Question

famine and bread prices
france was experiencing famine at the time. crops had failed two years in a row due to a long drought.
the common people mostly ate bread to survive, but since flour was scarce, the cost of bread
skyrocketed and people were starving.
changes in culture
for hundreds of years the people of france had blindly followed the king and accepted their place in life.
however, in the 1700s, the culture began to change. the \era of enlightenment\ presented new ideas
such as \liberty\ and \equality.\ also, the american revolution represented a new type of government
where the people ruled rather than a king.
politics before the revolution
king louis xvi had been losing power within the french government. he was a weak king and did not
realize how dire the situation was for the commoners of france. the members of the third estate formed
the national assembly to force the king to make reforms. not only was the king in conflict with the
commoners, but the king and the nobles could not agree on reforms.
interesting facts about the causes of the french revolution

• the commoners resented a tax on salt called the \gabelle.\ they needed salt to flavor and

preserve their food.

• the political system of france before the french revolution was called the \ancien regime.\
• each year peasants had to work a few days for their local landlord for free. this labor tax was

called the \corvee.\ they typically worked on improving roads or building bridges.

• the nobles held all the powerful positions in the government and the church, but didnt have to

pay many of the taxes.
after reading, answer the following questions in complete sentences!

1. how did the role of the king, king louis xvi, contribute to the instability of the french

monarchy? in what ways did his actions or inactions exacerbate the financial and social crises?

1. what were the three classes of people of france and who was in these classes?
2. list the five main causes of the french revolution.

Explanation:

1. The text states King Louis XVI was weak, lost power, failed to recognize the commoners' dire situation, clashed with the Third Estate's National Assembly over reforms, and couldn't agree with nobles on solutions—all worsening instability, financial strain, and social unrest.
2. While the text mentions the Third Estate (commoners), it doesn’t explicitly list all three classes; the three estates under the Ancien Régime are the First Estate (clergy), Second Estate (nobles), and Third Estate (commoners like peasants, artisans, and bourgeoisie).
3. Based on the text, the main causes are famine/bread price spikes, Enlightenment ideas challenging old norms, weak leadership of Louis XVI, Third Estate discontent (e.g., gabelle tax, corvée labor), and nobles holding power without paying fair taxes.

Answer:

1. King Louis XVI was a weak ruler who lost power within the government, failed to recognize the dire situation of commoners, clashed with the Third Estate's National Assembly over reforms, and could not agree with nobles on necessary changes—these inactions exacerbated financial and social crises, contributing to monarchical instability.
2. The three classes (estates) were the First Estate (clergy), Second Estate (nobles), and Third Estate (commoners including peasants, artisans, and the bourgeoisie).
3. The five main causes are famine and high bread prices, Enlightenment ideas about liberty and equality, weak leadership of King Louis XVI, Third Estate grievances (e.g., salt tax, forced labor), and nobles holding power without paying fair taxes.