French revolution

• Louis XVI of the Bourbon family of kings ascended the throne of France in 1774 at the age of 20
• Louis XVI was married to the Austrian princess Marie Antoinette
• Upon becoming king, Louis XVI found an empty treasury due to long years of war draining France's financial resources
• France helped the thirteen American colonies gain independence from Britain during Louis XVI's reign, adding more than a billion livres to the debt
• Lenders began charging 10% interest on loans to the French government, leading to increased budget spending on interest payments
• French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates, with only members of the third estate paying taxes
• Peasants made up about 90% of the population in France, but only a small number owned the land they cultivated
• The first two estates, clergy and nobility, enjoyed privileges by birth, including exemption from paying taxes to the state
• Peasants were obligated to render services to the nobles, including working in their house and fields, serving in the army, or participating in building roads
• The Church extracted taxes called tithes from the peasants, and all members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state, including a direct tax called taille and indirect taxes on everyday consumption items
• The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789, leading to an increase in demand for foodgrains
• The gap between the poor and the rich widened as wages did not keep pace with the rising prices of goods like bread, the staple diet of the majority
• The eighteenth century saw the emergence of the middle class in France, who believed in a society based on freedom, equal laws, and opportunities for all
• Philosophers like John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu proposed ideas of government based on individual rights, social contracts, and division of power within the government
• The American constitution and its guarantee of individual rights served as an important example for political thinkers in France
• The news of Louis XVI planning to impose further taxes to meet state expenses led to anger and protest against the system of privileges in France