Why was the E.G. called? Flashcards
What did the 1st Estate pay instead of the tithe?
The Don Gratuit- a lump sum that they decided
Which Estates paid no tax?
1st- Church, 2nd- Nobles
How many Enlightenment pamphlets were produced in 1789?
3305
Why was the Enlightenment not the most significant factor?
It couldn’t penetrate through much of French society as 2/3 people were illiterate and didn’t care
Key areas of Enlightenment questioning?
Divine Right of Kings, power and wealth of the Church, Estate system
In 1764 how much debt was France already in? How much did this increase after the War of Independence?
1764- 2.3 billion livres in debt. By 1783 this had risen to 3.3 billion livres
What was the Treaty of Eden?
A free trade agreement between Britain and France that caused France to be flooded with cheap British products. Hit textiles worst
What was a consequence of the 1788 failed harvest?
Bread prices rose from 50% of a workers wage in 1788 to 75% in 1789
In 1788, how much of the governments expenditure was on debt repayments?
50.5%
What did rising food prices and the Treaty of Eden cause in the cities?
Mass unemployment as workers have less disposable income to spend on goods, and therefore fewer are produced and fewer workers are needed
What effect did the War of Independence have on France other than increased debt?
It strengthened Enlightenment ideas by proving they could work
What were 2 of Turgot’s 6 Edicts?
Suppress trade guilds to reduce control
Introduce a general land tax
Why was Necker awful?
He introduced the Compte Rendu where he lied and claimed there was a 10 million livre surplus rather than a 46 million deficit, which meant more loans were taken out and that he was very popular
What did Calonne create in February 1787?
The Assembly of Notables who he hoped would pass the land tax
Why was the Assembly of Notables a bad idea?
It was made up of Nobles who would deliberately try and delay a land tax from being put in place to stop them paying tax
