Causes of the French RevolutionBy: Kelly Thomas, Hamilton Bailey, Jordan Miller, and

My Bui

Ranking of Causes1 Taxation and the Bankruptcy of

the Government2 The Influence of the

Enlightenment and the American Revolution

3 Political and Social Inequalities, and Human Rights

4 The Famine

Taxation and the Bankruptcy of the Government

Financial Crisis American Revolution

Put France in a large Financial Debt U.S. was unable to repay France because of

their own national debt Two Finance Ministers fired after Revolution Jacques Necker Charles Alexandre de Calonne

Each Minister’s plan benefitted the 3rd estate while increasing the taxes of the 1st and 2nd

1st and 2nd estates voted solely to protect their own interests instead of benefitting France as a whole.

Tax System 1st Estate not taxed, producing less tax

revenue 3rd Estate taxed heavily

This created more poverty and hurt the economy because of less spending

Tax System could not be changed because of unfair representation, benefitting the 1st and 2nd estate

This Tax system prevented France from eliminating debt.

Unequal Representation

Each estate received one vote 1st and 2nd estate always voted together,

overpowering the 3rd

This prevented the changing of the tax system, maintaining low tax revenue and hurting the economy

All decisions benefitted the 1st and 2nd estates, while crippling the 3rd, hurting the economy due to the large number of people in the 3rd estate.

Influence of the Enlightenmentand

The American Revolution

Influence of the Enlightenment The Enlightenment:

During the period of enlightenment – an intellectual movement – there was a new emphasis on reason and individualism.

In fact, the influence of the enlightenment on the French Revolution is a much debated topic. No philosophers advocated violent overthrows because it was contrary to human reason.

Prominent enlightenment philosophers include Locke and Newton. Many writers such as, Voltaire and Rousseau, migrated to this new idea as well. Primary source:

Voltaire, who was perhaps the best–known writer of the eighteenth century, demonstrates the spirit of inquiry of the Enlightenment. The “philosophes” wanted to understand the rationale behind inequality, were particularly interested if there were natural reasons for it, or if inequality came wholly from social conventions. From a well–to–do middle–class background, Voltaire condemned arbitrary inequality and the social conditions that spawned it. Voltaire Passage

Influence of the Enlightenment

The enlightenment encouraged people to think revolutionarily by teaching the average French person to despise their conditions. They were made aware of the horrible state of things in France.

The enlightenment preached the steady and inevitable progress of man’s moral and intellectual nature.

“The propaganda of the Philosophes perhaps more than any other factor accounted for the fulfillment of the preliminary condition of the French Revolution, namely discontent with the existing state of things” (Henri Peyre, “The Influence of Eighteenth Century Ideas on the French Revolution”, Journal of the History of Ideas. Vol. 10, No. 1. (January 1949).

The American Revolution

Americans won independence from British rule (1775-1783)

Triggered by resentment at the economic policies of Britain Britain was taxing the colonies while not giving them

any governmental influence or political power The Boston Tea Party – 1773 Declaration of Independence signed a year after

fighting began (1776) France Supported and even helped Americans with a

decisive victory at Yorktown

Influence of the American Revolution on the French Revolution

The American Revolution served as a profound example to all European observers

American independence ignited a fire in the imaginations of both the Aristocrats and the common man in France, each for different reasons: Aristocrats were eager for a revolution because

they were unsure of their status in France The common man/low class people were eager

for a promise of greater equality

Influence of the American Revolution on the French Revolution

(cont.) American example served as a great lesson – tyranny could be challenged

American revolution showed how rational men could assemble together in order to have control over their own lives by choosing their own form of government, with a WRITTEN constitution. (France’s previous government lacked a written document governing their country)

Revolution proved the great enlightenment idea – that a better world is possible if created by men using reason

Human’s Rights

Human’s Rights Overview France suffered from the evil of social inequality

despite its great influence in both economy and politic.

The French society was divided into 3 different estates: First Estate consisted of higher order of priest and

clergy Second Estate included nobles and landlords Third Estate composed of merchants, lawyers, doctors,

teachers, craftsmen, farmers, and the peasants The first two estates together accounted for only 4

percent of the French population. While rest 96% constituted the third estate. The first two estates usurped all political and economic power. They enjoyed political and economic privileges while a different set of laws were meant for the third estate.

Human’s Rights to Revolution

The third estate engineered the French Revolution .They believed that the French system lacked the qualities of freedom, equality, and impartiality, which was due to the shortcoming of concentration of all powers in the hands of French monarchs.

Voltaire was a well-known philosopher and a satirical writer of the 18th century. The social inequality, the higher order of the priests and the nobles attracted his critical pen. People found an expression to their feelings in his writings. Rousseau, the real inspiration for the French revolution, believed that man is born free but later he finds himself in all sorts of bondage. In the social, economic and political conditions prevailing in the 18th century France, these ideas of Rousseau proved to be conducive to the revolutionary spirit.

Human’s Rights to Revolution

The member of the third estate suggested that representatives of the three estates should sit and vote together in view of serious financial crises; however the representatives of the first two estates opposed it also the King sided with the first two estates and turned down the proposal. The enraged third estate representatives assembled on a tennis court near the royal palace and declared themselves as ‘National Assembly’ and took a vow to remain united till people’s sovereignty was established. This was the beginning of an open confrontation between the feudalistic power and the common people in France. The king commanded his soldiers to drive out the representatives of the third estates

The Famine

The Famine Slowly began roughly 2 years before the revolution It Started with rough winter times and unfortunate harvests.

These rough winters and unfortunate harvests then turned into a series of crop failures and shortages of grain

Grain was the main source of food for the poor and middle class

A shortage of Grain was bad because it now put a strain on a large majority of the population because they were now struggling to feed their families.

This Failure of Harvest led to an economic depression the price of bread nearly doubled making it very difficult

to afford therefore more French fled to urban areas seeking jobs urban areas became overpopulated with poor, jobless,

and hungry people King Louis XVI refused to provide famine relief therefore his

people were mad and turned to violent protests and rioting

Work Cited "A Time of Revolutions, 1776-1825." World History:

The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2009. Web. 9 Sep. 2009. <http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com>.

Halsall, Paul. “The French Revolution- Origins.” Modern Western Revolution. 5 Sept. 2009 <ht tp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/lect/m od10.html>.

“The History of The French Revolution.” All Sands. 7 Sept. 2009 <http://www.allsands.com/history/events/thefrenchrevol.wws.gn.htm>.

Goodman, J. “French History: The Causes of the French Revolution.” Helium. 6 Sept. 2009 <ht tp://www.helium.com/items/447018-french-history-the-causes-of-the-french-revolution>.

Works Cited (continued)

Dowling, Mike., "The Electronic Passport to the Enlightenment," available from http://www.mrdowling.com/705-enlightenment.html; Internet; updated Wednesday, May 1, 2002

François-Marie Arouet, Dictionnaire philosophique (London [Nancy], 1765), 157–60.

“French Revolution.” Wikipedia. 7 September 2009. Web. 8 Sept. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution>.

Henri Peyre, “The Influence of Eighteenth Century Ideas on the French Revolution”, Journal of the History of Ideas. Vol. 10, No. 1. (January 1949).

Hunt, Lynn. “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution.” American Social History. 2001. Web. 6 Apr. 2009.