The French Revolution Beginnings

What is the most striking difference between these two women? What details of the expressions and clothing clearly show the contrast in the way these women live?

1700’s France King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette ruled Lived extravagantly

Looking from the outside... France appeared very prosperous Home of the Enlightenment Large Population Successful foreign trade Voltaire Rousseau Montesquieu

The Great Facade Reality in France High Prices High Taxes Limited supply of goods Limited supply of food

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The Three Estates First Estate Second Estate Third Estate Clergy of the Catholic Church Second Estate Nobles by birthright Paid no taxes Third Estate Everyone else 98% of the population paid all of the taxes

Weak Louis Indecisive, paid little attention to government Married Marie Antoinette From Austria, France’s enemy Became unpopular spent much of France’s money on jewels, clothes and gifts

Money, Money, Money… France faced bankruptcy 2nd estate forced meeting of the Estates-General all three estates represented, to get approval for tax reform first meeting in 175 years, on May 5, 1789 at Versailles Each estate receives one vote

The 3rd Estate Demands Change Every delegate gets one vote, thus giving advantage to 3rd estate King says voting will not change Third estate was determined to gain power and decided to create their own voting body

The National Assembly Established on June 17, 1789 Wanted to pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people Proclaimed the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of a representative government was the first act of revolution Three days later they were locked out of the meeting room

The Tennis Court Oath

What to do, what to do? Louis tried to make peace with 3rd estate by yielding to the National Assembly’s demands. Ordered clergy and nobles to join National Assembly However, he also stationed Swiss guards in Paris, as he no longer trusted the loyalty of the French soldiers Rumors spread that a foreign army was coming to kill French citizens, they gathered in Paris to defend against the king’s foreign troops.

Storming of the Bastille July 14, 1789, a mob tried to get gunpowder from Bastille, a prison in Paris Crowd overtook Bastille, defeating the king’s soldiers…now in control of the citizens The fall of Bastille became a great symbol of the Revolution, and is similar to our 4th of July

You say you want a Revolution? Rebellion in city leads to the countryside The Great Fear October 1789 6,000 women march to protest the price of bread

They went to Versailles, overtook the guards and ordered Louis and Marie Antoinette to come to Paris, they did, and never saw Versailles again. Signaled change of power and radical reforms that were about to overtake France.