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Economic Crisis druing the French Revolution

Economic Crisis druing the French Revolution


A revolution can be described as a time when the masses, consisting of ordinary men and women, grow weary of the current political system and begin to take their lives and destinies into their own hands. Abraham Lincoln once commented about the masses under a political system that, “Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it.” This applies to many of the uprisings in history, but it is especially prevalent in the roots of the French Revolution. The distinct condition of the masses could be seen through the many eyes of France, and the various conditions posed on the Third Estate were the foundations for the French Revolution.

Participation in the American Revolution and after King Louis XIV’s and Louis XVI’s enormous expenses, the country of France fell into much accumulated debt in the late 18th century. The effect left from the debt upon the country could be seen in its people. Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, described a large portion of the masses when she wrote, “Tenderness and earnestness of the poor people, who, in spite of the taxes with which they are overwhelmed, were transported with joy at seeing us.” The upper class, therefore, set up large taxes to save get them out of debt. In order to save France from bankruptcy, Louis XVI called on the Estates General for help. The Estates General was made up of the First (clergy), Second (nobility), and Third (everyone else) Estate. However there was a lot of conflict within the Third Estate, because it was made up of everyone who was not part of the royal family, clergy, or nobility. The Third Estate was very unsatisfied because although it contained over 80 percent of the population, it still had the same one vote as the other two Estates with fewer people.

When King Louis XVI came into power, he realized that these problems existed. At first he did not know what to do, until he found a man by the name of Robert Turgot. Described as “tactless, high-minded, impatient and touchy,” he had difficulties when he tried to introduce a major reform, that of taxing the nobles. After Turgot was rejected, the king fired him from his office. The taxing...

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