Pg2 Flashcards
(19 cards)
Who ascended the throne of France in 1774?
Louis XVI
He was 20 years old and married to Marie Antoinette.
What was the financial condition of France when Louis XVI became king?
Empty treasury due to long years of war and extravagant court expenses
France had a debt of more than 2 billion livres.
What was the impact of France helping the American colonies?
Increased debt by more than a billion livres
This was during the war against Britain.
What percentage of the French budget was spent on interest payments?
Increasing percentage
Lenders charged 10 percent interest on loans.
How was French society divided in the eighteenth century?
Into three estates
Only members of the third estate paid taxes.
What does the term ‘Old Regime’ refer to?
Society and institutions of France before 1789
What percentage of the French population were peasants?
About 90 percent
Who owned about 60 percent of the land in France?
Nobles, the Church, and richer members of the third estate
What were the privileges enjoyed by the first two estates?
Exemption from paying taxes to the state
Nobles also had feudal privileges.
What were feudal dues?
Payments extracted by nobles from peasants
What services were peasants obliged to render to their lord?
- Work in the lord’s house and fields
- Serve in the army
- Participate in building roads
What is a tithe?
A tax levied by the Church, comprising one-tenth of agricultural produce
What is the taille?
A direct tax paid to the state
Which estate bore the burden of financing state activities through taxes?
The third estate alone
Fill in the blank: The clergy is part of the _______.
1st estate
Fill in the blank: The nobility is part of the _______.
2nd estate
Fill in the blank: The big businessmen, merchants, and lawyers are part of the _______.
3rd estate
True or False: All members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state.
True
What were the indirect taxes levied on?
Articles of everyday consumption like salt or tobacco
