French Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

The French Revolution lasted from 1789 to 1799. Although there were several factors that made the French Revolution possible, such as population growth, the expansion of the middle classes, and the rise of an informed public, there were three immediate causes of the Revolution. One was the diminished authority of the royal government. Another was the revolt by the nobility, who sensed a weakening monarchy. The third cause was the crop failure. The government of France was in a financial crisis. The country was deeply in debt from the financing of the wars of Louis XIV. To deal with the nation’s economic problems, Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates General in 1789. The Estates General was made up of representatives from each of the three social classes, or Estates. The First Estate consisted of the clergy, the Second Estate consisted of the nobility, and the Third Estate consisted of the commoners. The Third Estate, which made up 98 percent of the population of France, was underrepresented. Since the Estates General had to vote separately and by order, the Third Estate would almost always be outvoted by the First Estate and the Second Estate who would get to vote first. Because of this, the Third Estate wanted its traditional number of representatives to be doubled so that it matched the other two orders put together. When Louis XVI refused their demand, the Third Estate, led by Abbe Emmanuel Sieyes, changed its name to the Nation...