The French Revolution Essay - 917 Words

The French Revolution was a period of time from 1789 to 1799 in France where there was political instability. It officially began on the 14th of July, 1789, when the Bastille, which was a symbol of the King’s harsh policies, was stormed. The King, Louis XVI, the Queen, Marie-Antoinette and about 40,000 people were all brutally murdered. But there was also a positive side, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was formally adopted on August 1789 and feudalism was abolished. This essay will address the issues of the three estates system, food shortages and the fiscal crisis. It will also be argued that the most significant cause of the French Revolution was the social inequality that stemmed from the three estates system.†¦show more content†¦The majority were already struggling with the cost of living, and the addition of extra taxes caused it to be near impossible for them to survive financially. This angered the third estate, and provided an incentive for the revolution. Therefore, it is evident that the social inequality that derived from the three estates system was the most significant cause of the French Revolution. Secondly, the food shortages and prices were a highly influential cause of the French Revolution. The third estate had to pay the gabelle, which was extremely expensive (Hetherton). Salt was an essential commodity that was not only used for seasoning but to preserve meats and vegetables for the cold season (Hills). When the peasantry could not afford the gabelle, they starved during the winter. This was especially significant during the winters of 1769, 1776, 1780–1783 and 1788, when there were heavy hailstorms and treacherously cold temperatures (Martin). This meant that there were several crop failures that impacted foods such as corn and grain (Ashwell). As a result, the crop failures caused prices of bread and vegetables to increase 9-fold and 6-fold respectively (Martin). Furthermore, the glacial weather caused several supply routes to freeze and close down. For example, the rivers Yonne and Oise were specifically used for supplying meat, so when they became unavailable t o merchants, the price of meat escalated 10-fold (Martin). This meant that only those who couldShow MoreRelatedThe French Revolution And French Revolutions2006 Words   |  9 PagesAlthough the American and French revolutions both took place in the late 18th century, both fought for independence, and both portrayed patriotism, the revolutions are markedly different in their origins; one which led to the world’s longest lasting democracy and the other to a Napoleonic Dictatorship. Political revolutions in America and France happened because people felt dissatisfied with the way their country was run. 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