The document summarizes the key social causes and events of the French Revolution from 1789-1799. It describes the rigid social structure under the Old Regime divided into estates with the Third Estate (peasants) exploited. The Bourbon kings through the 17th-18th centuries incurred huge war debts and extravagant spending, increasing taxes on the Third Estate. Revolutionary philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau spread ideas challenging absolute monarchy and the Catholic Church, fueling discontent. By the late 18th century, financial crisis and conflict over representation led to the convening of the Estates General and the beginning of the French Revolution.