In the late 1700’s nowhere in Europe was the gap between the affluent and the impoverished as pronounced as in France. The French nobility stood out as some of the most prosperous individuals on the continent, commanding extensive land holdings, substantial wealth, and wielding unchecked authority without the oversight of a parliamentary system like that of Great Britain. The impoverished population in France was enduring immense hardships. They were subjected to mistreatment, neglect, and exploitation. Compelled to labor on the affluents’ estates for minimal wages under deplorable circumstances, they were plagued by hunger, illness, filth, fatigue, and escalating bitterness year after year. 

French society was structured into three distinct social classes referred to as estates. The initial estate was comprised of priests and religious figures, who held the highest position in French society. The second estate consisted of the nobility, while the third and lowest estate encompassed the remaining population, which accounted for over 97% of France’s inhabitants. 

In 1774, Louis XVI ascended to the throne of France at the age of 19, with his 18-year-old wife, Marie Antoinette. The new King inherited a significant amount of debt from his predecessors, which was further exacerbated by his support for the American Revolution against Great Britain. Desperate to address France’s financial woes, Louis XVI attempted to levy taxes on the first and second estates, which had previously been exempt from such obligations. However, these estates refused to comply with the new tax measures. 

In 1789, King Louis XVI convened the Estates-General in Versailles to address the issue of taxes. Comprised of representatives from the three social estates in France, this assembly had not been assembled since 1610. King Louis XVI convened the Estates-General with the expectation that they would address the nation’s debt issues. Contrary to his hopes, the Estates-General aimed to seize power from the King and tackle the societal problems they believed were afflicting the population.