Powers of the King
Powers of the king.—The King, Louis XVI, was absolute. He ruled by the divine right theory which held that he had received his power to govern from God and was therefore responsible to God alone. He appointed all civil officials and military officers. He made and enforced the laws. He could declare war and make peace. He levied taxes and spent the people’s money as he saw fit. He controlled the expression of thought by a strict censorship of speech and press. By means of lettres de cachet (sealed letters which were really blank warrants for arrest) he could arbitrarily imprison anyone without trial for an indefinite period. He lived in his magnificent palace at Versailles, completely oblivious to the rising tide of popular discontent. . . .
Source: Friedman & Foner, A Genetic Approach to Modern European History,College Entrance Book Co., 1938
According to this document by Friedman & Foner, what is one cause of the French Revolution?
DOCUMENT TWO:
Three Estates Graph
Based on the information in these graphs, identify one cause of the French Revolution.
DOCUMENT THREE:
July 12, 1789
. . . The 12th. Walking up a long hill, to ease my mare, I was joined by a poor woman, who complained of the times, and that it was a sad country; demanding her reasons, she said her husband had but a morsel of land, one cow, and a poor little horse, yet they had a franchar (42 lb.) of wheat, and three chickens, to pay as a quit-rent to one Seigneur [noble]; and four franchar of oats, one chicken and 1 sou [small unit of money] to pay to another, besides very heavy tailles [taxes on the land and its produce] and other taxes. She had seven children, and the cow’s milk helped to make the soup. But why, instead of a horse, do not you keep another cow? Oh, her husband could not carry his produce so well without a horse; and asses are little used in the country. It was said, at present, that something was to be done by some great folks for such poor ones, but she did not know
Source: Friedman & Foner, A Genetic Approach to Modern European History,College Entrance Book Co., 1938
According to this document by Friedman & Foner, what is one cause of the French Revolution?
DOCUMENT TWO:
Three Estates Graph
Based on the information in these graphs, identify one cause of the French Revolution.
DOCUMENT THREE:
July 12, 1789
. . . The 12th. Walking up a long hill, to ease my mare, I was joined by a poor woman, who complained of the times, and that it was a sad country; demanding her reasons, she said her husband had but a morsel of land, one cow, and a poor little horse, yet they had a franchar (42 lb.) of wheat, and three chickens, to pay as a quit-rent to one Seigneur [noble]; and four franchar of oats, one chicken and 1 sou [small unit of money] to pay to another, besides very heavy tailles [taxes on the land and its produce] and other taxes. She had seven children, and the cow’s milk helped to make the soup. But why, instead of a horse, do not you keep another cow? Oh, her husband could not carry his produce so well without a horse; and asses are little used in the country. It was said, at present, that something was to be done by some great folks for such poor ones, but she did not know