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French Revolution


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             The aristocracy was interested in regaining the special rights and privileges they had enjoyed, prior to the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Provincial parliaments were established in protest to the tax raises of Louis XVI and his attempts to raise property assessments without the consent of the governed. The bourgeois saw their chance to voice their complaints about the unbearable mercantilism that hindered their economic success and advance in social and political status. Because of the growing literacy of the middle and even the lower classes, and new technology in printing, the people of France became more and more interested in the affairs of the state. The peasants, who comprised the largest portion of the population, were low in literacy rate and wanted little to do with political matters but sought to free themselves from the ancient requirements of the feudal system and gain relative economic parity. .
             Louis XVI was unable to collect the revenues necessary to maintain the French Government and pay off its war debts. Therefore, needing additional tax authority and in an attempt at enlightened despotism, Louis XVI called for the assembly known as the Estates-General. The convening of this electoral body representing the three major estates or classes of France, which had not met in over one hundred years, shocked the nation. The king knew that they could grant him the taxing authority he wanted but also knew that he would need to compromise his powers in doing so. The First Estate represented the Church. The Second Estate represented the nobility and the aristocracy. The Third Estate represented the middle class and the most numerous, and their demands clashed with those of the upper classes. In protest, they walked out of the assembly and declared themselves the National Assembly. Louis XVI began to sweat as he watched this mass of citizens start their rebellion and was unsure of what to do about it.


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