The French Revolution - Research Paper Example

Origins and impacts of French Revolution Origins and impacts of French Revolution Introduction In 1989, French Revolution started. The main cause of the revolution was arising disputes, which occurred between different social classes in the society of the French. These social classes were third, second and first estates. Third estate social class was the poorest while first estate made of the poor. There being different people with different ideas concerning reform caused the disputes. The revolution took a period of ten years and ended in the year 1989.

One of the long-range causes of the French revolution was from ideas of enlightenment. These ideas included unfair taxation, the gap that existed between the poor and the rich social groups and the American Revolution and finally independence declaration of America (Noonan, 1999).The people in the third estate social group had very little rights whether socially or politically. However, some of the educated persons such as doctors and lawyers, belonging to third estate social class were in a position to read all the upcoming new ideas made by the government from some philosophers such as John Lacke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu.

These philosophers talked about a democratic government possessing freedoms and natural rights. Eventually, the people belonging to the third estate social group began questioning the France government using the standards stated by the philosophers and began to demand for equality and democracy in the country (Noonan, 1999). Unfair taxation was an economic cause of the revolution. Third estate comprised of doctors, lawyers, merchants, and peasants who faced heavy taxation in many things while the richest estates paid little or no taxes.

This was unfair treatment considering that people from the richest estates had a lot of money, large plots of land and positions in the government and good interaction with the government. This unfair treatment of the third estate people angered them and made a prompt of the revolution. The social cause of the revolution was the large gap that existed between the rich people and the poor people. There were few members belonging to the first and second estates while third estate made up of the biggest population.

However, the rich owned biggest portions of land while the poor had little portions of land yet they made the biggest population in the country. Prove of the gap between the rich and the poor, was unequal taxation for the rich and the poor. Politically, third estate people did not have privileges and right to contribute in the then government yet the nobles and clergies had the right. The rules made hindered and restricted third estate and middle estate classes from going up in the social ladder or pyramid.

American Revolution and independence declaration of America influenced the French Revolution. Americans encouraged French because they defeated powerful England yet they were few and attained freedom and democracy. French in third and middle classes had the desire for democracy and freedom. Inequality and unfair treatment of the poor people, new ideas of how to attain democracy and freedom and individual rights, triggered the start of the revolution. During the revolution, the third and middle estate people freed all those people jailed in Bastille and guns and weapons seized (Schwab & Jeanneney, 1995).

Technology advancement played a role in the revolution. Invention of saltpeter manufactured using chemicals, helped in production of gunpowder used in the wars during the wars. Balloons made using heated air assisted the armies have better reconnaissance and made them more aggressive in fighting. Telegraph enhanced communication amongst the third and middle estate people. These advancements helped in increasing aggressiveness of the French. After the revolution, monarchial government ended and the king was not to rule.

Slavery ended and a metric system established. A constitution made established a new government system namely Directory. Equal treatment of all the people started and social classes ended and the citizens had their rights and freedom. Social differences ended and equality became the main principle governing France. French Revolution made an establishment democratic institutions, democratic elections, fair representation of people in the government and democratic type of constitutions. The revolution influenced modern world making (Schwab& Jeanneney, 1995).

ReferencesSchwab, M. Gail & Jeanneney R. John. (1995). The French Revolution of the 1789 and Its Impact. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Noonan, C. Theresa. (1999). Document-Based Assessment Activities for Global History Classes. Maine: Walch Publishing.