French Revolution an Intro

French Revolution France still followed ancient regime – old order (medieval) Their social system divided into 3 classes

3 Classes / Estates First Estate – Clergy Enjoy Wealth & Privilege Ran schools, hospitals, & orphanages Paid NO Taxes! Different laws

3 Classes / Estates Second Estate – Nobles Jobs in gov’t, army, and courts Paid NO Taxes!

3 Classes / Estates Third Estate – Everyone else! Largest (98% pop) Divided into three groups –Bourgeoisie –Rural Peasants –City Workers –Sans Culottes

Estate Population

Land Owned by Estate

French Revolution Enlightenment ideas  questioning ancient regime Felt Upper Estates should pay Taxes Financial Crisis hits France !

Financial Crisis Cause = Deficit Spending gov’t spends more $ then it takes in

Financial Crisis Debt from Seven Years War (French & Indian) Debt from aiding Colonists financially during Am. Rev. Bad Harvests Food Price Rise = Famine!

Financial Crisis Poor Leadership made things worse! Louis XV – ran up the debt Louis XVI – Tried to reform w/ help from Jacques Necker

Financial Crisis Necker’s Reforms Reduce Court Spending Reform Gov’t Abolish Tariffs Called for taxes by all Estates  Nobles & Clergy forced King to remove Necker

French Revolution Bread Riots break out! (Starving) King forced to call Estates General into session first time in 175 years.

French Revolution 3 Estates wrote cahiers – grievances Third Estate wanted radical reforms Other 2 Estates wanted no change

French Revolution Third Estate became National Assembly after being bullied. Argued they rep. the people King locked them out of Estates General

French Revolution National Assembly Tennis Court Tennis Court Oath – vow to not disband until made a constitution for France

French Revolution Louis XVI had to accept National Assembly because some Nobles and Clergy joined the cause. Sent troops to Versailles Rumors of a take over in Paris led to the Storming of the Bastille!

Storming the Bastille Bastille- medieval fortress used as a prison 800 Parisians attacked looking for weapons July 14 – Bastille Day (French National Holiday)

Causes of American / French Revolutions “The Similarities are Uncanny” Colonists Forced to Pay Taxes (Acts) 1 st & 2 nd Estate NOT Forced to Pay Taxes Debt on Seven Year War Enlightenment Thinkers Locke/Hobbes American RevolutionFrench Revolution Lack of British Resources Bad Harvests lead to Famine Debt on French & Indian War Enlightenment Thinkers Voltaire/Rousseau Continental CongressNational Assembly

Causes of American / French Revolutions “The Similarities are Uncanny” Riots and Revolts - Boston Massacre - Boston Tea Party American RevolutionFrench Revolution Grievances in Declaration of Ind Riots and Revolts - Bread Riot - Storming the Bastille Grievances at Estates General Declaration of Independence Declaration of the Rights of Men and the Citizen Troops sent to Colonies (Quartering) Troops sent to Paris and other Towns Constitution