Kevin Maedomari
AP European History
May 1, 2012
Word Count: 656
Mock FRQ
Prior to the political and economic problems faced by England and later France, Europe had gone through several rulers already who had influenced views on society. Elizabeth I and Louis XIV had both caused each government to feel secure and useless respectively. As a result, there were various political and economic problems which arose during the English and French Monarch’s rein which led to the English Civil War and French Revolution. First, (1) society felt they lacked a voice in governmental procedures, (2) the problem of taxes arose, and (3) there was a large amount of debt piling up in each nation. The unfair taxing was the most significant factor as it caused the problem between the monarchs and the people. Politically, society felt they lacked a voice in governmental procedures. First, in England, this is evident in Charles I’s Personal Rule (1629-1640). This was called into action as a result of his irritation with the Parliament following the Petition of Right as he felt that his rule was justified by the Devine Right of Kings. During this period society was unable to have a say in anything the king did, resulting in a list of grievances made by the public. This was subsequentially overlooked by Charles, undoubtedly sparking a conflict between the Monarch and the public. In France, they were led by a weak monarch, Louis XVI. He was unable to assert his authority as Louis XIV had been able to, and as a result, the public were beginning to push for representation more capable of catering to their needs. Once Abbey Sieyes wrote the book What is the Third Estate, it was clear that despite calling back the Estates General, the majority of France was unsatisfied with the lack of voice they had in political procedures. Overall, it is clear how the lack of voice society felt they had on political procedures led to the Civil War and Revolution. Economically, the problem of unfair taxes arose. During the Personal Rule in England, Charles I required money in order to continue strengthening his monarchy. As a result, Charles’s minister began taxing people through the Thorough, which essentially took money from society, and placed it into Charles’s hands. Furthermore, Charles, through the Court of the Star Chamber, also implemented ship money taxes which further devastated society. In France, Louis XVI similarly implemented taille on local Parlements in order to assert his dominance. However, the burden fell mostly on the