Background to the revolution The French Revolution Background to the revolution

Discussion “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.” Quote from US Pres. JFK - The Alliance for Progress initiated by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 aimed to establish economic cooperation between the U.S. and Latin America.

What If…? What if you had no say in family concerns despite doing all the household chores?

French Society under the old Regime In France, people were divided into three estates: First Estate – The Clergy Second Estate – The Nobility Third Estate - Everyone else –from peasants in the countryside to wealthy bourgeoisie merchants in the cities Old Regime–socio-political system which existed in most of Europe during the 18thcentury Classes of people –privileged and unprivileged –Unprivileged people –paid taxes and treated badly –Privileged people –did not pay taxes and treated well Bourgeoisie – the middle class 3rd Class Peasants owed certain duties to the nobles (pay to use flour mill or wine press and/or harvest nobles crops) •Urban craftsmen and merchants also apart of this group. They are struggling to make $ in 1700’s due to increase in price of consumer goods faster than wages.

The Third Estate numbers are slightly misleading as this estate was divided into Middle Class and Peasants. The Peasants made up close to 80% of the Estate but only owned 34-40% of the remaining land while the Middle class owned the rest.

The Three Estates The First Estate, the clergy, numbered around 130,000 people out of a population of around 27 million people and they owned 10% of the land The Second Estate, the Nobility, numbered around 350,000 people and owned between 25-30% of the land. The Third Estate was divided into two categories: the middle class and the peasants. At least half of the peasants had little to no land to live on. Despite holding the majority of the wealth in the country the 1st and 2nd Estate didn’t have to pay the taille, France’s chief tax.

Struggle for survival – Middle Class of the 3rd Estate Middle class was another part of the 3rd Estate •These were merchants, bankers, lawyers, doctors, writers (professional type of people) •Middle class was unhappy with privileges held by nobles. •They didn’t want to abolish nobility they just wanted the chance to improve positions for themselves* •They shared similar goals to some nobles such as new political ideas from the Enlightenment, the idea of social mobility, and dislike of absolute monarchy. *About 6500 new “nobles” were created by appointment in the 1700s.

First and Second Estates Pop. Privileges Exemptions Burdens First 130,000 Clergy Collected the tithe •Censorship of the press •Control of education •Kept records of births, deaths, marriages, etc. •Catholic faith held honored position of being the state religion (practiced by •Paid no taxes •Subject to Church law rather than civil law •Moral obligation (rather than legal obligation) to assist the poor and needy •Support the monarchy and Old Regime Second 350,000 Nobles •Collected taxes in the form of feudal dues •Monopolized military and state appointments

The Third Estate •Paid all taxes •Tithe (Church tax) •Everyone else: Pop. Privileges Exemptions Burdens Third 26,500,000 •Everyone else: artisans, bourgeoisie, city workers, merchants, peasants, etc., none •Paid all taxes •Tithe (Church tax) •Octrot (tax on goods brought into cities) •Corvée (forced road work) •Capitation (poll tax) •Vingtiéme (income tax) •Gabelle (salt tax) •Taille (land tax) •Feudal dues for use of local manor’s winepress, oven, etc. This peasant class owed certain duties to the nobles, which was a holdover from medieval times when serfdom was widespread. Serfdom is a legal and economic system. A serf is a worker who has to stay in one area. Serfs were the lowest social class of the feudal society. Serfs were different from slaves. Serfs could have property. In most serfdoms, serfs were legally part of the land, and if the land was sold, they were sold with it. Serfdom is the forced labour on the fields of the land owners. Serfs got protection and the right to work on the leased fields. Serfs worked in fields, and other agricultural-related works, like forestry, transportation (both land and river-based), work in craft and even in manufacturing.

Second Estate First Estate Taxes Third Estate What do the hand gestures suggest? Clergy extending a hand toward the third estate as if to bless, the third estate reaching for the clergy but the second estate has an arm around the first estate as if exerting force. Taxes Third Estate

Govt. under the old Regime: The divine right of kings Monarch ruled by divine right with the mindset: God put the world in motion God put some people in positions of power Power is given by God No one can question God No one can question someone put in power by God Questioning the monarchy was blasphemy because it meant questioning God

Economic Conditions and Financial Crisis France’s economy was based primarily on agriculture Peasant farmers of France bore the burden of taxation Poor harvests meant that peasants had trouble paying their regular taxes Certainly could not afford to have their taxes raised Bourgeoisie often managed to gather wealth But were upset that they paid taxes and nobles did not

Queen Marie Antoinette was seen as a wasteful spender Financial Crisis The king (Louis XVI) lavished money on himself and residences like Versailles Queen Marie Antoinette was seen as a wasteful spender •Government found its funds depleted as a result of wars Including the funding of the American Revolution Deficit spending–a government spending more money than it takes in from tax revenues Privileged classes refused to being taxed The French continued to finance the American Revolution against the British in an attempt for colonial independence.

The Palace of Versailles – very extravagant

Additional Woes In addition to the frivolous spending other factors lead to the near collapse of the French economy. The bad harvests in 1787 and 1788 and a slow down in manufacturing lead to food shortages, rising prices for food, and unemployment.

Financial Crisis – The Money Trail 1/2 money went to pay interest on debt 1/4 went to pay for the army & navy Country and Royal Court operated on other 1/4

Primary source “All the country girls and women are without shoes or stockings; and the plowmen at their work have neither shoes or stocking to their feet. This is a poverty that strikes at the root of national prosperity.” - an English traveler in France

The Estates-General With France on the verge of financial collapse, Louis XVI was forced to call a meeting of the Estates-General, representatives of all three Estates, with the intent to raise new taxes. This was the first meeting of the E-G since 1614,175 years, as the French kings were so powerful.