The French Revolution

1. The French people were critical of the nobility, clergy, and King because they had more power than them. The commoners had no control in the government. Also, they had to pay a majority of the taxes while the rich were mostly tax free and got money from the peasants.
2. A French peasant in 1789 would either be complaing about his harsh life or talking about the Revolution.
3. The cartoonist was showing how the clergy and feudal lords relied on the peasants to do everything for them. Both the clergy and feudal lords didn't pay taxes or serve in the military while the peasants did. The peasants also pay money to the clergy and feudal lords. The quote in the cartoon shows how much people this dislike this kind of society and that they want to change it.
4.The author writes that the French people's lives are harsh. He wrote that the people had to pay a large amount of livestock and crops to multiple lords as dues. They also had to pay a large amount of money to the King. This left them with very little bit of food and money.
5. The poor highly resented the rich. They had to pay the king a high amount of taxes while the rich didn't. They also had to pay the feudal lords a high amount of their food. They did all of this only getting 200 livres a year at best while nobles and clergy made at least 10,000 livres a year.
6. Commoners would have been inspired by Rousseau's words. Rousseau wrote "No man has any natural authority over others; force does not give anyone that right." which made people realize that life under oppression was not inevitable and that they are able to stop being oppressed. Rousseau also said "The power to make laws belongs to the people and only to the people." which told people they were able to form a new government and actively participate in it.
7. The pamphlet was banned because it encouraged the people to start a revolution. The nobility and clergy wanted it banned because they did not want to lose their power over everyone else.