1. The French Revolution
Beginnings

2. What is the most striking difference between these two women?
What details of the expressions and clothing clearly show the contrast in the way these women live?

3. 1700’s France King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette ruled
Lived extravagantly

4. Looking from the outside...
France appeared very prosperous
Home of the Enlightenment
Large Population
Successful foreign trade
Voltaire
Rousseau
Montesquieu

5. The Great Facade Reality in France High Prices High Taxes
Limited supply of goods
Limited supply of food

6. Video Clip: Cause #1

7. Video Clip: Cause #2

8. Video Clip: Cause #3

9. The Three Estates First Estate Second Estate Third Estate
Clergy of the Catholic Church
Second Estate
Nobles by birthright
Paid no taxes
Third Estate
Everyone else
98% of the population
paid all of the taxes

10. Weak Louis Indecisive, paid little attention to government
Married Marie Antoinette
From Austria, France’s enemy
Became unpopular
spent much of France’s money on jewels, clothes and gifts

11. Money, Money, Money… France faced bankruptcy
2nd estate forced meeting of the Estates-General
all three estates represented, to get approval for tax reform
first meeting in 175 years, on May 5, 1789 at Versailles
Each estate receives one vote

12. The 3rd Estate Demands Change
Every delegate gets one vote, thus giving advantage to 3rd estate
King says voting will not change
Third estate was determined to gain power and decided to create their own voting body

14. The National Assembly Established on June 17, 1789
Wanted to pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people
Proclaimed the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of a representative government
was the first act of revolution
Three days later they were locked out of the meeting room

15. The Tennis Court Oath

16. What to do, what to do?
Louis tried to make peace with 3rd estate by yielding to the National Assembly’s demands.
Ordered clergy and nobles to join National Assembly
However, he also stationed Swiss guards in Paris, as he no longer trusted the loyalty of the French soldiers
Rumors spread that a foreign army was coming to kill French citizens, they gathered in Paris to defend against the king’s foreign troops.

17. Storming of the Bastille
July 14, 1789, a mob tried to get gunpowder from Bastille, a prison in Paris
Crowd overtook Bastille, defeating the king’s soldiers…now in control of the citizens
The fall of Bastille became a great symbol of the Revolution, and is similar to our 4th of July

18. You say you want a Revolution?
Rebellion in city leads to the countryside
The Great Fear
October ,000 women march to protest the price of bread

19. They went to Versailles, overtook the guards and ordered Louis and Marie Antoinette to come to Paris, they did, and never saw Versailles again.
Signaled change of power and radical reforms that were about to overtake France.