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Causes of the French Revolution (The American Revolution (The American…
Causes of the French Revolution
The American Revolution
The American Revolution was a successful and inspirational campaign based on Enlightenment ideas. Because of the American Revolution, the French believed they could make a difference in their own country and be successful.
"...the spark that changed thought into action was supplied by the Declaration of American Independence...The American example caused the Revolution to break out..."
~ Document 5
The Old Regime
The unfair taxation caused many financial problems for the lower classes, especially farmers with poor harvests. After tax collections in the lower class, more people are left poor and can't afford basic needs like food.
"Lands held by the nobility are taxed very little. Lands held by the commoners are taxed heavily."
~ Document 1
Tension between Estates
The Third Estate lived a miserable life, while the First and Second Estate lived privileged lives of wealth and great fortune. As the Third Estate lived an unfair life of poverty compared to the aristocratic upper estates, because of this conflicts started to rise. The lower class started to believe that they deserved better.
"It is in the People tat all the national power resides and for the People that all states exist"
~ Document 6
In 1789 most of the population was in the Third Estate
By Skyler, Ayla, Oscar and Kate
Famine
Due to the lack of money in France, markets raised the prices of bread. People in France were dying of starvation, causing unhappiness and frustration mostly towards the government. This encouraged change.
"The price of bread has risen above the people's ability to pay. This causes great misery."
Deficit Spending
The king lavished money on himself and residences like Versailles. Queen Marie Antoinette was known as a wasteful spender. The government found its funds depleted as a result of the war. Including the funding of the American Revolution. The privileged classes wouldn't submit to being taxed.
"There is an injustice in levying the amount each person must pay. Lands held by the nobility are taxed very little. Lands held by commoners are taxed heavily."
~ Document 1
Poor Harvests
During the French Revolution , harvests were poor and failing. These poor harvests led to people starving, since food wasn't growing properly and/or being produced efficiently.
"The poor people seem very poor indeed. The children are terribly ragged. The lack of bread is terrible."
~ Document 1
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment philosophers' ideas were a new way of thinking, causing people to think differently about their lives. The Enlightenment ideas were inspirational and got the French middle class to start the revolution with the lower class.
"The Revolution had been accomplished in the minds of men long before it was translated into fact..."
~ Document 4