the Origins of the French Revolution

Revolucion Francesa

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THE ORIGINS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Introduction:

“This society [Jesuits] has been a greater calamity to mankind than the French Revolution, or Napoleon's despotism or ideology. It has obstructed the progress of reformation and the improvement of the human mind in society much longer and more fatally.

{Letter to Thomas Jefferson, November 4, 1816. Adams wrote an anonymous 4 volume work on the destructive history of the Jesuits}”

― John Adams, Adams-Jefferson Letters

The French Revolution was recognized as one of the most calamitous times of French, but the ones that traced the beginning of the Modern Europe’s history. The French Revolution initiated on 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. This period was the success that change the mindset of French citizen to start or/and rebuilt the political forms of their country; breaking and abolishing the regimen of their oppressors as the feudal system and the absolute monarchy. This important revolution as others, was heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideals. The citizen of French were attracted by the notion of sovereignty and indefeasible rights for everybody, looking for a solution of the misery suffered on French for that period of time. Even Though this revolution was a complete failure ending with the life of millions of people in a horrible ways, this revolution as mentioned before was really important modeling modern nations by demonstrating the the world the forceful of people leading a nation.

Origins of the Revolution.

Feudalism:

For historian the French Revolution had similar causes to the differents revolutions that take place at the eighteenth century and some peculiar causes that demonstrated why it was the mof horrific and most meaningful among all the revolutions.

One of the most highlighted cause, in accordance with other revolutions was the social hierarchy of Europe. By the eighteenth century the French was divided by three groups called “Estates” that carried on an unfair taxes system and many social inequalities. The feudalism system was little by little debilitating and dividing Europe.

The first Estate: was composed by the clergy, who were in charge of the Catholic church and some aspect of the country. They covered one percent of the population and received the ten percent of the taxes, this percent was called “tithe” and they were no suggested to paid taxes.

The second estate: was composed by nobility of France, with the members of the royal family. They covered two percent of the population in France, were in charge of the government and the militar. They received the twenty five percent of the taxes, like the first estate they do not pay taxes and had special privilege.

So, from where they took these taxes? The taxes were taken from the third estate: this estate were composed by the rest of the population; bourgeois, artisans and peasants. They composed the ninety seven percent of the population and had to paid half of their incomes to taxes; even though they didn’t have any privilege or rights and no voice in the government.

Moreover, around 1735 the high standards of livings decreased the mortality on adults notoriously. But ironically the population around Europe increased to the point that double it between 1715 and 1800. France was one of the most populated country in Europe with around twenty six millions inhabitants, so, for them the problem was more severe.

Enlightenment:

As