what led to tensions between the us and france in the 1780w

This section exhibits texts from Archives & Special Collections' rare book drove that highlight the efforts of King Louis XVI and his Finance Ministers to find a solution to an increasingly severe fiscal and social crisis in the late 1700s in order to avoid a public insurgence.

Financial Crisis of the 1780s

In the late 1700s, France was facing a severe fiscal crisis due to the immense debt accrued through the French involvement in the Seven Years War (1756–1763) and the American Revolution (1775-1783). Moreover, the corruption and indulgent lifestyle of the majestic family and the French court at Versailles, did little to save the growing debt. Furthermore, the increasingly egregious abuses of power of the monarchy, French nobility and the clergy, combined with a blatantly unfair revenue enhancement organization did very fiddling to endear the elite to the common people in the confront of increasing public dissent.

Jacques Necker (1732-1804)

During this fourth dimension,Jacques Neckerwas appointed Managing director-General of Finances by Male monarch Louis XVI in October 1772. He gained popularity through a series of reforms to regulate France'south finances. His greatest financial measures were his apply of loans to help fund the French debt and high involvement rates rather than raising taxes. He was too responsible for the abolishment of serfdom in France. Despite his efforts, Necker was forced to retire from part in 1781 after publishing hisCompte Rendu au Roi,the outset-e'er public tape of royal and governmental finances which fabricated the people more proactive and engaged in public affairs (this text could also be credited every bit 1 of the causes of the French Revolution).

In retirement he continued to write and comment on France'due south financial situation, and he produced his famous Traité de l'administration des finances de la French republic in 1784 (Telephone call No. HJ1082.N3 1784). This work gives a historical account of taxation in France and is interspersed with observations on the grain-trade, provincial assemblies, luxury and the similar. At the fourth dimension, theTraitéwas an extremely popular text and is said to have sold over lxxx, 000 copies, despite being in three volumes. Equally a outcome, theTraité strengthened Necker's popularity, and contributed to his return equally directeur-général des finances in 1788, after his dismissal in 1781. It is a valuable book to anyone studying how the finances of France were managed in the last days of the old regime.

Necker likewise wrote several other volumes that are cogitating of his experiences during his times in office and the events of the revolution, including: Sur 50'administration de Grand. Neckerin 1791 (Call No. HJ1082.N8 1791) and De la revolution francaise in 1797 (Call No. DC161.N36 1797).

Charles Alexandre de Calonne (1734-1802)

It was subsequently discovered that Necker "cooked the books" in social club to hide the crippling interest payments that France had to make on its massive £112 million in loans as normal expenditure.Realizing that France was in serious fiscal trouble Rex Louis Sixteen appointedCharles de Calonne  equally Controller-General of Finances in 1783 to evaluate the state of affairs and suggest a solution. Charged with auditing all of the royal accounts and records, Calonne institute a financial system that was rife with corruption and composed of fraudulent officials. In that location was no like shooting fish in a barrel way to heighten coin to alleviate the nation'south debt. The only organization in place to raise coin was taxation; however taxation but practical to peasants since the nobles were tax-exempt.

In order to avoid raising taxes, Calonne fabricated a failed attempt to obtain additional loans to maintain the government'southward solvency. Instead, he adult a reform package that recommended across-the-board taxation as the only way to salvage France's dire fiscal situation. Therefore, he called anAssembly of Notables in February 1787, to which he presented the deficit in the treasury, and proposed the establishment of asubvention territoriale, which would be levied on all property without distinction—which meant that the nobles would lose their tax-exemption. Unsurprisingly, the notables rejected his program and turned against Calonne, and he was dismissed soon thereafter and exiled from French republic in 1788.

Calonne took up residence in Corking Britain, and maintained a polemical correspondence with Jacques Necker who had returned to role in 1788. For example, Calonne'southwardRéponse de m. de Calonne à 50'écrit de g. Neckerfrom 1788 (Call No. HJ1082.N62C3 1788) is a text that outlines their differences regarding the State deficit, and also provides a comparison betwixt Necker'due southCompte Rendu au Roipublished in 1781 and the actual account records of that same year. In add-on, it gives a detailed account of the French regime's accounts.

Also in the drove is Calonne's memoir: Memoire de m. de Calonne, ministre d'etat, contre le decret rendu le 14 fevrier 1791(Call No. HJ1082.C3 1791).

Estates-General (1789)

The proffer to summon theEstates-Full general came from the Assembly of Notables held past the king on February 22, 1787.The Estates General was an ancient assembly of representatives of the French estates of the realm: the clergy (Kickoff Estate), the nobles (2d Estate), and the common people (Third Estate). Information technology had not been held since 1614.

The R ésultat du Conseil d' État du Roi(Call No. JN2415 1788.A45) provides a report of the Land Council meeting held at Versailles on December 27th, 1788 on the recommendation to convene the Estates-Full general. Written by the Director-General of Finances (Jacques Necker held this position once over again), the study discusses four key suggestions for this associates:

 1. That the deputees of the side by side Estates-General number less than one thousand;

 2. That this number be formed, as much equally possible, from the population and from each local commune;

 3. That the number of deputees from the Third Manor are equal to the other two orders combined, & that this proportion is established in the letters of convocation;

 iv. That these prelimiary decisions volition serve the basis for the necessary work of preparing the letters of convocation, likewise as any other documents that must back-trail them without filibuster.

The Estates-Full general were summoned by a imperial edict, dated January 24, 1789 which was comprised of 2 parts: a Lettre du Roi  and a Règlement(Call No. DC163.seven.C6 1788). These documents called the Estates Full general to assemble and provided election guidelines for each representative attending the Estates-General. In his letter of the alphabet, the apparent intent of the king was for the Estates-General to go directly to the matter of taxes in order to find a solution to the financial crisis:

Notre Amé et féal, Nous avons besoin du concours de nos fidèle Sujets, pour aider à surmonter toutes les difficultés où nous nous trouvons, relativement à l'état de nos finances... A ces causes, Nous vous avertissons & signisions que notre volonté est de commencer à tenir les États libres & généraux de notre Royaume, au lundi 27 Avril prochain, en notre ville de Versailles...("Lettre du Roi" inCollection sur les Etats-generaux,1788).

Withal, when the Estates-General convened on May 5th, 1789, the first item on the agenda was the verification of powers, rather than discussing a solution to the nation's finacial problems. Each of the three estates had unlike ideas regarding this issue and the organization of the legislature. Although Louis XVI granted the Third Estate greater numerical representation, the Parlement of Paris had stepped in and invoked an old rule mandating that each manor receive one vote, regardless of size—pregnant that the 3rd Manor was non granted more power in the assembly. The Third Manor wanted to meet equally a unmarried body and for each delegate to accept one vote, which was non something that appealed to the First and Second Estates since the Tertiary Estate outnumbered them, and the talks somewhen led to an impasse.

This impasse led to the Third Estate's resolution to to proceed with verification on its own, with or without members of the other ii estates. Furthermore, on June 17, 1789, bolstered by communitywide support, the Tertiary Estate officially bankrupt abroad from the Estates-Full general and proclaimed itself the National Assembly. In so doing, it also granted itself control over taxation. Presently thereafter, many members of the other estates joined the cause. This officially put an stop to the Estates-General and also contributed to the beginning of the French Revolution afterward that year.

Other of import texts on the Estates-General in Archives & Special Collections' collection include:

Lettres du Comte de Mirabeau a ses commettans  (Phone call No. DC140 .C59 1789). Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau (1749-1791) was a member of the dignity who was elected to correspond the Third Estate at the Estates-Full general, and later on, he was an important effigy in the early on days of the Revolution. These volumes offer a drove of his letters to various politicians and to the king.

La Galérie des États-generaux et des dames françoises(Telephone call No. DC145 .G3 1789). This volume presents short biographies of important members of the Estates-General, and also includes a department of important women related to this associates.

Collection sur les Etats-generaux (Call No. DC163.seven.C6 1788). This collection reproduces a number of important main documents relating to the Estates-General, including theLettre du Roiand the Reglement.

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Source: https://asc.library.carleton.ca/exhibits/french-revolution-arc/1780s-pre-revolutionary-france