On July 14, 17, the French people attacked the Bastille, which was a prison in France that represented royal authority in France; the riot revealed the Third's resentment towards the absolute monarchy. Before the revolution, the French were deprived of the natural rights and freedom of the individual due to the political ignorance of the monarch and incompetent leaders: King XVI and Marie Antoinette, who lacked intelligence and ambition . The Third Estate's relentless taxation left the economy financially crippled and bankrupt. The main cause of injustice was the societal privilege of the clergy and nobility, which led to the lack of opportunities for 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 should not be banned”?Get the 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 unreasonable power was acquired. The monarchy justified its right to rule on the basis of divine right. The king used his power to gain political influence by limiting the meeting of the Estates General. After years of abuse and unequal treatment, the Third Estate began to question the traditions and rules of the absolute monarch. Before their first congregation in 175 years, the States General formed Notebooks in which they listed their grievances. Above all, he mentioned the political freedom of the Third Estate. “In order to assure the third estate the influence it deserves by reason of its numbers… its votes in the assembly must be taken by head…”. Three percent of the country belonged to the First and Second Estate and the rest of the country belonged entirely to the Third Estate. Grievances also included reform regarding the king's abuses and the tyranny of the lettre de cachet. The American Revolution was another political event that inspired the French to seek change. “The situation in France alone did not cause the overthrow of the monarchy… The ideas of the philosophers were not directly responsible for the break-up… but the American example caused the Revolution to break out…”. Along with the corrupt monarch, the American Declaration of Independence changed the thinking of the Third Estate and brought out the anger of the people towards the absolute monarch. The Third Estate, under the leadership of the bourgeois class, began to call itself the National Assembly and developed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It 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 common benefit…these rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression…”. The centralization of government power left a majority of the French population dissatisfied with monarchical rule in France, leading to revolt. Rising war debts from the various wars of the 18th century plunged France into economic decline, which the privileged classes sought to resolve by implementing financial restrictions on the third estate. They pushed all government taxes to the Third when they only owned sixty-five percent of the land. The size, which was the tax on the land and its products, was paid unequally depending on the estates. “There is an injustice in setting the amount that each person owespay. Land held by the nobility is taxed very little. Land held by commoners is heavily taxed.” Ironically, the richest people do not pay taxes while the poorest members of society bear the burden of taxes. The tax increased particularly on bread, which heavily affected the maintenance of the unstable life of the Third Estate. It has risen above people's ability to pay. “The lack of bread is terrible. Stories arrive every moment from the provinces of riots and unrest, and call on the army, to preserve the peace of the markets…”. Many people complained about how the feudal sizes and royalties were crushing them. The third estates were unhappy with the tax exemption enjoyed by the first and second estates. The financial difficulties of the French economy, mainly due to the war debt, could have been easily resolved with monetary contributions from all three classes; however, the reluctance of the upper classes to cede their privileges led to societal outcry. The Ancien Régime's rigid social class structure within French society sparked resentment among the Third Estates and was eventually replaced by the French Revolution. The First Estates and Second Estates were composed of clergy and nobility. They represented only three percent of the French population. The rest, ninety-seven percent of the population, was made up of the Third Estate, made up of peasants and bourgeoisie. They were treated unfairly and badly by the First and Second Estates. Additionally, they did not receive any special treatment from the government before the French Revolution. The bourgeoisie, who were the middle class, were unhappy about not having a say in the government even though they were all educated, wealthy, hardworking men. It was they who wanted change in French society and spread the ideas of the Enlightenment to the rest of the Third Estate. Concerning injustice, the bourgeoisie leads the National Assembly and has expressed its desire to displace 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 by individual merit rather than birth name. The social restrictions imposed on the Third Estate under the Ancien Régime largely influenced the resistance against the French aristocracy. Keep in mind: this is just a sample.Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a Custom EssayThe political, economic, and social inequality that has characterized the structure of the French government has developed resentment among the French citizens at the origin of 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 towards the lower classes has left a majority of France in economic distress. Clerical privilege within French society further separated the first, second and third estates. The French Revolution marked a new era not only in France itself, but also in other countries around the world to treat all humans equally and freely. Furthermore, changes remain in the society in which people currently live. Works Cited Doyle, 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 Revolution.