CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

I .INTELLECTUAL CAUSE
A. The Enlightenment. The Philosophes made people aware of the poor conditions they
Lived under in France
1. Wrote about political, economic, social and religious freedom
II. POLITICAL CAUSES
A. The King was an absolute monarch
B. No freedom of speech or the press
C. No trial by jury
D. Estates general ( French parliament) never met. People
Had no voice in the government
E. Government was run by the aristocracy
F. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were unpopular and the
King was viewed as incompetent
III Social Causes
A. Society divided into 3 classes with little movement
1. Clergy- tax exempt, owned land, wealthy and poor
2. Nobility- tax exempt, owned land, wealthy, served in the
government and the army
3. Rest of the Population ( 95 to 97 %) Divided into there own groups
A. Middle Class- (Bourgeoisie)Wealthy, educated, wanted a voice in government
Opposed the nobility and its privileges, leaders of the revolution
Paid taxes
B. Peasants – Worked the land, poor paid taxes
C. City Workers - Poor workers, wanted rights , very active during the
revolution
III ECONOMIC CAUSES
A. The middle class and poor were heavily taxed
1. Taille- Land Tax
2. Tithe- Church Tax
3. Gabelle- Salt Tax
4. Corvee- feudal tax, forced to repair roads and bridges
IV INFLUENCE OF THE AMERICAN AND ENGLISH REVOLUTIONS
A. Glorious Revolution successfully established a Constituional
Monarchy
B. English Bill of Rights
C. American Revolution- American Colonists establishing a Republic
D. The Declaration of Independence and The Constituion
E. Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin spread ideas to France
F. French soldiers like Lafayette spread ideas
V IMMEDIATE CAUSE WAS BANKRUPTCY
A. Finance ministers like Turgot, Calonne and Necker tried to convince the King to
Tax the nobility. Louis XVI was indecisive
B French Parlements (noble courts) blocked all attempts for tax reform
C. Attempts to establish a new Assembly of Notables also failed to bring
Tax reform
D. Failures led to the King calling the Estates General into session
E. Before discussing reform the 3rd estate wanted reform. Wrote CAHIERS, a list of
grievances against the government. They called for reforming the undemocratic
features of the estates general and creating a National Assembly ( Tennis Court Oath)
F. King accepted the establishment of the National Assembly and the revolution begins