1. Compare and contrast the French & American Revolutions.
The French Revolution
Compare and contrast the French & American Revolutions.

2. Quote Analysis
Quote: Man is born free and everywhere is in chains.” Rousseau
Quote: “People have a natural right to life, liberty, and Property. Rulers have the responsibility to protect these rights. People have the right to change a government who fails to do so.” Locke

3. Setting the Scene What triggered the start? Soaring prices of food
Workers having wages cut
Raids and riots
Disregard from Nobles
Thought reform would help
Instead many peasant still left poor

4. The Old Regime 3 Class system First Estate Second Estate Third Estate
Highest Ranking
Clergy, monks, Bishops, and other Church Officials
Provided some services such as education
Second Estate
Nobles
Third Estate
Bourgeoisie= middle class
90% were rural peasants
Poorest were Urban Workers

5. The Old Regime Problems within the old Regime
First Estate was seen as idle entrenched in their way
Second Estate was could raise rates and charge more. Which hurt the peasants
Third Estate relied on the other two estates. The slightest changes could have a huge impact on them.

6. Economic Problems Debt Poor Harvests Reform Failures
Deficit Spending= govt spent more than it made
High debt from 7 Years War and American Rev
Borrowed more money to pay debt, raised taxes
Poor Harvests
Less food, higher prices, peasants starve
Reform Failures
Poor Leadership

7. The Tennis Court Oath Louis XVI calls the Estates General
Heads of all three Estates to solve the growing problem
Third was always outvoted 2-1
Met in secret, called themselves National Assembly
Next day they were locked out
The Tennis Court Oath
Third Estate General met on a Tennis Court
Some Clergy and Nobles joined, forced King to change

8. Storming the Bastille Bastille- old prison, thought to hold weapons
Mob assembled outside asking for weapons
Mob was shot at, many killed, but they broke through the defenses
King Louis asked if it was a riot, a noble replied, “No, it’s a revolution.”
Sparked many other revolts and riots.

9. Other Revolts and Reactions
Many factions, small groups, wanted power in France
Spread of the Great Fear
Fear spread to many other countries
Monarchs didn’t want change
Emigres- people who left France spread fear
Edmund Burke, England, supported the Am Rev, but condemned the French
Catherine, who loved Voltaire, burned his books, and locked up her critics

10. Reforms End of Special Privilege Declaration of the Rights of Man
Ended special rights of the first 2 estates
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Liberty, Property, Security, Resistance to Oppression
Based on the ideas of Locke
Women March on Versailles
Marched to return the King to Paris, prisoner
Church Reorganized
The French Catholic Church under state control
Gap between peasants and clergy
Constitution of 1791
Limited King’s power,
Assembly could make laws,
elected by taxpaying males.

11. Changing Governments Legislative Assembly The French Republic
Lasted about a year
Many people called for a republic, or elected reps
The French Republic
Suffrage granted to all men by
the National Convention
King and Queen beheaded

12. Changing Governments Robespierre & Committee of Public Safety
Put the good of all
above good of individual
Reign of Terror- killed many
who rioters, eventually killed
Robespierre
The Directory
5 person Directory and 2 houses of legislature
New Constitution, 3rd in 6 years
Many relied on Napoleon to suppress problems at home, gave him power

13. Other Items
Women felt left out of the Declaration of the Rights of Men, created Rights of Women
Nationalism spread.
All France had been through gave them a sense of national pride.
Secular- nonreligious calendar created
Slavery banned in many places
All of these leads to the eventual takeover of Napoleon