Revolutions Note Cards

Estates in France Class system that categorized people according to their status in society. 1st Estate – Clergy (church members) hold most of the power in France and paid no taxes. 2nd Estate – Nobles (wealthy land owners). Paid virtually nothing in taxes 3rd Estate – Everyone else. Made up 97% of the population and paid almost all of the taxes, and had no privileges.

Estates General Governing body in France. Made up of members of all 3 Estates. Virtually never met. Each group was given one vote, which meant that the first two Estates could always outvote the third. Meeting of Estate General called on May 5th, 1789 after Louis XVI tried to raise taxes for the 2nd Estate to help pay off France’s debt.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette King of France who inherited much debt from previous kings (like Louis the XIV). He borrowed money to fund the American Revolution, and continuously raised taxes. Marie Antoinette was from Austria. She was very unpopular among the French people, spent extraordinary amounts of money on herself and is famous for the saying, “Let them eat cake”, when she was asked what to do about the peasants who did not have bread.

National Assembly Created by the third Estate during the meeting of the Estates General. They wanted each delegate to have a vote, which would allow them to outvote the other 2 Estates for a change. This would have ended the absolute monarchy and created a representative government, similar to the US.

Tennis Court Oath Pledge taken by members of the National Assembly. Pledge was made on a tennis court across from the meeting of the Estate General after they found themselves locked out. They pledge to stay together until a new government for France has been established. Members of the 1st and 2nd Estate who also wanted reform, joined them later on.

Storming the Bastille Citizens of France gathered weapons and stormed the Bastille (a prison in Paris), after hearing rumors that Louis XVI was going to disband the National Assembly and that troops were to be sent from other countries to kill French peasants. Fall of the Bastille is known as Bastille Day and is their “Fourth of July”. July 14th, 1789.

Great Fear Wave of terror and fear that spread through the French people. Many peasants revolted, rioting took place, homes were burned. October 1789, women rioted over the rising cost of bread and marched to the palace, killed the guards and demanded to see the King and Marie. Louis and Marie fled shortly after that.