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How Did Marie Antoinette Cause The French Revolution

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Hayley Ross Mrs. Parks 1/24/15 Red Winter Research Paper "We were born free and equal. Now we are all chained" (The Philosophies of Enlightenment-Rousseau). This is what Rousseau thought about equality. He believed that everyone is free and deserves equality but society puts people in different classes. During the enlightened time period, they started to realize that everyone no matter your place in society deserved equality (“Famous people of the revolution” 2013). This realization is what caused the revolution not the mistakes made by Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. It all started November 2, 1755, the day Marie Antoinette was born. Many believe she is the cause of the French Revolution and the fall of the French monarchy. She may have done …show more content…

The biggest thing she was victimized for was the diamond necklace scandal. In 1781 Marie Antoinette was approached by Charles Boehmer about buying a necklace with 647 diamonds on it. Boehmer created the necklace for Louis XV, before he could finish the necklace Boehmer died. Later on he realized that he needed to sell the necklace to avoid financial ruin. When he approached Marie, she knew it was way too expensive for her to buy and she would not wear something that was intended for someone else. Boehmer continued to bother her to purchase it on several other occasions (Lotz 100). Later on Marie’s “friend” Jeanne informed Boehmer that she would be able to convince her to purchase the necklace. After she promised him that she would get Marie to reconsider she went to Cardinal de Rohan and told him that Marie wanted to purchase the necklace. She also told him that she didn't think it was wise for her to purchase it in person. He agreed to negotiate the purchase of the necklace with his own money (Lotz 104). Jeanne promised that Marie would pay him back over the next two years. After Cardinal de Rohan came to an agreement with Boehmer, the jeweler, the necklace was given to Jeanne so that she could give it to the queen. After Jeanne got hold of the necklace she then gave it to her husband to go sell in London. Not knowing what happened, Boehmer waited for the queen to show off his wonderful necklace, he waited feast day after feast day for her to wear it. He decided to write a letter to her saying he was glad the necklace was in her hands. Marie Antoinette not knowing what he was implying, burned the letter. Boehmer was having a financial crisis and need the money that he was owed. He decided he did not want to approach the queen directly and decided to talk to Madame Campan, her chief waiter, to inform her that she owed him money. She did not know of any such

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