Economic Struggles

Going into the French revolution the economy was not stable. The government had just lent a lot of money in support of the American revolution. As well, the taxes that were collected were low because of the famine that was sweeping across the country and affecting the peasants ability to make money and/or grow crops. The king had squandered money on his extravagant life style and the country would soon find themselves out of money. Economic reform was well over due.

     During the enlightenment, Adam Smith presented ideas about how the economy should be run. He thought that less government control, the better the economy would be. He believed that if the economy was left alone it would take care of things like prices and jobs through supply and demand. Instead of everything being run and controlled by the king, the economy would be run by the people and the people would decide what they would buy and sell and at what prices they would buy and sell as well. Adam Smith's ideas were commonly accepted and the idea of a free market was adapted by the country of France.


The idea of a free market spread all over France and businesses grew because of this freedom.
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Enlightenment

     The success of the American revolution caused people to believe that the same thing could happen in their country. French citizens started talking amongst themselves about things like a country run by the people, equality for every human being and a society free from segregation by social hierarchies. As well, a big idea that came forward was to get rid of the absolute monarchy and introduce a more democratic way of government. There were several key influential people involved with the enlightenment. Adam Smith helped spread word about new ideas. He talked about having a Lassez- Faire economy with limited government control. He believed that the economy would grow on its own and that it would take care of itself. Montesquieu brought forward the idea that the government should be split into three divisions, judicial, executive and legislative to prevent despotism. He also wrote the book spirit of the laws. Voltaire fought for freedom of speech. He believed in religious freedom and denounced censorship and said "I disapprove of what you say but i will defend to your death your right to say it." Rousseau believed in democratic freedom and that people should be allowed to choose their government and then to change it. He believed the will of the majority should win.

     As people started to talk about these ideas, they began to desire them. Soon people embraced these new ways of thinking and wanted them to be a part of how the country ran. This led to the government collapsing and being rebuilt by the people, the monarchy being disbanded, more economic freedom, and the social hierarchy removed. A constitution was written setting the stage for the future of France. The Declaration of the rights of man established basic human rights for all people living in France. The ideas that came from the enlightenment changed France's society and how the country was run. Now peasants could start businesses, become wealthy, and be involved with politics.They were no longer "kept prisoners in their own homes".

This is a picture of people gathering together to talk amongst themselves and bringing new ideas to discuss.
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Unfair Tax System and Spending

Despite being deprived of basic human rights, the third estate was also very heavily taxed. There were five main taxes that were imposed upon the peasants. The first one being the taille. This is a property tax that would be paid to the King simply for living in the country. Next tax is called the corvee. The peasants would be required to labour without pay for the local noble or aristocrat. The gabelle was a salt tax. In those days, salt was very valuable and sought after. Any time a peasant would purchase salt they would be forced to pay a tax. The franc-fief was a tax that was required for a commoner to hold an establishment. This would make it very difficult for peasants to start a business or to make a lot of money with one. Lastly is the tithe. This is technically not a tax but since the church and the state were one, it became a tax. It was a payment made to the church in honour of God.

     All of these taxes made the upper two classes and especially the king very wealthy. King Louis XVI spent most of his time in the palace of Versailles spending the people’s money. Instead of being responsible with the privileges entrusted to them, they spent their money extravagantly on property, parties, and lavish clothing and decorations.
    
     Because of all this taxation the peasants were becoming increasingly poorer and poorer. the peasants saw how the nobles and clergy were given tax exemptions and were accumulating wealth very quickly at the expense of the peasants. They soon were unable to meet their own needs let alone pay several taxes. Many peasants died as a result of a lack of money and because of a famine that swept across the country. The peasants struggled to grow food in the drought and any food that they did harvest was taken from them and given to the upper two classes. Desperation set in, as many of the peasants began to realise if something wasn't done they were going to die. This was a driving force behind the peasants revolting.
     After the revolution, the tax system was much more fair. Since there was no longer a hierarchy, everyone was treated the same, including how they were taxed.  The monarchy was disbanded resulting in less wasteful spending. The government was now accountable as to how they spent their money because of the democratic system that was in place. The end result was more financial freedom for the citizens of France.


The Peasants money was constantly being taken to fund the Kings frivolous spending.
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Unfair Political and Social Structure

     The fact that there was an unfair social system was mainly due to the strict social hierarchy that was in place at that time. It was divided into three estates being Clergy, Nobility, Common people (everyone else). The first estate only made up approximately 0.5% of the French population. However, they owned 10% percent of all the land in France and controlled the majority of public authority. As well, the church collected taxes of their own including the tithe but did not have to pay any taxes. The second estate made up only 1.5% of the population. They were granted special rights such as, holding government office, commission in the army, hunting, and tax exemptions. Nobles could also buy their way into things like the Parliament. The third estate made up the remaining population (approximately 98%). This large group of people were split up into the Bourgeoisie, urban workers and the Peasants. The bourgeoisies had professions and had potential to accumulate wealth. Urban workers were peasants that had moved to the cities and were most commonly journeymen, apprentices and unskilled labourers. The peasants made up the largest population at 86%. Peasants ranged from wealthy farmers to landless day labourers.

     This system was unfair because of the distribution of power, wealth and freedom. The first two estates controlled the most of the power in the society and treated themselves well. The third estate was completely excluded from any political action at all. They were given a leader as a illusion to keep them quiet.

     The consequence of this unfair system was that the third estate eventually became fed up with what was going on and decided to revolt. They made up the majority of the population and they were no longer going to tolerate being treated like lesser humans. They revolted and violence ensued. The entire hierarchy system was disbanded and many nobles and clergymen were guillotined. They began targeting the upper two classes with violence. The king was overthrown and executed along with his wife to destroy any trace of their past so that they can start a new chapter. They established a democratic system of government thus distributing power more equally. As well, the Declaration of the Rights of Man was written, setting up equality for all the people in France. This ended all of the segregation that had been set up by the old hierarchy system.

This political cartoon shows the French feudal heiracrhy and how unfair it really was.

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What is the French Revolution?

The French revolution started in 1789 and lasted roughly 5 years. It was a radical and often dangerous period of time. There were many causes that led to drastic changes which sparked the beginning of European nationalism. The world you know today has been greatly influenced by the ideas of the French Revolution. The idea of nationalism is still relevant and highly discussed in today's society.

This picture shows how much of their triumph came through violence as well as supporting and encouraging martyrdom.

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