Bastiat contracted tuberculosis, probably during his tours throughout France to promote his ideas and that illness eventually prevented him from making further speeches (particularly at the legislative assembly to which he was elected in 1848 and 1849) and ended his life.
Bastiat je oblio od tuberkuloze, vjerojatno putujući diljem Francuske promovirajući svoje ideje, te ga je bolest na koncu onemogućila u stvaranju dodatnih govora (osobito u zakonodavnoj skupštini na koju je izabran za 1848. i 1849.) te mu oduzela život.