Discontent of the Third Estate
We, the Third Estate, resent the privileges enjoyed by our social "betters" in the First and Second Estates (better job options, no taxes, etc). We have meager wages, have to struggle for daily food, and are burdened with unjust taxes that we cannot afford.
For more about problems of the Third Estate: http://bigsiteofhistory.com/the-third-estate-the-french-revolution
http://www.thecaveonline.com/APEH/frrevdocuments.html#anchorcahiers
For more about problems of the Third Estate: http://bigsiteofhistory.com/the-third-estate-the-french-revolution
http://www.thecaveonline.com/APEH/frrevdocuments.html#anchorcahiers
The Burden of Debt
The government spends a huge amount of money on itself and not on its people. They spent a lot of money on the American Revolution and the Seven Year's War. In addition, the royalty spend very lavishly on themselves. To work with all this, the government had to borrow money. This caused them to go into debt.
A site about the French Revolution in general, with a section on the national debt: http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/france-facts/france-history/causes-of-the-french-revolution.htm#Debt
http://suite101.com/article/financial-causes-of-the-french-revolution-a131519
A site about the French Revolution in general, with a section on the national debt: http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/france-facts/france-history/causes-of-the-french-revolution.htm#Debt
http://suite101.com/article/financial-causes-of-the-french-revolution-a131519
The Poor Harvests
In the late 1780s, we experienced poor harvests. This caused food prices to soar--and, added with the giant taxes, resulted in even more hunger and discontent with the King.
Pages about the famine in France: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_the_French_Revolution#Famine
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year8links/frenchrevolution/causesoffrenchrev2.pdf
Pages about the famine in France: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_the_French_Revolution#Famine
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year8links/frenchrevolution/causesoffrenchrev2.pdf
Failure of Reforms
King Louis XVI noticed the problems, and decided to hire a financial wizard, Jacques Necker. Necker (pictured) listed the main things that were wrong with France:
To learn more about Necker, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Necker
- Courts spent too much money on themselves. Necker advised the King to cut court spending.
- Necker advised the King to cut the poor's taxes and start taxing the nobles. Since the poor had no money, they couldn't pay the taxes, and therefore the government gets less money.
- Finally, Necker advised the King to reform the government. Feudalism is clearly not the way to go--a constitutional government is much better.
To learn more about Necker, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Necker