French Revolution DBQ

Must there be any distinctions at all between men? Why give any greater dignity to him who carries a
sword [traditional symbol of the nobility] than to him who forges it? Did Nature, who gave
predominance to our species, command that it submit to other laws than those drawn up for all the other
species of animate beings? Did it desire that one individual be less well-fed, less well-clothed and less
well-housed than another? Is it likely that this is the way things were done in the earliest ages of life on
earth? Our most advanced knowledge of what were the natural customs of our brothers, the American
Indians, before we discovered their peaceful country and began treating them so poorly, certainly would
disprove any assertion to that effect.

A holy respect for religion, morality, civil liberty, and the rights of property, a speedy return to true

principles, a careful selection and due measure in the matter of the taxes, a strict proportionality in their

assessment, a persistent economy in government expenditures, and indispensable reforms in all

branches of the administration, are the best and perhaps the only means of perpetuating the existence of

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the monarchy.

Therefore, the third estate of the electoral district of Carcassonne very humbly petitions his Majesty to

take into consideration these concerns, weigh them in his wisdom, and permit his people to enjoy, as

soon as may be, fresh proofs of his benevolence.

*Term used in pre-revolutionary France to refer to all people who were not part of the clergy (the First

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Estate) or the nobility (the Second Estate)

The salt tax and the various sales taxes ought to be suppressed, or replaced, if need be, with a tax less

burdensome.

Customs duties should be limited to goods crossing the frontiers of France.

Registry fees* have grown to an exorbitant figure. The irregularity of these charges from place to place

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creates frequent contentions.

It is desirable to lessen the disadvantage under which poor country people labor in securing justice in

the matter of over-taxation, on account of the considerable expense of bringing their cases to court.

The shifting of certain taxes might bring them to bear upon various articles of luxury, and especially

upon unnecessary articles of domestic use.

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*Legal fees charged for various transactions

The “Declaration of the King’s Intentions” made up the most bizarre, the most despotic, the most
contradictory set of instructions ever to be found in history: the king annulled all limitation on his
powers, and prohibited the establishment of any future limitations. He desired that all property rights
should be observed, such as church tithes [taxes paid to the Catholic church], dues owed to noble
landowners, feudal rights, etc. In fact, he had drawn up the constitution by himself. Some features of
these arrangements which favored the clergy and the nobility were greeted by them with cries of “Long
live the king!” while there was unbroken silence and no response from the deputies of the Third Estate.

The nearer July 14th came, the greater became the shortage of food. The crowd, besieging every baker’s
shop, received a small distribution of bread, always with warnings about possible shortages the next
day. Fears were redoubled by the complaints of people who had spent the whole day waiting at the
baker’s door without receiving anything.
As I was forced at the height of the shortage to go to Versailles for a short visit, I was curious to see
what sort of bread was being eaten at court, or served at the ministers’ and deputies’ tables. Nowhere
could I find even rye bread. Everywhere I saw only beautiful bread, of the finest and most delicate
quality. It was served in great abundance and delivered by the bakers themselves.

It is astonishing that, having gone so far along the path of reforms, and having cut down much of the
forest of prejudices, you would leave standing the oldest and most general of all abuses, the one which
excludes half of the inhabitants of this vast kingdom from positions, dignities, honors, and especially
from the right to sit amongst you.
You have generously decreed equality of rights for all; you have made the humble march alongside the
princes and lords of the earth. At last, thanks to your good influence, a serene day will break above our
heads, a new people, of citizens, wise and happy, will raise itself on the ruins.
Will women then be the only ones for whom the iron age of oppression will forever continue?