The French Revolution Begins Chapter 23 Section 1

Key Terms Old Regime Estate Louis XVI Marie Antoinette Estates-General National Assembly Tennis Court Oath Great Fear

The Old Order Old Order-social and political structure that created inequalities King was at the top and three groups called estates were under him King Louis XVI was the king at the time Lived extravancantly

Economic Troubles Lived at Versailles Marie Antoinette was from Austria (enemy of France) She was unpopular Frivolous and self indulgent Wore fancy clothes, lavish parties

The Privileged Estates Most people wore rags First Estate Roman Catholic clergy 1 percent of the population Clergy had several privileges since the Middle Ages Only the church could try priests or bishops

The Privileged Estates Did not have to pay taxes Land that belonged to the church was not taxed Church owned 10% of France’s land Bishops and clergy became very wealthy Many people resented the wealth and priviledge

Second Estate Made up of nobility 2 percent of the population Controlled much of the country’s wealth Paid few taxes Held key positions in government and military

Second Estate Many lived in country estates Owned 20 percent of the land Peasants did all the work Charged high fees and rents Some lived at the king’s court Lived in luxury, jobs ceremonial

Third Estate Largest group 97% of the people Made up of several groups Bourgeoisie- top, city dwelling merchants, factory owners and professionals Some very educated and rich Did not buy influence of government

Third Estate Next were artisans-shoemakers, bricklayers, dress makers laborers If they had no work they went hungry Sans culottes-”without knee beeches

Third Estate At the bottom peasants who farmed (80%) Paid rents and fees to landowners Paid 1/10 of income to the church Performed labor like working on the roads without pay Peasants were miserably poor with no hope of a better life

Enlightenment Ideas Social inequality driving people to revolt Enlightenment ideas were inspiring revolution Bourgeoisie- knew of Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu Great Britain limited the kings power

Enlightenment Ideas American colonists had rebelled against the king

Economic Troubles Third cause for revolution France was deeply in debt Borrowed huge sums of money Some for American Revolution King spent lavishly

Economic Troubles 1787 King Louis XVI tried too tax the Second Estate Nobles refused to pay King backed down Year later country faced bankruptcy Half the taxes covered the debt

Economic Troubles Winter of 1788 was the worst in years Frozen rivers could not turn mill wheels Food and firewood were scarce Hunger and cold made life wretched for thousands

Economic Troubles Country was broke People were hungry Price of bread doubled Eliminating tax exemptions for the First and Second Estate would have helped Clergy and nobility resisted all efforts

Meeting of the Estates General Estates General made up the three estates Wanted to approve new taxes on the third estate August 1788 Louis agreed to the meeting Had not met in 175 years Wrote notebooks to document grievances

Meeting of the Estates General People wanted the Estates to pass sweeping reforms Each Estate had one vote First and Second usually voted together Enlightenment philosophers gave Third Estate feeling of importance

Dawn of the Revolution King went over voting rules Third Estate which had more representatives refused the king’s order June 1789 Third Estate proclaimed themselves legislature National Assembly had the right to make laws

Dawn of a Revolution King locked the Third Estate out of the meeting Third Estate met indoors at a tennis court Swore the Tennis court Oath Would not leave the court till they wrote a constitution

Storming of the Bastille Louis ordered troops to Paris and Versailles National Assembly feared the king would use violence Paris had sympathy for the national Assembly and started to arm themselves

Storming the Bastille July 14, 1789 a mob went to the Bastille looking for weapons Mob tried to negotiate with the commander Mob and prison guard exchanged fire Mob killed the commander and put his head on a stick

A Great Fear Sweeps France Storming the Bastille was a powerful symbol of the French Revolution Great Fear- wave of senseless panic They feared the king would punish them Spread rumors the king had hired foreign soldiers

A Great Fear Sweeps France Great Fear swept France Rumors of massacres spread Peasants took revenge on landowners Destroyed records listing feudal dues and rents Burned nobles homes

Restrictions on Power Louis called troops to Versailles to protect his throne Angered the common people of Paris 7,000 women march on Versailles demanding bread Mob broke into the palace

A Great Fear Sweeps France Women demanded that Louis and Marie return to Paris Louis agreed King, family and servants would never return Change of power Beginning of radical reforms