Part 3

In this part of the conversation, we focus on the continuation of the French Revolution and the escalating violence. We discuss how the mob, driven by deep-seated anger and resentment towards authority figures, begins to target the police, guards, and anyone in a position of power. This anger is rooted in their negative experiences with parents, teachers, and other figures of authority in their lives. The mob's rage fuels their destructive actions as they storm the Bastille, a symbolic act of rebellion against the oppressive regime. The negotiation attempts by Delaunay, a guardian of the Bastille, are seen as weakness by the mob and they violently assault him and other guards. The brutal fate of Delaunay and the mayor's bodies, paraded around as symbols of vengeance, exemplify the violence and chaos of the revolution.We then shift our focus to the grievances of the French citizenry, particularly the Third Estate, who make up 98% of the population. They are driven by resentment towards the unequal taxation and governance dominated by the elite. Despite the establishment of the National Assembly and their growing power, the revolution shows no signs of waning.Alexander Hamilton expresses his concerns about the unruly nature of the French populace to Marquis de Lafayette. They discuss the history of being attacked, abused, and confined, highlighting the volatile state of affairs. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, influenced by ideas from Abbé Emmanuel Joseph Saïs and Count Gabriel Mirabeau, embraces the ideals of the Enlightenment, emphasizing the value of the individual, the social contract, and separated government powers. However, political rights are still limited to males who own property, resulting in only around 15% of the population having the right to vote. The main-speaker finds it astonishing that citizens were only required to pay taxes equivalent to just three days of work per year.