Causes
The long-term causes of the French Revolution were mainly social, economic, and political. Below are some of these causes for the French Revolution (1789-1799).
Social Causes:
Social Classes and Taxation:
During the 18th century, the people of France were organized into a rigid social caste system. The system was a hierarchy made up of three groups of people, known as either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Estate. The First Estate (clergy) and the Second Estate (nobility) were made up of only about 230,000 people, which accounted for a mere 2% of the country's population. Together, the wealthy First and Second Estates owned approximately 35% of France's land and paid no taxes. The majority of people in France belonged to the Third Estate. This estate accounted for 98% of the population and about 27 million people. They collectively owned only 65% of the land, but paid all of France's taxes. Furthermore, middle class people such as lawyers, doctors, merchants, and writers, who were known as Bourgeoisie, accounted for only a small portion of the estate. The vast majority of France was in the lowest class, known as the Proletariat, which was made up of people who were urban workers, farmers, or unemployed.
The wealth gap between the rich and the poor of France was consistently growing larger and larger. While the upper classes defended their tax exemptions, the lower classes of France were exceedingly overtaxed, having to pay taxes for virtually everything. The Third Estate was required to pay a tax on salt (gabelle), a tax on land (taile), a 5% property tax (vingtieme), and even a tax based on the number of people in each family (capitation). Additionally, they had to give up 10% of what little income they made to the church. Taxation placed a tremendous burden on the Third Estate that forced many people to live on the borderline of poverty.
Political and Social Inequality:
The upper classes enjoyed special privileges in French society, while the common people suffered. The Third Estate could not hold any position of power, and had little say in governmental affairs. Even though the Estates General gave each estate "equal" power in voting, the First and Second Estates could easily outvote the Third Estate, maintaining the social and political inequality in France.
Famine:
During the 1780s, France experienced a great deal of food scarcity, resulting from stormy weather and poor harvests. There was a shortage of grain and inflation on the price of bread. The harvest of 1788 was the worst France had seen, and by 1789, the price of bread had gone up by about 67%. Soon, many lower class people of France could not afford food. Starvation and rumors of hoarding caused riots to break out out in the streets of France..
There are people who are starving in the streets, but the wealthy are hardly effected... "People are starving in 12. Here they just throwing it up and stuffing more in."~Peeta Mellark, Catching Fire
Economic Causes:
Inflation:
The price of goods in France was rapidly increasing, especially on food, while the incomes of low-class workers remained the same. Money was worth less, and goods cost more, making the Third Estate even more poor than they were.
Debt:
In the years before the French Revolution, France became involved in the Seven Years War and the American Revolution. France's national debt was rapidly growing, mainly due to its expensive role in these wars. The Severn Years War cost France 1.8 billion French livers, and the American Revolution cost 1.3 billion livers. France also spend large sums of money building up its own navy. The national debt became so great that the French goverment dedicated more than half of its yearly budget to paying it off.
Needless Spending:
King Louis XV and King Louis XVI spent an immense amount of France's money on luxuries such as palaces (the Palace of Versailles), sculptures, statues, paintings, clothing, and other needless material items. The wife of King Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, spent even more of France's money on trips, jewelry, and gambling. The careless spending of monarchs on these luxuries added to France's debt. Government expenditure consistently outweighed revenue.
Political Causes:
Absolute Monarchs:
The people of France despised the absolute monarchs for their close-mindedness and inability to run the French government. Monarchs lived lavishly, while the majority of France suffered from heavy taxation imposed by the monarchs.
Social Causes:
Social Classes and Taxation:
During the 18th century, the people of France were organized into a rigid social caste system. The system was a hierarchy made up of three groups of people, known as either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Estate. The First Estate (clergy) and the Second Estate (nobility) were made up of only about 230,000 people, which accounted for a mere 2% of the country's population. Together, the wealthy First and Second Estates owned approximately 35% of France's land and paid no taxes. The majority of people in France belonged to the Third Estate. This estate accounted for 98% of the population and about 27 million people. They collectively owned only 65% of the land, but paid all of France's taxes. Furthermore, middle class people such as lawyers, doctors, merchants, and writers, who were known as Bourgeoisie, accounted for only a small portion of the estate. The vast majority of France was in the lowest class, known as the Proletariat, which was made up of people who were urban workers, farmers, or unemployed.
The wealth gap between the rich and the poor of France was consistently growing larger and larger. While the upper classes defended their tax exemptions, the lower classes of France were exceedingly overtaxed, having to pay taxes for virtually everything. The Third Estate was required to pay a tax on salt (gabelle), a tax on land (taile), a 5% property tax (vingtieme), and even a tax based on the number of people in each family (capitation). Additionally, they had to give up 10% of what little income they made to the church. Taxation placed a tremendous burden on the Third Estate that forced many people to live on the borderline of poverty.
Political and Social Inequality:
The upper classes enjoyed special privileges in French society, while the common people suffered. The Third Estate could not hold any position of power, and had little say in governmental affairs. Even though the Estates General gave each estate "equal" power in voting, the First and Second Estates could easily outvote the Third Estate, maintaining the social and political inequality in France.
Famine:
During the 1780s, France experienced a great deal of food scarcity, resulting from stormy weather and poor harvests. There was a shortage of grain and inflation on the price of bread. The harvest of 1788 was the worst France had seen, and by 1789, the price of bread had gone up by about 67%. Soon, many lower class people of France could not afford food. Starvation and rumors of hoarding caused riots to break out out in the streets of France..
There are people who are starving in the streets, but the wealthy are hardly effected... "People are starving in 12. Here they just throwing it up and stuffing more in."~Peeta Mellark, Catching Fire
Economic Causes:
Inflation:
The price of goods in France was rapidly increasing, especially on food, while the incomes of low-class workers remained the same. Money was worth less, and goods cost more, making the Third Estate even more poor than they were.
Debt:
In the years before the French Revolution, France became involved in the Seven Years War and the American Revolution. France's national debt was rapidly growing, mainly due to its expensive role in these wars. The Severn Years War cost France 1.8 billion French livers, and the American Revolution cost 1.3 billion livers. France also spend large sums of money building up its own navy. The national debt became so great that the French goverment dedicated more than half of its yearly budget to paying it off.
Needless Spending:
King Louis XV and King Louis XVI spent an immense amount of France's money on luxuries such as palaces (the Palace of Versailles), sculptures, statues, paintings, clothing, and other needless material items. The wife of King Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, spent even more of France's money on trips, jewelry, and gambling. The careless spending of monarchs on these luxuries added to France's debt. Government expenditure consistently outweighed revenue.
Political Causes:
Absolute Monarchs:
The people of France despised the absolute monarchs for their close-mindedness and inability to run the French government. Monarchs lived lavishly, while the majority of France suffered from heavy taxation imposed by the monarchs.
These two pictures ridicule the monarchs Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette, depicting them as animals (a pig and serpent). Prior to and during the French Revolution, monarchs were commonly depicted as animals, showing their incapability and unworthiness to rule. These two pictures are typical representations of the hatred by the common people for the absolute monarchy of France.
In this political cartoon, the financial minister is looking for the money in the treasury, saying "It was there last time I looked." Meanwhile, the nobles are sneaking out with the money. The people of France felt that the monarchs, clergy, and nobles stole their tax money to buy luxuries., only increasing the deficit.
This poster is a depiction of equality, one of the main causes that the people of France were fighting for in the French Revolution. The woman in the picture is a symbol of equality meant to inspire the people to continue to fight for what they deserved. The common people of France wanted social, political, and economic equality; this was their main goal in their revolution.