Social Sciences and History / Unit 4 SSH 0321 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Why 1789: Debt, Estates, Equality
Captions available
The idea
A century of British wars left France paying about sixty percent of revenue in interest under outdated taxes. The Notables refused new taxes, so Louis the Sixteenth called the Estates General, unmet since sixteen fourteen.
In practice
Three estates, and nobody alive who knew the procedure.
Where people slip
Equality, once claimed, spread beyond its authors' intent, an argument the anchor attributes to Lynn Hunt.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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