Due to the fact that it is nearly a week since Bastille day, I will no longer delay in writing about one of my favorite French topics, la révolution! For the more curious, you might be asking “Which one?” and for the sake of clarity, I am speaking of the vastly influential period between 1789 and 1799 when the French lower classes rose up in arms against the oppressive nobility. So to begin this little historical excursion I would first like to introduce the background. France was governed by a monarchy, this meant that the big man in the big chair with the big crown was the guy who called all the shots. But in france, they created a whole level of monarchy few could compare to. This was none other than Absolutism. Monarchs in France governed with an iron fist and the nobility came second. This primal system coexisted with France’s so called Ancien Régieme maintained a delocalized nobility. Thus distributing the land and power among the nobility with the provision that the king still had ultimate authority. Kings more recently at that point had started abusing their absolute power and started cranking up the national debt. So France by the late 18th century was in a lot of trouble. National debt was higher than ever before and the seemingly rising level of extravagance enjoyed by the upper classes started to introduce a large amount of friction. This friction synthesized a plethora of unrest of which was amplified by the hunger of the lower classes, for both reform and actual food. The People of France were so starved that some of the most violent portions of the ensuing revolution were initiated by food. Hunger quite literally drove the people mad. Many in the lower orders began to feel that they were not being treated as human. Thus when the time came, the so-called third estate of society declared the equality of all of man. They did so in a document called “La déclaration des droits de l’homme” or “The declaration of the rights of man” an extremely significant historical document. This document was one of the first of its kind in that it more or less put every single man regardless of background on the same level. It also proclaims that not only is every man entitled to their birth given rights, but it is an abomination that he does not have them. In addition it also makes very clear the fact that should the citizen not have their all of their rights, it is the responsibility of all of society to hold the institution that takes them accountable. These ideas seem somewhat redundant today, but back in their time they were mind blowingly radical. For one of the first times in history a society took a much more serious look at the rights they posses and determine that where they come from is not of their wealth or class, but of their birth and everyone else had these same rights. So next time you hear someone talking about their ‘rights’ ask them where they think they get them.
Hahahahaha! First let me say, I absolutely love the way you mock the French monarchy! 🙂 Also, this was a very nice history lesson. I think I studied this in APWorld, but that was almost 3 years ago and this was way more in depth. Kudos to the lower class for sticking up for themselves, whether it was because they wanted equality or were just crazy because they had no food. And thank you for explaining to me where I get my rights from 🙂