The French Revolution: Social Causes

Explain some of the causes of The French Revolution. What were the three estates and why did the third estate feel used? How did the Enlightenment thinkers influence the French Revolution? What really triggered the revolution, what happened on July 14, 1789?

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In the 1780's , the French Revolution started. The French Revolution was a major event that eventually led to the democracy of France. At the time, France was probably the most advanced country to date. Louis XIV was as great king and ruled the country well. After Louis XIV (absolute monarch) passed away, Louis XV took the throne and power. He was a poor ruler and was very lazy. Louix XVI was not much better, he tried to be an absolute monarch just like Louis XIV, but he wasn't successful. This is because of the French Revolution.

The American Revolution greatly inspired the French Revolution that took place in the 1780s. They saw how America became independant from the mother country (England) and their ideas of democracy (taken from the Enlightenment thinkers). The third French estate saw this and decided that they wanted democracy just like America had.

At the time, France was a very feudalist society. France was divided into three different estates. The first estate was made up by Catholic clergy. They were less than one percent of the population. They had the most power and control. The second estate, still very powerful, was made up of wealthy nobles. They made up only two percent of the population. The third estate, everyone else (including merchants, common people, peasants) was a whopping ninety eight (98%) of the population! They were the poorest, and they also had to pay the most taxes. The common folks had to pay a little more than 50% of the taxes in France. Average people were considered to be inferior, had very high tax and had no say in the government whatsoever.

France followed the Old Regime. The Old Regime was the old way of thinking. It gave the first and second estates different punishments, special courts and a break on their taxes. The nobles and clergy had special treatment and got away with many things that would be considered a serious crime for the third estate.

No one actual event triggered the revolution. It was a series of multiple events that led to the revolution. The most memorable event was probably the siege of The Bastille, which took place on July 14, 1789. The Bastille was a large, grandeur prison. It was the largest prison in Paris. Citizens stormed it in the pursuit of arms, as well as to release innocent prisoners from the third estate. After the siege of the Bastille, a wave of terror roamed the countryside. This wave of terror was called "The Great Fear." Catholic clergy and nobles had their homes attacked. This sent a strong message to the government. Eventually, the third estate did the same thing, but marched to the Versaille, the home of Louis XVI. They took him back to Paris where he lived. They then had him executed in the guillotine.