1. The French Revolution
Essential Question: What were the social, political, and economic causes of the French Revolution?

2. Causes of the French Revolution
2/9/2018

3. Causes Economic Crisis Costly Wars against Britain
Costly Palace of Versailles

4. = Causes Inflation Poor weather led to poor harvests
Bread prices soared -> people starved _ =

5. Social Problems The Old Regime
1st Estate – Clergy (0.5% of population – owned 10% of the land) - Exempt from taxation
2nd Estate – Nobility (1.5% of population – owned 25% of the land) – Exempt from taxation
3rd Estate – Everyone else (98% of population)
Responsible for paying the tallie, France’s chief tax.
Mostly peasants
Bourgeoisie – Middle class (10%)
Merchants, bankers, lawyers, doctors, etc.

6. Causes New Ideas The Enlightenment The American Revolution
Challenged absolute rule and class privileges
The American Revolution
France allied with the new American nation, spread revolutionary ideas “taxation without representation”

7. The Estates General
All these problems caused Louis to call a meeting of the Estates General.
(Had not been called since 1614)

8. Estates General 1st Estate (0.5% pop) has 300 members and one vote
2nd Estate (1.5% pop) has 300 members and one vote
3rd Estate (98% pop) has 600 members and one vote
How do you feel about this if you are in the 3rd Estate???
WHY?
Do the estates simulation. Two reps for 1st and 2nd estate. Everyone else in 3rd. Have a vote on extra credit for 1st and 2nd estates. Third will always lose.

9. Demand for Change 3rd Estate (98% of the pop.) only has one vote.
Wants to change voting system -> declares itself the National Assembly

10. King Louis XVI’s Response
NADA!!! No!!, No Way!!! Aint gonna happen!!!, Forgetaboutit!!! Nope!!! Uh-uh!!! Not on my watch!!! Not here, not now, not ever!!!
The National Assembly is locked out of their meeting place.

11. 3rd Estate Response “The Tennis Court Oath”
May Representatives meet on an indoor tennis court and pledged that they would not stop meeting until the king agrees to their demands
Embarrassing situation for the king
Why?
King forced to agree
Establishment of The National Assembly

12. Bastille Day
July 1788 French farmers, peasants do not have enough to eat and are paying high taxes
Nobles out of touch (“Let them eat cake”)
People can not afford food
Louis XVI started assembling troops at Versailles
People feared Louis XVI was planning to attack the new National Assembly and arrest members

13. Bastille Day continued
People in Paris hear about the troops
Begin to riot.
July 14, 1788 – Attack on the Bastille – fortress prison in Paris.
Symbol of Kings power
Wanted to free the prisoners, take guns and ammo.

14. The Bastille
Now
Then

15. Declaration of the Rights of Man
National Assembly votes to eliminate all classes, titles, nobility.
Say nobles and clergy must pay taxes too
Serves as a basis for French Constitution
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

16. Essential Question
What were the social, political, and economic causes of the French Revolution?

18. Create a graphic organizer showing the various causes of the French Revolution
Economic Crisis
Causes of French Rev.
The Enlightenment