french rev Essay

Submitted By sspisto13
Words: 1653
Pages: 7
Open Document
Long term causes:

Royal government: headed by Louis, France split in to 34 generalities headed by intendants.

Taxation system:
Taille land tax paid by third estate
Vingtien 5% income tax paid by third estate
Capitatiem, poll tax paid by second and third estate
Gabelle, salt tax paid by everyone
Airdos tax on food and drinks
Octrois

Failures:
Farmers Generals corrupt body that collected taxes, paid government agreed sum and kept rest to themselves, leading to deficit and need for borrowing

Venal offices, posts bought and inherited, many tax collectors were venal office holders and although corrupt could not be replaced

Results:
Taxation caused resentment amongst the third estate which was comprised of bourgeoisie and sans-culottes. First estate clergy were exempt an paid don gratuit any fee they felt appropriate

French Society:
Division of the estates, First estate made up of bishops who were guilty of absenteeism and plurality allowing them to hold many diocese and gain maximum monetary benefits owning 10% of the land. Administrative power, controlled education and held power of censorship.

Church was paid tithes by peasants in proportion to land owned averaged 7% income, much of which went to the upper echelons of the clergy

Nobles formed second estate exempt of taxes including gabelle and natioal service corvee, received feudal dues from peasants, tried in special courts.

Third Estate Bourgeoisie felt their wealth should be reflected through political liberties of representation as they paid so much tax.

Sefdom still existed amongst peasantry, resented feudal dues and financial burden , taxes accounted for 5-10% of income

Sans-culottes urban skilled workers inhabiting Paris, inflation greater than wages due to economics crisis. Dissatisfaction and resentment grew as a result

Enlightenment proposed ideas challenging status quo, and the preponderance of religion and the divine right of the monarch. Rousseau general will, Voltaire crush the infamous. Challenged despotism proclaimed equality , philosophes, Diderot.

Short term Causes:
Financial burden placed on France as a result of a series of Wars, inefficient tax collection system, failure of reform and bad harvest.

Seven Years War 1756-1763 France lost a number of overseas colonies however sugar producing islands were retained.

Intervention in American war of independence 1776-81 (2000 million livres), recovered French honour lost in seven years war, but was massive financial burden and may have exposed soldiers to democratic ideals.

Inefficient Tax collection system due to corruption of Farmer Generals and Venal offices.

Failure of reform process Necker misled the people 1781 by cooking the books and exempting fees of American war of independence, compte rendu 1777_1781

Calonne 1783-1787; sought to reform tax system. However borrowed more than Necker and sold more venal offices. Proposed abolishment of exemptions and liberalisation of trad.

Assembly of Notables Feb 1787 ( handpicked by King 144) aimed to bypass Paris parlement. Notables opposed reforms as they stood to lose most, urged calling Estates Generals, undermined Kings power.

Political Crisis Brienne replaced Calonne, proposed educational reforms, codification of laws, abolishment of Venal offices.

Parlement veto Louis dissolves them, Estate General finally summoned may 1788 suspending payments to royal treasury.

September 1788 Necker returned, called on Estates General. Louis in theory absolute monarch in practice weak.

Economic crisis: series of disastrous harvests 1778-1788 causing increase in the price of bread. 1788-89 88% of labourers wages was spent of bread

Other sectors hit hard production of textiles fell by 50% due to Eden treaty, wine market was poor due to high bread prices.

Food shortages: 1784 food riots against hoarding, politicisation of third estates who blamed nobility for the countries financial
Show More

Related Documents: french rev Essay

french rev Essay

counterrevolutionary events in Year I to Year III are very telling in that they adequately summarize the motivations and courses of actions that both the male and female sans-culottes took to reach a more prosperous life. “The Women of Paris and Their French Revolution” documents the life and times of the sans-culottes women in Paris and their struggle against the provisional government and the society that had mistreated them for so long. This book discusses the many hardships that women faced in late…

Words 1153 - Pages 5

French Rev Essay

The French Revolution did fulfill the ideas of the Enlightenment. The French Revolution idea was brought over across the Atlantic Ocean from the Americas. The French abetted the colonies on their revolution against Britain and France got the same idea to split with its king. It all started when the king locked the 3rd estate out of the court meeting and so they later met in a tennis court and started the writing of the Constitution. They wrote down what they understood should be for everyone. Many…

Words 772 - Pages 4

French Rev Essay

Josh Fish AP World French Revolution Essay During the late 18th century, France was in a state of political upheaval, the 1st and 2nd estates had absolute power over the 3rd estate. They treated the third estate as unequal’s and very unfairly. Therefore after the fall of Bastille the French Revolution began. The third estate revolted against the 1st and 2nd estates due to the heavy taxes placed on them, the lack of rights and voice they had in the government, and the horrible condition in which…

Words 822 - Pages 4

American and French Rev. Essay

Both the American and French Revolutions were focused around liberty and equality. Both countries were trying to gain freedom. America was trying to gain freedom from the rules and taxes put upon them by Great Britain. Whereas the French wanted to abolish the French monarchy and create a better government in which the people could have more of a say in society. Although the revolutions of both started for very similar reasons, and both countries fought for the same thing, the outcomes of the two…

Words 797 - Pages 4

DBQ french rev Essay example

Each Estate had its own grievances they that were handled during the French Revolution. The Tennis Court Oath was probably the utmost famous riot during the French Revolution according to my speculation. The first estate or clergy was in a state of panic when the Cahiers came and proclaimed that the clergy give up its state of dominance, the second estate otherwise known as nobility also had its own problems, the Cahiers stated that they give up their statuses, and the third estate or peasants were…

Words 508 - Pages 3

Essay on French aid in American Rev.

Dean Conti Ms. Aversa English 11R 21 October, 2013 People that are proud create stories around their life to make themselves look like better people, more successful people, more intuitive people and a good person to look up to. This however is not the case when it comes to the play “Death of a Salesman” written by Arthur Miller. Willy Loman, a self-proclaimed legend of the business world. A man who was inspired to be a salesman based on seeing the success of others in the same occupation…

Words 688 - Pages 3

French Rev Reivew Sheet Answers Essay

The French Revolution (Chapter 19 - textbook pages 478- 503) PRE-REVOLUTION 1. Who made up each of the following Estates in France under the Old Regime? a) First Estate: Clergy and members of the church; owned land; few people; paid NO taxes b) Second Estate: Nobility; owned land; few people; paid NO taxes c) Third Estate: 98% of the population (Bourgeoisie, professionals, merchants, artisans, peasants); had no rights; owned little land; paid ALL the taxes 2. What social, political…

Words 1122 - Pages 5

Cause Of Violence In The Haitian And French Revolution

If you were to live in either the Haitian or French revolution you had to be extremely cautious, saying, doing, or even being the wrong thing could lead to harsh death. Violence in the Haitian and French revolution was a key role in how it played out. Leaders of both these revolutions had to keep discipline and strict rules in order to keep themselves safe from any traitors or threats. This would often result in brutal, sometimes barbaric behavior, as well as scaring the people for their lives.This…

Words 1020 - Pages 5

DBQ: The French And Indian War

The French & Indian War altered the political, economic, ideological relations, and the geographical influences between Britain and its American colonies by Britain owning the most land in North America, taxes being levied in the colonies, and people thinking differently after the war. Before the French & Indian War in 1754 the French owned a lot of North America, but when Britain won the French & Indian War the British also won a lot of the French land (Doc A). The English took a lot of the French…

Words 795 - Pages 4

Essay on DBQ 2

Matt McClelland Mr. Ritter Period 6-7 September 20th, 2014 The French and Indian War reshaped the political, economic, and ideological relationship between Britain and its American colonies in many ways. The relationship was altered politically due to Britain’s control of the eastern coastline, economically on how British policies after 1763 were designed to raise revenue to pay for the cost of British debt, and ideologically because American colonists views on the relationship between Britain…

Words 807 - Pages 4