Numerous revolutions have occurred in history; many came out in the 18th and 19th centuries throughout the West. The French Revolution can be considered the most significant of all for the "extreme causes" and the violence linked to it; along with the general causes shared by most revolutions of the time, such as cultural change, led by philosophers such as Jean Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire, commercialization and massive population growth. The specific causes were the widespread discontent of the peasantry, including low living standards and the need for natural and political rights, and the influence of the Enlightenment; all of which were brought about by the American Revolution. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Before the French Revolution of 1789, France was under an absolute monarchy divided into 3 states; the 3rd estate was the largest and consisted mainly of bourgeois, artisans and peasants. The unfair attitude of the 3rd estate is shown in Document 7 (The political and social system in France), which illustrates that the 1st and 2nd estates were stable because they earned more, did not pay taxes, collected the high amount of taxes imposed. in the 3rd estate and held the power that enforced these corrupt laws. The peasants were tired of being crushed; they no longer wanted to support feudalism/manorialism, but instead pushed for freedom from landowners and equality in taxation. Their wishes are mentioned in the extract from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which states: "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights... these rights are liberty, property, security. .." In addition to the inequality between states related to taxes and land ownership, listed in Arthur Young's observations in Travels in France, one must also mention the horrible conditions in which ordinary people lived. Young says, “The poor seem very poor indeed. The children are terribly ragged… The price of bread has risen beyond people's ability to pay.” This represents how farmers were affected by high taxes, they had no money for food or to support their families. This aroused the peasants to rebellion, which created the most significant impact in the rebellion as they made up the majority of the French population. As the philosophies of the Enlightenment spread, the middle class became more informed. They used these new ideas as inspiration for political thinking, challenging the government to create new institutions. Jean Jacques Rousseau's idea of ​​a government based on the general will and democratic voting was one of many that influenced the French national assembly. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Albert Mathiez supports the idea that the middle class used their knowledge of Enlightenment ideas to take part in leadership. This led to the changes that the people were demanding be made to the French government; mannerism was abolished, equality (among men) was established, and the power of the aristocracy and the Church diminished. Some argue that the American Revolution was a major cause of the French Revolution, such as Lord Acton, who suggested that “The condition of France alone did not lead to the overthrow of the monarchy… the ideas of the philosophers were not directly responsible for the outbreak… the spark that turned thought into action was provided by the American Declaration of Independence…” The above arguments do not support the.