ECONOMIC

 

POLITICAL

ECONOMIC

SOCIAL

CULTURAL

Money was the biggest problem with the Ancien Regime, especially for the majority of people, who were the peasants. Money was the greatest division between the estates and classes, although admittedly it was not the only huge difference. Millions of people had to rely on charity from other poor people, and many people were travellers, not through choice, but because they simply could not afford to stay anywhere. In the 18^th century population went up, and this meant more landless peasants and poor workers. In 1790, a government committee worked out that an average family needed at least 435 livres a year to supply their basic needs. After everything else, such as accommodation, clothing, heating, etc, was worked out, around 13 sous a day was left for food. This would buy around a pound of bread, or veal, or beef, or rice, or eggs, or a litre of wine, (but only one of those a day, not one each a day!) However, things like butter, coffee, candles and firewood were way out of range, costing sometimes as much as a livre, and firewood as much as 21 livres, and since 1700, prices were often higher than wages. Unpredictable and unexpected weather conditions in 1788 meant that crops were ruined, and bread prices went up. To avoid starvation, people spent all their income on bread, and stopped buying other essential items, like clothes, candles and fuel. This caused near starvation and riots. The government and the king were very short of money, so they needed to raise taxes; this angered the people even more. 

Because of the estates, people were subjected to very unequal taxation, with the poor people paying a lot more than the rich. The King also raised taxes because the government was very much in debt, and raising taxes was really the only choice the monarchy would, or could, take. Sometimes, the more successful peasants could afford these taxes, from the money they made in markets. But many poor farm labourers could not afford to pay in money, and therefore needed to hand over their crop. This angered many people. In addition to this, the controversial and shocking philosophes points of views were becoming more and more widespread, as was the Enlightenment (attitudes that challenged religion and the absolute monarch). The general controversial ideas that were beginning to seep through the culture of the poor peasants caused a crack in society that was getting harder and harder to close.