Social Cause of the Revolution

1. Social Causes of the
Revolution
By: Barry Brown

2. Large Population
France had a population of nearly 20
million people at the beginning of the
18th century. That increased another 8-
10 million over the course of the
century due to a decline in mortality.

3. Peasants
During the French Revolution peasants
represented 75-80% of the total
population. Most were day laborers
and worked for a place to stay or food
to eat. Most peasants lived in the
country side and worked on land
owned by the middle class citizens.

4. High class citizens
The High class citizens were
represented by members of the clergy
and those people who owned land. Most
were exempt from taxing and this was
one major cause of the Revolution

5. The First Estate
The first estate consisted of the clergy
and was around 130,000 people. They
were exempt from all taxes.

6. The Second Estate
The second estate was the nobility,
composed of 350,000 people. There
were different ranks within the nobility,
however all were exempt from taxes.

7. The Third Estate
The third estate consisted of the
commoners of society, and was the
majority of the French population. Who
were mainly all taxed. This unfair
taxing was a major cause of the
Revoultion.

8. Bread
Bread was the main diet of the vast
majority of the population at this time.
This caused a major increase in the
price of grain and grain products, and
caused an uproar.

9. Estates General
The estates general consisted of
representatives from the three orders
of the French society. The estates
general opened at Versailles on May 5th,
1789.The peasants however did not like
this.

10. Peasants Rebellion
The peasants were not happy with the
estates general, so in the summer of
1789 they gathered hundreds of
thousands of people to attack lords
manor and destroy there property.

11. The National assembly
The third estate formed the national
assemble because the estates general
did not grant them the power to vote.
So this group was formed to revolt
against the First and Second estates.