society was divided into three estates, with the first two estates of the nobility and clergy enjoying special privileges and tax exemptions, while the commoner’s estate bore the brunt of the tax burden. Economic factors also played a significant role in the lead-up to the French Revolution. The country was in financial crisis due to costly wars, extravagant spending by the monarchy, and a regressive tax system that placed a heavy burden on the common people.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In France, there was a caste system called the Estates. The caste system was like India’s when the most powerful ruler was at the top. The First Estate consisted of the Roman Catholic clergy, the Second Estate consisted of the nobility, and the Third Estate consisted of peasants. Each Estate received one vote at the meeting of Versailles on May 5, 1789. However, the votes were unfair.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The French revolution overthrew the country’s Liberty, ancient monarchy, equality and fraternity, and fought off a hostile Europe. There were lots of causes of the French Revolution. The French Revolution had long and short-term factors, which emerged from the social, political, and comic conflicts and conditions of the ancient regime. The long-standing injustice of the bourgeoisie, the breakdown and suffering of a government, aggregation of rising wishes with wealthy bourgeoisie and peasants, and creations of ideas among wide sections of the people are all factors that played apart as well as more. The effects of the French Revolution were not just happening in France but were widespread and happening worldwide. In European history, these events are marked as some of the most important events. The revolution was being caused by social, economic, and political discontent of the French people because they had a king who was poor and wanted a democratic government, society was divided into three estates, and his tax system was unfair.…

    • 604 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays