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The old Regime
The old regime was the political system of france before the revolution. The old regime divided the people of france into 3 catagories called estated. The third estate was around 97% of the population of france fit into this estate. The third estate has the least privleages of all of the estates they also had to pay the most in taxes out of all of the estates the poorest people were in the third estate. The second and first estate were privleged and did not have to pay taxes -
Financial crisis
The french economy was in crisis when in 1787-1788 there were bad harvest, slow manufacturing that caused food shortages that caused rising prices for food, unemployment. Even during the financhal crisis the french government was spending a lot of money on court luxuries the french government was also helping fund the Americans. -
Estates General
Before the national Assembly they had the estates general had a representatives from every estate The third estate had around 600 delegates the first and second estates had around 300 delegates each the Estates general meet to try to fix frances financal crisis most of the people for the third estate were lawyers that wanted a constitutional government the would get rid of the tax exampts of the clergy and nobility -
National assembly
The estates general gathered to vote but the third estate could be out voted two to one by the first and second estate. Some noble and clerics helped even out the voting. The king decleared that he liked the system they already had the third estate on June 17 changed for the estated-general to the National assembly and decided to write a new constitution but when they meet to write it the doors were locked so they had to use and indoor tennis court and dident leave until they were done. -
Storming the bastille
On july 14th a mob stormed the bastille to free the prisoners and get weapons the mob overpowerd the guard they chopped them up and put some of their heads on spikes the storming of the bastille was a great day for the revolution and is a holiday similar to the fourth of July.