French Revolution: Cause and Effect

Cause and Effect

Causes • • • •

Political Economic Social Intellectual

Bastille

Political

• Weak Monarchy • King Louis XIV was indecisive and easily persuaded. • Foreign Wars • Failure at reform • Failure to support consistent ministers that were trying to help.

Economic • Huge debt from the 7 years war and the American Revolution • Lavish spending by Queen Marie Antoinette • Heavy taxation on the Third Estate • Inflation on wheat and bread and common goods. • Money spent on churches and palaces.

Social • Three classes – First Estate: Clergy – Second Estate: Nobility – Third Estate: Commoners • First and Second Estate have more power than the Third Estate even though they only make up 2% of the population. • Third Estate taxed heavily, extremely poor, and starving.

Intellectual • Third Estate started reading the Enlightenment philosophers work. • Used the example of the American Revolution in their favor. • Freedom of speech and print came about which created tidal waves of information and emotion.

Voltaire & Rousseau

Things You Need to Know • Effects of the French Revolution 1. Democratic ideals inspired revolutions in Europe and Latin America. 2. Nationalism and desire for selfdetermination grew as a result of American and French Revolutions. 3. The Napoleonic Code is a foundation for future law codes. 4. Napoleon desire to conquer Europe prompts him to sell Louisiana to the United States.