The Great Fear
The Great Fear occurred on July 19 and lasted until August 3, 1789. The causes of this event was the considerable debt the French had due to their spite for the British and hasty decision to aid the people rebelling in the American Revolution. Another cause was due to the heavy taxes on the poor and very little tax for the rich, thus the poor become poorer and the rich become richer. There was also the growing grain shortage and rumors that the nobles had hired brigands to march through the villages and destroy the peasant’s new harvest and their homes and that they were to starve and burn the population out. This was called the “famine plot”. In the fear of the town’s people they, the commoners, mobilized, armed themselves and revolted. They ransacked castles of the nobles and burned documents known as terriers, these were recordings of feudal obligations. The result was that the nobles gave up their rights and titles. This lead to a new, balanced class structure, which allowed people to be average instead of poor. This enabled a more stable society. The taxes decreased and feudalism was abolished. This also began the separation between the church and state and gave more power to the people and less power to the church, nobles and royalty.
The Great Fear restored order in France.
Mariella Reyes # 29
Nicole Rodil # 30
The Great Fear occurred on July 19 and lasted until August 3, 1789. The causes of this event was the considerable debt the French had due to their spite for the British and hasty decision to aid the people rebelling in the American Revolution. Another cause was due to the heavy taxes on the poor and very little tax for the rich, thus the poor become poorer and the rich become richer. There was also the growing grain shortage and rumors that the nobles had hired brigands to march through the villages and destroy the peasant’s new harvest and their homes and that they were to starve and burn the population out. This was called the “famine plot”. In the fear of the town’s people they, the commoners, mobilized, armed themselves and revolted. They ransacked castles of the nobles and burned documents known as terriers, these were recordings of feudal obligations. The result was that the nobles gave up their rights and titles. This lead to a new, balanced class structure, which allowed people to be average instead of poor. This enabled a more stable society. The taxes decreased and feudalism was abolished. This also began the separation between the church and state and gave more power to the people and less power to the church, nobles and royalty.
The Great Fear restored order in France.
Mariella Reyes # 29
Nicole Rodil # 30