Before the revolution, King Louis XVI was at the top of the ancien régime, the social, economic and political structure of France, meaning he held absolute power. When he ascended the throne in 1774, he was presented with unsolvable problems. People were divided into three classes that divided the social class. The first estate consisted of 100,000 tax-exempt nobles who owned 20% of the land. The second estate consisted of the 300,000 tax-exempt priests who owned 10% of the land. The third estate was made up of the remaining 23.5 million French, 90% of whom were farmers. The third estate was the only one that paid taxes. Their taxes ensured the financial well-being of the clergy, state, and nobles (Overview of the French Revolution 6). The Enlightenment had a great influence on the French Revolution. The Enlightenment caused revolution in three ways. First of all, the Enlightenment made it clear that France was not a perfect society. It opened their eyes to the fact that France was helping other countries more. For example, the French government allocated money to support the American Revolution, while the citizens of their own country need money. Furthermore, Voltaire, who was an Enlightenment thinker, caused a stir among the peasants upon his return to France when he announced that England was superior to France (Voltaire 7). Second, it made people skeptical that the government was there to fulfill its duty to protect people's natural rights. The Enlightenment encouraged people to question divine right, the God-given authority rulers claimed to have (The Enlightenment, Its Origins, and the French Revolution 15). Ultimately, it made the third estate realize how taxation was simply greed. This opened their eyes to the fact that... middle of paper... government corruption in many countries, including France. It stated what was reasonably correct and not just what people were traditionally taught. It allowed the French people to gain excess power and have a say in government. However, their work was erased when Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself dictator of France in 1799 (French Revolution 13). The Enlightenment not only caused the French Revolution by allowing the people to see how inferior France really was, making them question divine right, and opening their eyes to injustice between states, but it also depicted the United States which is the epitome of the French Revolution. an ideal society. Although the Enlightenment criticized monarchical governments, it influenced democratic forms of government. Without the Enlightenment and the help of France, the United States would not be what it is today.