The French Revolution began on May 5, 1789, continuing till November 9, 1799. It was brought on largely by the immense socioeconomic discrepancy between the lower/working class and the upper class. While poverty, starvation, and death plagued lower-class France, upper-class France, namely the monarchy, King Louis XVII, and Queen Marie Antoinette, lived a lifestyle of extravagant and frivolous luxury. During this time, Napoleon Bonaparte rose to prominence as a successful military leader, and. the Reign of Terror began. On January 21, 1793, King Louis XVII was publicly killed via guillotine in Paris after being found guilty of high treason unanimously. Queen Marie Antoinette was killed in the same manner in the same location on October 16, 1793. This, along with other revolutions, caused fear among the English nobility, leading to changes in fashion, politics, and literature to try and distance themselves from the French.

“French Revolution.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Aug. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution.