The French Revolution

The French revolution was an event that impacted all of Europe, and saw the end of a long established social order in the country. The poor were sick and tired of the lack of food, and increase of taxes. There were three estates or social groups in France before the revolution. The first was the clergy which had a huge piece of the land and paid no taxes. The second estate was the nobility, which also had a huge part of the land and paid no taxes. The third and last estate included the middle class and the poor. It paid all the taxes, and did almost most of the work.

The third estate was tired of this unfair system, and revolted. Early in the revolution the peasants took over government, and Paris. They seized the Bastille and attacked the king at Versailles. They incarcerated the royal family, and after a couple of years sent Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI to the guillotine. The National assembly established by the third estate was in charge of government and made the laws. They drafted a constitution and established a new order. The national assembly, after several splits and differences, gave way to a dictatorship. After a coup de tat Napoleon took over government and the revolution had ended.