The end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th saw the degradation of the Old regime--the end of aristocratic rule, inherited legal privileges, intimate relations between church and state, and high feudal dues and taxes. A major indication of the coming death of the Old regime was portrayed by the victory in the American revolution. The American victory proved that oppressive governments had limitations. The American revolution, influenced by Enlightenment philosophy, shed light on the idea of nationalism, a strong sense of loyalty and devotion to a nation and a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests. Although historians argue over …show more content…
The lack of political weight the Third-Estate carried during the Estates-General elicited anger amongst it’s members. The Third Estate contained 96% of the population of France, yet had the same representation as the two smaller bodies (cite). Cries of nationalism and the legitimacy of the Third Estate as the true governing body of the French spread across the nation. The dissolution of the Estates-General was inevitable and was met with the Storming of the Bastille in July of 1789, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. When the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly and formulated a constitution they sought to eliminate the immediate bodies and privileges of the current French government. The National Assembly declared the end of feudalism and decreed “The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” which portrayed the strong nationalist leanings of the National Assembly. Under the new nationalist feeling the National Assembly sought to eliminate the divisions amongst the French people. In order to create greater unity, the National Assembly nationalized the church, abolished corporations like trade guilds, and reorganized provinces. A new political culture occurred in France, a culture that combined both rural and urban