The Factors And Causes Of 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

The demand for manufactured goods fell, and many artisans, traders and farmers were without work. A trade tax was also instilled upon the peasants where they would be taxed from province to province, much like the earlier taxes posed in America. Arthur Young describes in his

Travels in France “On a great road in thirty miles I have not seen one diligence, and met but a single gentlemen’s carriage, nor anything else on the road that looked like a gentleman.” Among his many observations of the Third Estate in France, he also noted

“It was said, at present, that something was to be done by some great folks for such poor ones.” This was a direct prediction towards a revolution.

People were angry and began to revolt. In July of 1789, they stormed the Bastille killing many people, and in October of 1789 angry middleclass women marched to

Versailles demanding that the royal family move to Paris and action be taken to help feed the people. Bread riots were also common among the hungry poor.

The continuous competition between social classes was another problem that led

France toward a Revolution. The nobility wanted to regain their place in society, and