Questions Raised in Reading Carlyle French Revolution

1. General background questions
   1. What was the population and how was it distributed socially and geographically?
   2. What were the patterns of land ownership?
   3. Was social stratification increasing or decreasing at the time of the Revolution?
   4. What was the political geography of France at the time of the Revolution?
      1. How was the country divided for administrative purposes? What were the relative responsibilities of intendancies, provinces, bishiprics, cities and feudal subdivisions like bailiees and seneshalees?
      2. What were the taxing districts?
   5. What was the money, and how much was it worth?
   6. What was the tax burden on the populace, and how was the income distributed?
   7. What was the real national budget, or did anyone know? Were other divisions of government as impoverished as the monarchy, or is that even a reasonable question? What was the national debt in absolute terms and in relation to the GDP? How had the debt changed in the years preceding the Revolution?
   8. How did the revolutionary calendar of 1793-94 map to the Julian calendar?
2. Clarifications of Carlyle's text
   1. What is the source of

      'Ye can no other; God be your help!' So spake a greater than any of you; opening his Chapter of World-History.

      in Book I, Part IV, chapter 4?
   2. Who was the "Eldest" elected Dean of the Third Estate Deputies of the Estates-General in May? Bailly was elected to that position June 3. (Book I, Part V, Chapter 1).
   3. What are the details of the Memoire au Roi presented by Artois, Conti and Conde to Louis XVI? When? (Book I, Part V, Chapter 1).
   4. What is the "older grudge" the Commons have with de Breze (I.V.1)
   5. What is the reference to Eros-Egg in the discussion of the tier-etat's delaying tactics?