“Life, liberty, and fraternity,” was the quote of the French Revolution. In the late 18th century, France underwent social, economic, and political problems. These problems led to the French Revolution.
A revolution is an important period in history where there is a major change in political, social, and/or economic areas. There have been many throughout history, whether it is violent or non-violent. These revolutions have had complex causes and left lasting impacts on people’s lives. The French Revolution was one of the most violent in history.
Absolutism was a major cause of the French Revolution. Absolutism is one ruler having all the power. The people of France were denied basic rights and a role in the government. Another major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes of the equality of the social classes in French society. The French social class system was divided into three estates. The 1st estate was the clergy. They made up 0.5% of the population of France. They owned 10% of the land, paid no direct taxes, and enjoyed enormous wealth and privilege. The 2nd estate was the nobility that made up 1.5% of the population. They also did not have to pay taxes and enjoyed traditional privileges. The other 98% of France’s population made up the 3rd estate. The 3rd estate consisted of commoners. It included the bourgeoisie, peasants, and city workers. The bourgeoisie, or the middle class, was made up of doctors, bankers, merchants, lawyers, manufacturers, and journalists. The peasants made up most of the population of the 3rd estate. The people of the 3rd estate complained that they alone were the only people paying taxes. They felt that it was not fair and they believed that the tax system should be changed by having the other estates also pay taxes. France suffered from major economic problems. They had to pay off debts from old wars, there were poor farm harvests that hurt the economy, and the most serious problem was facing the problem of the...