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'''The French Revolution''' is one of the most famous revolutions in all of history.  It started out with hope and promise, but then there was a "[[Reign of Terror]]", a chaos wherein anyone could be killed at any time. At least 18,000 people were executed on the [[guillotine]], and perhaps as many as 40,000 were.  The cause was "the overthrow of religion, government and human society ...  Murder, butchery and war ... are declared by them to be completely justifiable ...."<ref>Yale President Timothy Dwight (the grandson of [[Jonathan Edwards]]), http://www.americanminute.com/index.php?date=2004-03-22&view=View</ref>

'''The French Revolution''' is one of the most famous revolutions in all of history.  It started out with hope and promise, but then there was a "[[Reign of Terror]]", a chaos wherein anyone could be killed at any time. At least 18,000 people were executed on the [[guillotine]], and perhaps as many as 40,000 were.  The cause was "the overthrow of religion, government and human society ...  Murder, butchery and war ... are declared by them to be completely justifiable ...."<ref>Yale President Timothy Dwight (the grandson of [[Jonathan Edwards]]), http://www.americanminute.com/index.php?date=2004-03-22&view=View</ref>

Before the Revolution, [[France]] had three levels in its social system: The First, Second, and Third Estates.  The [[First Estate]] was about 1% of the population, but it controlled 10% of the land.  The First Estate consisted of the clergy, and they did not pay any taxes.  The [[Second Estate]] was about 2% of the population and they controlled 20% of the land.  These were the nobility, and they too payed very little taxes.  The [[Third Estate]] was everyone else, and they were badly overtaxed by the monarch.  This overtaxing was a major cause of the [[French]] Revolution.  Interestingly, taxes also helped to spark the [[American Revolution]].

Before the Revolution, [[France]] had three levels in its social system: The First, Second, and Third Estates.  The [[First Estate]] was about 1% of the population, but it controlled 10% of the land.  The First Estate consisted of the clergy, and they did not pay any taxes.  The [[Second Estate]] was about 2% of the population and they controlled 20% of the land.  These were the nobility, and they too payed very little taxes.  The [[Third Estate]] was everyone else, and they were badly overtaxed by the monarch.  This overtaxing was a major cause of the [[French]] Revolution.   

The leaders of the Third Estate were the middle class, called the [[bourgeoisie]].  They were educated in the ideas of the [[Enlightenment]], most importantly [[Jean Jacques Rousseau]].  Rousseau's book, "The Social Contract" supported a [[direct democracy]], rather that the republican government that had been adopted in [[America]].  The social contract spoke against titles for nobility and demanded complete equality for all people.  These ideas later inspired communist writers like [[Karl Marx]].

The leaders of the Third Estate were the middle class, called the [[bourgeoisie]].  They were educated in the ideas of the [[Enlightenment]], most importantly [[Jean Jacques Rousseau]].  Rousseau's book, "The Social Contract" supported a [[direct democracy]], rather that the republican government that had been adopted in [[America]].  The social contract spoke against titles for nobility and demanded complete equality for all people.  These ideas later inspired communist writers like [[Karl Marx]].

[[Category:French Revolution| ]]

[[Category:French Revolution| ]]