Feudal Society and the Three Estates:
During the years leading up to the French Revolution the government of France consisted of a Feudal Society where there were Three Estates, or social classes, under the Kings rule. The Clergy and members of the Church belonged to the First and highest Estate. At the time the Church was the center of power and authority, aside from the King, and had lots of wealth. Through Divine Right the Church was closely allied with the Monarchy or King. Divine Right was a belief system instigated by the Church that states that the monarch is subject to authority through the will of God and was picked by God Himself. To go against the King would be like going against God. In this way the Church had a very secure authoritative power. The Church also played a major role in the lives of the people; without Catholic Sacraments the King’s subjects had no legal existence.
The Second Estate consisted of Nobles, also known as Knights, and Aristocrats. People who belonged in the Second Estate, along with people of the First Estate, had certain privileges that the peasants did not have. These privileges included exemption from having to pay certain taxes like the taille tax which was the basic tax of the French Monarchy. They also had job privileges meaning they could pick any job they wanted before he Third Estate
During the years leading up to the French Revolution the government of France consisted of a Feudal Society where there were Three Estates, or social classes, under the Kings rule. The Clergy and members of the Church belonged to the First and highest Estate. At the time the Church was the center of power and authority, aside from the King, and had lots of wealth. Through Divine Right the Church was closely allied with the Monarchy or King. Divine Right was a belief system instigated by the Church that states that the monarch is subject to authority through the will of God and was picked by God Himself. To go against the King would be like going against God. In this way the Church had a very secure authoritative power. The Church also played a major role in the lives of the people; without Catholic Sacraments the King’s subjects had no legal existence.
The Second Estate consisted of Nobles, also known as Knights, and Aristocrats. People who belonged in the Second Estate, along with people of the First Estate, had certain privileges that the peasants did not have. These privileges included exemption from having to pay certain taxes like the taille tax which was the basic tax of the French Monarchy. They also had job privileges meaning they could pick any job they wanted before he Third Estate
Events Leading to The French Revolution:
- Social: Bourgeois v.s. Aristocrats
- Financial: Financial Crisis- large debt left over by the American Revolution and the 7 Year War
- Political: Growing dislike towards Louis XVI
- Economical: A series of bad harvests
- Poverty Level/ Wealth Gap: Peasants made up over 90% of population
Social: Bourgeois v.s. Aristocrats
The Bourgeois people arose from the Third Estate and lived on the “wealthy” end. They belonged and represented the working class, or in modern term the middle class, and were known as proper people who had good manners and believed in a hierarchy form of government rather than a democracy. It was from this class that many liberal professions and public employees came from. The Bourgeois people were often compared to the Aristocrats and would most likely belong in the same class if it weren't for the separation of social classes. For this reason the Bourgeois class grew envious of the aristocrats and aimed to put themselves into the higher classes.
The Bourgeois people worked extremely hard, even harder than the aristocrats, while sacrificing many things for their education; some even became nobles. But for many the hard and grueling work was met with little reward. The aristocrats belonged to the Second Estate and had various privileges over the Third Estate. The nobles had the right to preserve distinguished public employments before the Bourgeois because of social class and birth right. The Bourgeois people were often the last people to get a say or pick of job because of their social class even though they had the same education skill as most Aristocrats. The nobles and Bourgeois had basically the same education but since the nobles were of higher social class and were of birth they were automatically privileged to public office first. Revolutionary ideas began to spread by word of mouth through the bourgeois people. In a pamphlet written by Seiyes before the outbreak of the French Revolution he wrote about what the Third Estate really was:
- What is the Third Estate?: Everything
- What has it been until know?: Nothing
- What does it ask?: To be Something
The Bourgeois longed for equality between the classes and eventually they turned against the First and Second Estates; ”it was now a class war”. Sparked by the decision made by the Parliament of Paris to return to system of Estates General back to the way it was in 1614, they spoke out about their feeling towards the hierarchy and unequal social system. They started Propaganda, petitions were made and signed, they put an emphasis on “earthly happiness and on dignity of man, urged the necessity of increasing the former and elevating the latter”. They believed in the “calling of all men, without distinction of birth, to enter into a universal and equal competition from which the progress of mankind was to follow without end”, civil equality, religious toleration, access for all Frenchman of any Estate to public employment, a reform of the tithe (a form of tax), and liberation of the human personality form all institutions; they just wanted a conquest of equal rights.
Financial: Financial Crisis- large debt left over by the American Revolution and the 7 Year War
A large debt was acquired following the American Revolution and the 7 Year War and to try and help financial crisis Jacques Necker introduced the usage of loans to help fund the debt. Jacques Necker was a French Statesman and Finance minister of Louis XVI. Instead of raising taxes he used interest rates and because of this many peopled blamed Necker for the financial crisis and for making it worse. Charles Alexandre de Calonne, successor of Necker, was a French statesman and in 1773 was summoned to the position of General Controller of Finances. Calonne followed Necker’s strategies and continued to borrow money. This strategy did not work though at created a bigger financial debt. The debt acquired by loans accounted to 126,000,000 eventually leading to inflation.
During this time prices had risen 65 percent and wages only 22 percent, the masses (middle class) reduced their purchases significantly and so taxes went up to make up for the decline in purchases. Those who belonged to the first and second Estates and some members of the third Estate (Bourgeois), were privileged so that they didn't have to pay the taille tax which was the basic tax of the French Monarchy; “the richer the man was the less he had to pay”. Only the peasant shad to pay the taille tax while others of high class status, regional privileges, or personal influence were exempt of paying this tax.
A large debt was acquired following the American Revolution and the 7 Year War and to try and help financial crisis Jacques Necker introduced the usage of loans to help fund the debt. Jacques Necker was a French Statesman and Finance minister of Louis XVI. Instead of raising taxes he used interest rates and because of this many peopled blamed Necker for the financial crisis and for making it worse. Charles Alexandre de Calonne, successor of Necker, was a French statesman and in 1773 was summoned to the position of General Controller of Finances. Calonne followed Necker’s strategies and continued to borrow money. This strategy did not work though at created a bigger financial debt. The debt acquired by loans accounted to 126,000,000 eventually leading to inflation.
During this time prices had risen 65 percent and wages only 22 percent, the masses (middle class) reduced their purchases significantly and so taxes went up to make up for the decline in purchases. Those who belonged to the first and second Estates and some members of the third Estate (Bourgeois), were privileged so that they didn't have to pay the taille tax which was the basic tax of the French Monarchy; “the richer the man was the less he had to pay”. Only the peasant shad to pay the taille tax while others of high class status, regional privileges, or personal influence were exempt of paying this tax.
Political: Growing dislike towards Louis XVI
As the economy and financial crisis grew worse the people began to question the King, Louis XVI, saying that he is only a man “addicted to hunting and to manual hobbies, a great eater and drinker, having no fondness for society, amusements or balls, he was the laughingstock of his courtiers”. Louis XVI was able to deprive the lords of their political power and subject nobles and clergy to his authority instead. Taxes had increased and the people, especially those belonging to the Third Estate, felt they were being overtaxed and were being treated unequally; resistance to taxes quickly followed. The whole economy was riding on the money produced from the Third Estate since those of the First and Second Estates had special privileges and didn't have to pay a large tax. The power of the King was weakening and the immediate cause of his fall lay in the government emergency of the financial crisis for which Louis XVI couldn't find a solution. He was later executed in 1793.
As the economy and financial crisis grew worse the people began to question the King, Louis XVI, saying that he is only a man “addicted to hunting and to manual hobbies, a great eater and drinker, having no fondness for society, amusements or balls, he was the laughingstock of his courtiers”. Louis XVI was able to deprive the lords of their political power and subject nobles and clergy to his authority instead. Taxes had increased and the people, especially those belonging to the Third Estate, felt they were being overtaxed and were being treated unequally; resistance to taxes quickly followed. The whole economy was riding on the money produced from the Third Estate since those of the First and Second Estates had special privileges and didn't have to pay a large tax. The power of the King was weakening and the immediate cause of his fall lay in the government emergency of the financial crisis for which Louis XVI couldn't find a solution. He was later executed in 1793.
Economical: A series of bad harvests
France endured a series of bad harvests in 1787, 1788, and time leading up to the Revolution .Crop failures and a slowdown in manufacturing lead to food shortages and with this came an increase in prices of grain and other goods to make up for the deficit. As food decreased and prices increased the number of peasants surged to a high and the masses began to revolt. The masses, consisting of mostly peasants and members of the Third Estate, were suffering from starvation as they struggled to pay the high price needed for food and grain. The Third Estate also turned to the Aristocrats blaming them for the bad harvests and raise in price.
France endured a series of bad harvests in 1787, 1788, and time leading up to the Revolution .Crop failures and a slowdown in manufacturing lead to food shortages and with this came an increase in prices of grain and other goods to make up for the deficit. As food decreased and prices increased the number of peasants surged to a high and the masses began to revolt. The masses, consisting of mostly peasants and members of the Third Estate, were suffering from starvation as they struggled to pay the high price needed for food and grain. The Third Estate also turned to the Aristocrats blaming them for the bad harvests and raise in price.
Poverty Level/ Wealth Gap: Peasant made up over 90% of the population
The Third Estate was the largest and poorest Estate made up of peasants and anyone else under feudalism. They produced and harvested the food which supported soldiers and members of the church (First and Second Estates). The Third Estate consisted of all commoners from the wealthiest Bourgeois to the poorest peasant. This Estate accounted for 96% of the French Nation. The only people in this Estate regarded as holding some importance were the bourgeois who were lawyers, doctors, merchants, and holders of invested income.
The France population at the time was around 23,000,000 (23 million). The Priests, monks, and nuns, which were all a part of the First and highest Estate, amounted to 100,000 in number while the nobles, or the Second Estate, numbers to around 400,000; leaving 22,500,000 members of the Third Estate. To put the wealth gap in perspective 98% of French people were living in poverty, or just getting by, while 2% of the population had tons of money and authority.
The Third Estate was the largest and poorest Estate made up of peasants and anyone else under feudalism. They produced and harvested the food which supported soldiers and members of the church (First and Second Estates). The Third Estate consisted of all commoners from the wealthiest Bourgeois to the poorest peasant. This Estate accounted for 96% of the French Nation. The only people in this Estate regarded as holding some importance were the bourgeois who were lawyers, doctors, merchants, and holders of invested income.
The France population at the time was around 23,000,000 (23 million). The Priests, monks, and nuns, which were all a part of the First and highest Estate, amounted to 100,000 in number while the nobles, or the Second Estate, numbers to around 400,000; leaving 22,500,000 members of the Third Estate. To put the wealth gap in perspective 98% of French people were living in poverty, or just getting by, while 2% of the population had tons of money and authority.
Declaration of Man and the Citizen- 1789
The National Assembly, made up of representatives of the French people, came to a conclusion that the ignorance, neglect, and contempt of the right of man were the sole cause of public calamities and corruption of government. To accommodate for this they made a Declaration indicating the rights of man. The image of the 17 rights of man is depicted like the 10 Commandments.
Rights of Man:
The National Assembly, made up of representatives of the French people, came to a conclusion that the ignorance, neglect, and contempt of the right of man were the sole cause of public calamities and corruption of government. To accommodate for this they made a Declaration indicating the rights of man. The image of the 17 rights of man is depicted like the 10 Commandments.
Rights of Man:
1) Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.
2) The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imperceptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. 3) The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation. 4) Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law. 5) Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law. 6) Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents 7) No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense. 8) The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense |
9) As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person shall be severely repressed by law.
10) No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law. 11) The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law. 12) The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be entrusted. 13) A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means. 14) All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes. 15) Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration 16) A society in which the observance of the law is not assured, nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all. 17) Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified. |