On July 14, 17, the French common people attacked the Bastille, which was a French prison representing the royal authority in France; the revolt revealed the Third Estate's resentment towards absolute monarchy. Before the revolution, the French were deprived of natural rights and individual freedom due to the political ignorance of the monarch and incompetent leaders - King XVI and Marie Antoinette, devoid of intelligence and ambition. The Third Estate's relentless taxation left the economy financially crippled and led to bankruptcy. The main cause of injustice was the social privilege of the clergy and nobles, which led to the lack of opportunities of the middle class. The French government's refusal to resolve political injustice, excessive taxes on the lower classes, and unequal social structure caused the French Revolution. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The political causes of the French Revolution were caused by the centralization of government power within an elite circle. There was political absolutism under the Bourbon dynasty and it gained an unreasonable amount of power. The monarchy justified its right to rule on the basis of divine right. The king used his power to gain political influence by limiting meetings of the Estates General. After years of abuse and unequal treatment, the Third Estates began to question the traditions and rules of the absolute monarch. Before their first congregation in 175 years, the States General formed Cahiers listing their grievances. In particular, it mentioned the political freedom of the Third States. “To ensure the third estate has the influence it deserves for its numbers…its votes in the assembly should be taken head to head…”. Three percent of the country belonged to the First and Second Estates and the rest of the country was all Third Estates. The grievances also included reform of the king's abuses and the tyranny of the letter de cachet. The American Revolution was another political event that pushed the French to seek change. “The condition of France alone did not lead to the overthrow of the monarchy… The ideas of the philosophers were not directly responsible for the outbreak… but the American example caused the Revolution to break out…”. With the monarch corrupt, the American Declaration of Independence changed the thinking of the Third States and sparked people's anger towards the absolute monarch. The Third Estate, under the leadership of the bourgeois class, began to call itself the National Assembly and to draw up the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. He placed the law above all men, and the law became the expression of their will. “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights; social distinctions can only be established for the common benefit… these rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression…”. The centralization of governmental power left the majority of the French population with discontent with monarchical rule in France, leading to revolt. Mounting war debts resulting from various wars in the 18th century left France in economic ruin, which the privileged states attempted to resolve by implementing financial restrictions on the Third Estate. They pushed all government taxation towards the Third Estate when they only owned 65% of the land. The taille, which was the tax on land and its products, was paid unequally depending on the property. “There is an injustice in collecting the amount each person has to pay. Lands owned by the nobility are taxed very little. The lands owned byordinary citizens are taxed heavily.” Ironically, the richest people paid no taxes while the poorest members of society shouldered the tax burden. The tax increased especially on bread, which heavily affected the livelihood of the unstable life of the Third Estate. It has risen above people's ability to pay. “The lack of bread is terrible. From the provinces stories of revolts and disorders arrive all the time, and of calls to the army, to preserve the peace of the markets...". Many people complain about how the feudal suits and tributes are crushing them. With the tax exemption received by the First and Second Estates, the Third Estate was displeased. The financial difficulty of the French economy, mainly due to the war debt, could have easily been resolved with monetary contributions from all three states; however, the reluctance of superior states to surrender their privileges leads to social turmoil. The Old Regime's rigid social class structure within French society led to resentment among the Third Estates and was eventually replaced by the French Revolution. The First Estate and the Second Estate consisted of members of the clergy and nobility. They were only 3% of the French population. The rest of the 97% of the population consisted of the Third Estate, made up of peasants and bourgeois. They were treated unfairly and badly by the First and Second Estates. Furthermore, before the French Revolution they did not receive any special treatment from the government. The bourgeoisie, who were the middle class, resented having no say in government when they were all educated, wealthy, hard-working men. They were the ones who wanted change in French society and spread the ideas of the Enlightenment to the rest of the Third Estate. Regarding injustice, the bourgeoisie led the National Assembly and expressed the desire to eliminate feudalism in France. “The middle class… was sensitive to its inferior legal position. The Revolution came from them, from the middle class." Their ultimate goal was to create a society in which social status was determined based on individual merit rather than birth name. The social restrictions imposed on the Third Estates under the Old Regime largely influenced the resistance against the French aristocracy. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The political, economic, and social inequality that characterized the structure of the French government developed resentment among French citizens causing the French Revolution. The king's inability to govern the nation and appeal to the Third Estate led to widespread opposition to the monarchy. The continuation of excessive and unequal taxation of the lower classes has left the majority of France in economic difficulty. Clerical privilege within French society further separated between the First and Second Estates and the Third Estate. The French Revolution marked a new era not only in France itself, but also in other countries around the world to treat all human beings equal and free. Furthermore, changes remain in the society in which people live now. Works CitedDoyle, W. (1989). The origins of the French Revolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Godechot, J. (1971). France and the Atlantic Revolution of the 18th century, 1770-1799. New York: Free Press.Hampson, N. (1988). The French Revolution: a concise history. London: Thames & Hudson.Hunt, L. (1984). Politics, culture and class in the French Revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press.Lefebvre, G. (1962). The advent of the French Revolution. Princeton: Princeton University Press.McPhee, P. (2015). The French Revolution, 1789–1799. New.