You’re in Paris, and it’s the late 1700’s. Looking over your shoulder, you see the Seine river, its current bouncing with the cool breeze. Commoners around you are shouting for the surrender of the Bastille, a Paris prison. What brought us here? you ask. Ideas of the Enlightenment, lack of representation for the third estate, and discontentment area all the main culprits of the French Revolution. But why?
To begin, we will discuss the Enlightenment and its contribution to the rippling effect that became the French Revolution. Rousseau, Locke, and Montesquieu were thinkers of the Enlightenment. They theorized that everyone is born free and equal. More specifically, Locke felt that civilians should be able to overthrow the government if it infringed upon their
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One reason was because they had a lack of representation. In the meeting of the Estate’s General, thoughts and opinions of representatives of third estate were rarely acknowledged. When they did receive attention, they were voted out by the first and second estate if the proposal did not appeal to them. The delegates in the Estates General demanded that “The meeting of the Estates General...Shall be scheduled for definite times...In order to assure the third estate the influence it deserves because of its numbers.” (Doc. 3). The delegates demanded that thoughts and ideas be fairly considered for the benefit of estate. Also, the lack of representation only further justified their opinion that the power should be with the people. Comte D'Antraigues states, “It is in the people that all national power resides and for the people that all states exist.” (Doc. 6). He is saying that the power resides in the people because without them, there would be no power. Commoners and Comte D’Antraigues felt that the third estate should be able to influence government decisions and have equal power in each
The ideas of change in the French Revolution came from Jean- Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau, from his book, Discourse on the Moral Effect of the Arts and Sciences, had the idea that civilization corrupted people and had once said “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains”. His ideas were the beginning of socialism. He believed in the common good. More extremely, there was Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) who fueled ideas for the Russian Revolution. He was the Father of Communism, a more radical form of socialism. Those who followed Rousseau’s and Marx’s ideas felt that the...
Beginning in mid-1789, and lasting until late-1799, the French Revolution vastly changed the nation of France throughout its ten years. From the storming of the Bastille, the ousting of the royal family, the Reign of Terror, and all the way to the Napoleonic period, France changed vastly during this time. But, for the better part of the last 200 years, the effects that the French Revolution had on the nation, have been vigorously debated by historian and other experts. Aspects of debate have focused around how much change the revolution really caused, and the type of change, as well as whether the changes that it brought about should be looked at as positive or negative. Furthermore, many debate whether the Revolutions excesses and shortcomings can be justified by the gains that the revolution brought throughout the country. Over time, historians’ views on these questions have changed continually, leading many to question the different interpretations and theories behind the Revolutions effectiveness at shaping France and the rest of the world.
Before the French Revolution that occurred during the late 18th century, France was considered one of the most advanced and opulent countries in Europe. It was in the center of the Enlightenment era, a period of time from the 1600s to the 1800s that is considered today as one of the most significant intellectual movements in history by encouraging a new view of life. The age sparked hundreds of important thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, Thomas Paine, and Adam Smith. The Enlightenment was the fuel that sparked a worldwide desire to reshape and reconsider the ways that countries were governed. Limited monarchies, direct democracies, limited democracies, and absolute monarchies, among others, were many forms of government that were disputed by these thinkers. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one the many significant Enlightenment thinkers, believed in a direct democracy, a system in which a country is governed by many, and where no one person has a considerable amount of power. This idea that citizens should receive independence and a voice would later stimulate the French and result in what is now k...
The enlightenment was an intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries Europe that emphasized on reason and individualism. Thinkers of the Enlightenment encouraged people to question the society and government. The beliefs from the Enlightment that natural rights of man inspired the French revolution. The Enlightenment stressed the basic equality from a scientific point of view, arguing that superiority are human constructs not rooted in scientific analysis. The French revolution was a series of events taken place between 1789 and 1799 in different phrases that shifted France to a unified nation and enhanced its power as a modern state. The French revolution is a culmination of enlightenment ideas that wiped out old regimes, the Enlightenment
The nobles had intended to marry within their own ranks, and making the nobility a closed group” (Spielvogel page 568). The third estate during this time had included people who had been the commoners of society, and they had been the overwhelming majority of the French population. They had been divided by their occupations, level of education, and wealth. The peasants in the third estate had made up 75-80 percent of the total population, owning also about 35 to 40 percent of the land. “The third estate did not just include the commoners of society, but had also included skilled artisans, shopkeepers, and other wage earners in the cities. The third estate had also a struggle for survival and had led them to play an important role in the revolution, especially in the city of Paris” (Spielvogel page 568-569). “Louis had eventually established the estates general and had soon became disappointed, the clergy and the aristocracy can easily vote out the third estate, two to one which they had done repeatedly. The first estate had joined the third estate and when they had joined together the third estate had realized that it had been the only
1. Why and how did the French Revolution take a radical turn entailing terror at home and war with European powers?
Just as any story has a climax; one can deduce that the 17th and 18th centuries were the turning point for most of European history; however, different places experienced this change in different ways. As the previous discoveries and inventions were made by remarkable scientists like Galileo, the Enlightenment was the next logical step in the era. As incredible philosophers like Jean- Jacques Rousseau along with John Locke stepped in, people all over Europe began to realize the importance and even the mere concept of reason and natural rights granted to all persons. Apart from the common impact of the Enlightenment on all of Europe, France further experienced a drastic change in terms of society as well as finance, leading to the mark of a new beginning- The French Revolution. Due to a hierarchical system in France, a vast opposition by the nobility and the commoners grew regarding the old order, which led to take an action against the monarchical regime. As a result of a faster growth in consumer prices over wages, the next scenario was the economic fall of society that included taxes, food shortages and unemployment rates. As the necessity for a rebellion became crucial due to the lack of privilege towards the commoners, with the financial collapse of the French society, coupled with the lasting impact of the philosophes, the main causes of the French Revolution were the unequal hierarchy of the estate system, the growing economic crises, and the ideologies of the Enlightenment.
During the late 18th century, the French Revolution took place which completely changed France. French society was in it's worse condition with poverty, unfair systems both socially and politically, and economic declines. The third estate became overwhelmingly unsatisfied of the unfair laws and the privileged classes. With economic failures, the monarch began to tax harshly to the third estate which brought rage among the third estate. From then on powerful and effective actions were taken to rebel against the French government. The French Revolution took place and went through many phases to settle the social, political, and economic problems. The ideals of the French revolution, Liberte, Egalite, and Fraternite were a reflection of the breakdown of the Ancien Regime because of the change and reform of politics, social classes and systems, unfair tax systems, and the economy that occurred during the French Revolution.
The third estate could be broken down into three parts: the rich (bourgeoisie), the middle (lawyers, doctors, businessmen), and the poor (the peasant, farmer). There was much change in the economic world of the third estate. For instance the bourgeois were gaining land and therefore making money. 35% of the land was left to the 22 to 23 million peasants, the bourgeoisie held about 30% of the land, the 350 000 members of the nobility held about 20% of the land, and left with an unequally shared 10% the 130 000 member of the clergy. This sh...
...with aggrieved peasants and wage-earners and with individuals of all classes who were influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment” (GNU, 2008, pg. 1). No matter what the causes the French Revolution turned out to be one of the most influential periods in European history.
The French Revolution was a period of political upheaval that occurred in France during the latter half of the 18th century. This revolution marked an end to the system of feudalism and the monarchy in France and a rise to democracy and new Enlightenment ideas. By 1789, when the revolution began, France was in a deep financial crisis due to the debt they had obtained over many years of reckless spending and France was nearly bankrupt. These financial issues fell almost completely on the bottom social class or the Third Estate which made up a majority of the country. Because of this financial trouble the common people were heavily taxed leaving many of them in poverty. In addition to the economic issues, France also held an Estate System that led to heavy
The third estate consisted of the remaining 23.5 million French people who were 90% peasants. The third estate was the only estate that paid taxes. Their taxes ensured the financial well-being of the clergy, state, and nobles (French Revolution Overview 6). The Enlightenment was a major influence of the French Revolution. The Enlightenment caused the revolution in three ways.
...rent laws and views. Revolutionists fought for a government by the people and for the people, one where everyone was equal and had the right to vote. The Enlightenment changed the way people viewed politics, the government and religion. It made the people realize what they wanted France to be, eventually causing them to revolt against the government make France a republic.
In eighteenth century France, King Louis XVI’s subjects were split into three very different classes, or estates—the First Estate, the Second Estate, and lastly, the Third Estate, who made up the greater part of the French population. The First Estate consisted of clergymen, who protected tradition and preserved the status quo, while the Second Estate consisted of nobles, who regulated guilds and contributed very little in terms of taxpaying. The last estate was the Third Estate, whose members were those that lacked any real unity as the kingdom’s commoners, and they made up the ninety-seven percent of the French population (Popkin 11). It was this Third Estate who had to shoulder the burden of paying the majority of the taxes in France, and it was because of this injustice that caused them to desire reforms in social equality and the tax system (Chang).
The third estate (made up ninety-eight percent of the population) was the people who wanted to be equal to the nobles and clergy. The clergy and nobles made up the First and Second Estate. They first two estates had overruling power in the government than the Third Estate. This was one of the reasons of the Storm of Bastille. They were knowledgeable of the ‘existing conditions.’ The social class was the main thing separating the people of France. There was a lack of social mobility also, causing people to be based on lineage, rather than wealth.