Causes of the French Revolution

Objectives Outline the social structure of France’s Old Regime. Explain the economic troubles France faced in 1789. Identify the reasons Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General. Explain why a Paris crowd stormed the Bastille.

Current Day Map of France

About France in the late 18th Century Population around 28 million – has grown by 10 million in just 100 years! Over 20 million people lived in the countryside A few large towns, but dominated by Paris with over 600,000 people. System of Government was a Monarchy.

The three estates The King The First Estate: the clergy The Second Estate: The Nobility The Third Estate: The peasants

The Old Regime First Estate Second Estate Third Estate Under the ancien regime, or old order, everyone in France belonged to one of three classes… First Estate Second Estate Third Estate The CLERGY Enjoyed enormous wealth and privilege Owned about 10 percent of land, collected tithes, and paid no taxes Provided some social services The NOBILITY Owned land but had little money income Hated absolutism Feared losing traditional privilege, especially exemption from taxes BOURGEOISIE and PEASANTS Peasants were 98 % of French population Resented privilege of first and second estates Burdened by taxes, miserable wages faced hunger, starvation

Resentment among the Third Estate Best jobs were always reserved for nobles Urban workers earned miserable wages Peasants taxed on land, necessary goods and spices Nobles imposed “manor dues” – tax paid directly to noble instead of state Only nobles had the right to hunt wild game Enlightenment thinkers led people to question the logic of the the Old Regime…..where is the reason for it???

Economic Troubles For years, the French government had engaged in too much spending Louis XIV had left France in a lot of debt. Recent wars, a general rise in costs in the 1700s, and the lavish court were incredibly costly. Bad harvests in the late 1780s sent food prices soaring and brought hunger to poorer peasants and city dwellers.

Economic Troubles…Summarized Too much spending Debt Wars Inflation Lavish court Borrowed money Bad harvests

Absolute Monarchy Weakens The heirs of Louis XIV were not the right men to solve the economic crisis that afflicted France. Louis XV pursued pleasure before business and ran up France’s debts Louis XVI was well-meaning but weak and indecisive

Meeting of the Estates General The Estates General was a meeting of all three Estates Each Estate had one vote Under this system the First and Second Estates always outvoted the Third Estate

Meeting of the Estates General Delegates of the Third Estate left the Estates General and declared themselves to be the National Assembly who represented France They invited members of the other Estates to help them write a Constitution for France When the hall they were supposed to meet in was locked against them, the National Assembly met on a tennis court…

Tennis Court Oath Delegates swore “never to separate and to meet whenever the circumstances might require until we have established a sound and just constitution”

Meeting of the Estates General France’s economic crisis worsened, bread riots spread, and nobles denounced royal tyranny. Louis XVI summoned the Estates General in 1788 The Third Estate declared themselves to be the National wrote a constitution. When reform-minded clergy and nobles joined the Assembly, King Louis accepted it.

Storming of the Bastille On July 14, 1789, more than 800 Parisians gathered outside the Bastille, a medieval fortress used as a prison. They demanded weapons they thought were stored there in order to protect themselves from the royal troops surrounding Paris. The commander of the Bastille opened fire on the crowd, and a battle started, in which many people were killed. The storming of the Bastille quickly became a symbol of the French Revolution, a blow to tyranny. Today, the French still celebrate July 14 as Bastille Day or Independence Day.

Storming of the Bastille

Review Questions Which class made up 98 percent of the population of France in 1789? a) the First Estate b) the Second Estate c) the Third Estate d) the First and Second estates combined Which of the following was not a cause of France’s economic troubles? a) deficit spending b) bad harvests c) overspending by Louis XIV d) increased wages for peasant workers

Questions 1. What was the French system of government during the time before the French Revolution? 2. Who is in the first estate? Second estate? Third estate? 3. What percent of the population was the peasants? 4. Name two reasons the Third Estate resented (or did not like) the First Estate (or nobles) 5. What did enlightenment thinkers lead to? 6. What led to French debt? 7. What brought hunger to poorer peasants and city dwellers? 8. What is the national assembly? 9. Where did the third estate go when the assembly hall they were supposed to meet in was locked? 10. What is the tennis court oath in your own words? 11. What is the storming of the Bastille?