how was the french revolution a change brought about by the enlightenment and american revolution

The French Revolution is 1 of the well-nigh significant and famous events of world history. Lasting from 1789 to 1799, it resulted, among other things, in overthrowing the monarchy in France. There were diverse reasons which brought about the Revolution. These include intellectual reasons like the ideas put frontwards by the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment; cultural reasons like the ascent of the suburbia grade; political reasons similar the ineffective leadership of French monarch Louis Xvi; social reasons like the unjust Estates System; fiscal reasons like French involvement in expensive wars; and economic reasons like the ascension in toll of bread. Here are the ten major causes of the French Revolution.

#1 Social Inequality in France due to the Estates Arrangement

In the 1780s, the population of French republic was effectually 24 one thousand thousand and 700 thou and it was divided into three estates. The First Estate was the Roman Catholic clergy, which numbered almost 100,000. The 2d Estate consisted of the French nobility, which numbered about 400,000. Anybody else in French republic; including merchants, lawyers, laborers and peasants; belonged to the 3rd Manor, which comprised effectually 98% of the French population. The Tertiary Estate was excluded from positions of award and political power; and was looked down upon by the other estates. It was thus angered and resented its position in French society. This led to them coming together to launch the French Revolution in 1789.

The Three Estates in 18th century France — Depiction of the 3 Estates in France

#2 Tax Brunt on the 3rd Manor

The First Estate in France, or the clergy, owned 10% of the land though information technology comprised less than 0.5% of the population. It was very wealthy and paid no taxes. It had many privileges, including the drove of tithes. Tithes was one-tenth of annual produce or earnings taken as a tax for the back up of the Church. The Second Manor, or the nobles, endemic about 2 five % of the land. They were exempted from paying many taxes and were allowed to collect dues from peasants. In contrast, the Third Estate was forced to pay heavy taxes while the other two were exempted. This burdened the 3rd Estate leading to their questioning this unjust Estates System and planning to overthrow it.

Land ownership and taxation chart of the Three Estates — Comparison of land ownership and taxation of the Three Estates

#3 The Rise of the Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie were the rich men and women of the Third Estate who started to become influential in the years leading to the revolution. They evolved into a new caste with its own agenda and political aspiration. The bourgeoisie resented the position of the Offset and the Second Estate, which they believed was derived from their efforts. Moreover, they aspired to reach political equality with the other 2 estates. The want of the bourgeoisie to rid themselves of feudal and royal encroachments on their personal freedom, commercial prospects and ownership of belongings was i of the reasons which led to the French Revolution.

Lower class people and the bourgeoisie — Depiction of lower grade people and the suburbia in 18th century France

#4 Ideas put forward past Enlightenment philosophers

The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical motility that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century. Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Baron de Montesquieu questioned the traditional absolute authority of the monarch and divisions of society like the Estates Organisation. For instance, Locke argued that a leader may only govern a society if he had the consent of those he governed; Rousseau was against all class divisions; and Montesquieu advocated for a system of authorities based on separation of powers. The writings of Enlightenment thinkers were discussed in France more than anywhere else and they profoundly influenced the revolutionaries.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau – One of the nearly influential Enlightenment philosophers

#5 Financial Crisis caused due to Costly Wars

Throughout the 18th century, France participated in a series of expensive wars primarily against its long-term rival Smashing Britain. Louis XV, who ruled over France from 1715 to 1774, lost the Vii Years' War against Great britain. He so drew upwardly a program to avenge the loss by edifice a larger navy and an anti-British coalition of allies. Even so, this only resulted in a mountain of debt. Louis XVI, grandson of Louis Fifteen who succeeded him in 1774, so involved France in the American War of Independence against United kingdom. Though U.S. won the war, France gained trivial from it. French back up for the state of war was expensive costing 1.066 million French livres, a huge sum at the time. This worsened the economical crunch in the nation and pushed it toward defalcation.

Battle of Quiberon Bay during the Vii Years' War during which French republic was handed a crushing defeat past the British

#6 Drastic Weather and Poor Harvests in the preceding years

In June 1783, Laki volcano in Republic of iceland erupted sending volcanic ash loftier into the temper in Europe. This led to a severe winter in Europe in 17 8 4 and the following summers included extreme droughts that caused poor harvests and famine. France then experienced another serial of poor harvests in 1787 and 1788 with extreme winters. A decade of extreme weather conditions and poor harvests took a price on the poor peasants of France, who were struggling to survive day to day. The frustration of the peasants angered them to revol t.

#vii The Rise in the Cost of Breadstuff

The situation in France worsened when poor harvests caused the price of flour to increment dramatically, which in turn raised the price of staff of life. Bread was the staple food for most French citizens and information technology has been estimated by historians that the working class of French republic was spending upwards of 90% of their daily income on simply breadstuff. Louis XVI implemented deregulation of the grain market only it resulted in farther increasing the breadstuff prices. The ascent in the cost of bread severely affected the common French citizens who resented the monarch for his not existence able to solve the nutrient crisis.

Women's March on Versailles — Women'due south March on Versailles, a major effect of the French Revolution acquired due to the increase in price of bread

#8 Ineffective leadership of Louis Xv and Louis XVI

In France, every bit in most other European nations, the monarch ruled on the basis of the divine correct of kings. He was thus non answerable to his subjects. However, the philosophies of Enlightenment thinkers made the public think differently. Louis Fifteen failed to overcome the financial problems facing French republic. He was not able to harmonize the conflicting parties at court to arrive at coherent economic policies. Louis Xvi then tried to bring most radical reforms but failed miserably. The poor economic condition of the nation angered the masses and they became critical of their king. Moreover, both Louis XV and his grandson were aware of anti-monarchist forces that were threatening their family'due south rule just they were unable to end them.

King Louis XVI — Louis Xvi – Monarch of France during the Revolution

#ix Parlements' Successful Opposition to Reforms

Several French ministers, including Anne Robert Jacques Turgot and Jacques Necker, proposed revisions to the French tax organization so as to include the nobles equally taxpayers. This may accept reduced the financial crunch in the nation and would take lessened the anger of the poor as the tax arrangement would have become more just. A parlement in France was a provincial appellate courtroom. They were not legislative bodies but consisted of appellate judges. The parlements were the spearheads of the dignity'southward resistance to majestic reforms and they prevented any reform in taxation which would include the nobility.

French parlements in 1789 — Territories assigned to parlements in 1789

#ten The Extravagant Lifestyle of the French Monarchy

The improvident expenditure on luxuries, first by Louis 15 and then past Louis XVI, compounded the economic cris i s facing the nation and was one of the chief reasons backside the revolution. For example, the construction and remodeling of the Palace of Versailles throughout the 17th and 18th centuries incurred a huge price to the land. These large expenditures by the French monarchy caused dissatisfaction among the people who began to view its leaders as wasteful while they suffered due to the poor economic land of the nation. This in turn led to national unrest and ultimately the Revolution.