What Caused The French Revolution Essay

The French Revolution was definitely one of the more gruesome wars the world has seen. In the years before the war, France was one of the more powerful countries of its time. With elegant palaces and parties every night, France gave the appearance of having loads of extra money. However, the streets of Paris told a different story. The Parisian people, along with those who lived in rural France, were struggling beyond belief. Finally, the French people grew tired of the country’s financial problems; they were inspired by the enlightenment ideas, and they were sick of France’s weather, so they decided to do something. One of the largest causes of the French Revolution was the country’s debt. Because of France’s involvement in the Seven Years
The Enlightenment was a time where philosophers like Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau questioned authority and declared that all people are equal, and all people deserve certain rights (HowStuffWorks). The people of France were in awe of the idea that they are equal to King Louis XVI. Plus, the fact that the colonists in America just won their independence against Britain, the citizens of France started to acquire a sense of hope. They did not really want to secede from France, but rather they simply wanted a constitution. Something that granted them freedoms that even the king could not take away. Part of the reason for the Revolution was simply bad timing; Mother Nature was not in France’s favor. At the time, there was famine that was the worst famine in memory (Collins). Along with other things, the famine greatly increased the price of bread, which was a staple in a Parisian’s diet. The increased prices allows only a select few to be able to afford bread; thus, now there were even more people starving. Hunger makes the people even angrier because they know that their king has plenty of food, and yet he hogs it to himself. Hunger was just the motivation these people needed