Final answer:
The Third Estate's uprising was driven by high taxation without political representation, social inequality, economic hardship due to poor harvests and the near-bankruptcy of France, and revolutionary ideas inspired by the Enlightenment and the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Causes of the Third Estate's Uprising
The discontent and uprisings of the Third Estate in the lead up to the French Revolution were fueled by a combination of social, economic, and political factors. The burden of paying taxes fell largely on the Third Estate, which was made up of the majority of the French population, including peasants, urban poor, and the bourgeoisie. They suffered under an antiquated social hierarchy where the privileged First and Second Estates, the clergy and nobility, were virtually exempt from taxes. Food shortages, exacerbated by poor harvests and the nation's economic crisis, led to famine and increased food prices, further contributing to the suffering of the Third Estate. Political discontent arose from the exclusion of the Third Estate from meaningful political power and from the outdated and unfair voting structure of the Estates General, which effectively nullified any influence the Third Estate could have had.
Inspired by Enlightenment ideals and the American Revolution, the Third Estate sought to reform an outdated government system that denied them rights and liberties. Their refusal to adhere to the Estates General's voting system and the formation of the National Assembly marked significant acts of defiance against the monarchy. Economic desperation, unfair taxation, political disenfranchisement, and Enlightenment ideas all culminated in a revolutionary fervor that swept through France, leading to iconic events such as the storming of the Bastille and the eventual fall of the monarchy.