French Revolution, The
French Revolution, The | Revolting Against the Monarchy Was a Rational Act
Thomas Paine was an Anglo-American political philosopher known for pamphlets he wrote in support of the American Revolution. In 1791 he wrote The Rights of Man, a response to Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France. In the following viewpoint, excerpted from his book, Paine defends the decision of French citizens to revolt against the monarchy. He argues that the French people were not rebelling against the person of King Louis XVI, who was a good king, but against the endemic despotism that marked all political, economic, and religious affairs in France....
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- Introduction
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Chapter 1: The Causes of the French Revolution
- The Aristocrats Sought Greater Civil Rights for All French Citizens
- Revolting Against the Monarchy Was a Rational Act
- Revolting Against the Monarchy Was an Irrational Act
- Chapter 1 Preface
- The Middle Class Sought Increased Political Rights
- The Peasants Sought Greater Economic Freedoms
- The French Monarchy Was Beset with Financial Problems
- The French Monarchy’s Financial Problems Were Exaggerated
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Chapter 2: The Controversial Events of the French Revolution
- Chapter 2 Preface
- Violence at the Bastille Was Caused by French Rioters
- Violence at the Bastille Was Caused by French Troops
- The Founding of a French Republic Is an Important Achievement
- The French Republic Will Not Last
- The Reign of Terror Was Caused by Jacobin Leadership
- The Reign of Terror Was Not Caused by Jacobin Leadership
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Chapter 3: Social Change in Revolutionary France
- Chapter 3 Preface
- French Women Should Become Politically Active
- French Women Should Remain in the Domestic Sphere
- French Jews Should Be Granted Citizenship
- French Jews Should Not Be Granted Citizenship
- The French Revolution Transformed Many Elements of French Society
- The French Revolution Did Not Transform French Society
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Chapter 4: Historians Evaluate the French Revolution
- Chapter 4 Preface
- The French Revolution Had Largely Negative Effects on the Economy
- The French Revolution Had Positive Effects on the Economy
- French Women Attained Lasting Political Power During the French Revolution
- French Women Did Not Attain Lasting Political Power During the French Revolution
- The French Revolution Spurred a Greater Respect for the Nation-State
- The French Revolution Produced a Greater Respect for the Individual
- Appendix of Documents
- Chronology
- For Further Research
- For Further Discussion
- Copyright
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