In 18th-century Europe, bread was the primary food source, and its price directly dictated survival for the poor[2][6]. When authorities shifted toward free-market policies, they abandoned the 'moral economy'—a long-standing social contract where the king was expected to guarantee affordable food[2][6]. This made scarcity feel like a political betrayal rather than a natural disaster[2].
Rioters often practiced taxation populaire, seizing grain but leaving behind what they deemed a fair price to restore order[2][6]. Authorities typically responded with military force and public executions to suppress these challenges to state legitimacy[2]. These struggles prefigured modern movements that prioritize the right to food over market freedom[5].
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