Louis 16 inherited vast kingdom that was highly regionalized, diverse and complex… Lands often divided over generations to small crops , each region own taxes/laws, there were city states etc. Much share cropping. “Low productivity, antiquated methods, little sign of improvement.” yet mid-18th century had reliable crops. However, later 18th century had unpredictable crops. Yet landowners did fine as rents and land values continued to rise. Most industry based on agriculture so impacted most people. Although Britiain had expelled France from many colonies, present-day Haiti’s crops created substantial wealth on. Northern french coast but not other inland areas.
Source: Oxford History of the French Revolution
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