The French Revolution

King Louis XVI called an assembly between the Estates General, made up of the clergy, the nobility and the commoners, wanting to discuss a new tax system that is modern yet still in favor of the upper estates that makes up 2% of the population. At this time, majority of the commoner, the French soldiers that had just returned home from assisting the American colonists are still fired up from the revolution that they have just witnessed, and decided to put an end to the unfair taxation by forming a resistance group called the National Assembly. From this group, the Declaration of the rights of Man and Citizen arise, stating, “men are born and remain free and equal in rights” (p. 504). And this how the French Revolution started.

The French Revolution was much more violent compared to the American Revolution. People attacked castles of their lords and burned payment and debt documents. I wonder if the main reason for such violent reaction was the desire for fast results, which seems to be what was accomplished, even with slavery. Compared to the American Revolution, the new government structure still excluded women and slaves and seems to be something that we are still struggling to resolve until now. But these fast results came with a high price of ten thousands of lives during the Terror of 1793-1794. The irony was when committee leader Maximilien Robespierre, who was prosecuting the enemies of the revolution, was subjected to the guillotine himself after he was accused of tyranny and dictatorship. Coming such dark past, when the French people decided to create a new society, they decided to wipe off everything in order to start in a clean slate.