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French Economy Starts to Decline
Due to the production of trade which increased taxes, France lost profit and their economy started to decline -
Bad weather leads to bad harvest
The bad harvest made them third estate live in real struggle since they had less product to sell and they still had to pay 50% of their income in taxes which left then in worse economic situations. -
Banks refuse to lend the king money
Because of his needy wife, King Louis went into debt. After increasing taxes all he had left to do was ask the bank for a loan but they refused and lend him no money. -
Estates General aprove taxes on nobility
One representative was required from each Estate and they all had a meeting which lead to approving King Louis suggested idea of taxing the Second Estate made up of nobles. -
The great fear
At this time France was afraid other countries would know about their economic crisis. Peasants felt mad about the amount of taxes they had to pay so they revolted and attacked the nobles and their houses. -
Bread Riots
The bread riots were when the government raised taxes on bread to gain more money since they knew it was a commonly bought item and people would not stop buying it. -
Louis and Marie Antoinette are forced to leave Versaille
Due to all of the corruption and the new rumors they were forced to leave and to never come back. -
Third Estate call themselves the National Assembly
Since the third estate was treated very unfairly with the huge taxes imposed on them, and their equal vote in the meetings even when they were 97% of the population, they decided to separate themselves into the National Assembly and welcomed anyone to join. The National Assembly would pass all the new laws. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Third Estate gathered a meeting vowing, "not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established". -
Storming of the Bastile
Rumors spread around France that King Louis wanted to destroy the National Assembly and attack the French citizens so they decided to go first and bomb the Bastile.
