1. Do Now Take out notebooks
Make a new assignment heading “Rights in the French Revolution”

2. Task Today
We will be looking at the acts committed by the French revolutionary government
You will evaluate how well those different governments assured the rights of the DOROMAC.

3. Instructions Make 5 columns with the following labels:
Freedom of speech and religion
Equality before the law
Democracy
Fair trial
Property Rights
We will be assessing how well each of the Revolutionary governments supported these rights.

4. Instructions Continued
Make 5 rows:
The National Assembly
The Legislative Assembly
The National Convention
The Committee of Public Safety
The National Convention (part 2)

5. Instructions Continued
For each of the governments, you will be given a list of their most significant acts that relate to rights.
Your job is to sort these acts as either helping or hurting those 5 broad categories of rights.
For example, if the National Assembly passes a law that abolishes slavery, you might record “+abolish slavery” in the intersection of equality and National Convention.
At the end, you will rate each government.

6. The National Assembly: 1789-1791
Built from members of the 3rd Estate in order to create a constitution.
Composed of:
The Anti-Revolutionary “Right”
Moderate Monarchists
The Pro-Republic “Left”

7. Assembly’s Actions: 1789 8/4/89: Feudalism abolished
8/26/89: DOROMAC passed
October 21: The Assembly declares a state of martial law to prevent future uprisings.
November 2: The Assembly votes to make property of the Church available to the Nation.
December 24: The Assembly decrees that Protestants are now eligible to hold public office—but Jews are still excluded.

8. Assembly’s Actions: 1790
February 28: The Assembly abolishes the requirement that army officers be members of the nobility.
March 8: The Assembly decides to continue the institution of slavery in French colonies, but permits the creation of colonial assemblies.
November 27: The Assembly decrees that all members of the clergy must take an oath to the Nation, the Law and the King. A large majority of French clergymen refuse to take the oath.

9. Assembly’s Actions: Early 1791
February 24: Constitutional bishops, who have taken an oath to the State, replace the former Church hierarchy.
February 28: Day of Daggers; Lafayette orders the arrest of 400 armed aristocrats who have gathered at the Tuileries Palace to protect the royal family. They are freed on March 13.
March 3: The Assembly orders that the silver objects owned by the Church be melted down and sold to fund the government.

10. Assembly’s Actions: Late 1791
July 9: The Assembly decrees that émigrés must return to France within two months, or forfeit their property.
July 17: A demonstration sponsored by the Jacobins, Cordeliers and their allies carries a petition demanding the removal of the King to the Champ de Mars. The city government forbids the demonstration. The National Guard fires on the crowd, and some fifty persons are killed.
September 27: The Assembly declares that all men living in France, regardless of color, are free, but preserves slavery in French colonies. French Jews are granted citizenship.
September 29: The Assembly limits membership in the National Guard to citizens who pay a certain level of taxes, thus excluding the working class.

11. How’d the National Assembly do?
Assign an A-F grade for how well the National Assembly guarded the rights granted by the DOROMAC.
Why would you give them this grade?
2 minutes

12. The Legislative Assembly: 1791-1792
Voted in by the people of France (but only male landowners of 25+ years who pay taxes)
Composed of:
Moderate “Feuillants”
Liberal “Girondins”
Radical “Jacobins”

13. LA’s Actions: 1792
February 9: The Assembly decrees the confiscation of the property of émigrés, for the benefit of the Nation.
May 27: The Assembly orders the deportation of priests who have not signed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, oath to the government. Vetoed by King.
September 10: The government requisitions all church objects made of gold or silver.
September 20: Last session of Assembly votes a new law permitting civil marriage and divorce.

14. How’d the Legislative Assembly do?
Assign an A-F grade for how well the Legislative Assembly guarded the rights granted by the DOROMAC.
Why would you give them this grade?
1 minute

15. The National Convention: 1792-1793 (existed until ‘95)
Voted in by French citizens after the Legislative Assembly was forced out by an insurrection from the Jacobins.
Composed of:
Liberal “Girondins”
Very Liberal “Montagnards”
Radical “Jacobins”
Even more radical “Cordeliers” and “Hebertists”

16. Convention’s Actions: 1792
September 22: The Convention proclaims the abolition of royalty and the First French Republic.
November 19: The Convention claims the right to intervene in any country "where people desire to recover their freedom".

17. Convention’s Actions: Early1793
January 21: Louis XVI is beheaded.
March 18: The Convention decrees the death penalty for those advocating radical economic programs, a decree aimed at the Enragés.
April 6: Committee of Public Safety established by the Convention to oversee the ministries and to be chief executive body of the government.
May 4: At the demand of the Paris section of Saint-Antoine, the Convention fixes a maximum price for grain.
July 27: The Convention institutes death penalty for those who hoard scarce goods.

18. How’d the National Covnention do?
Assign an A-F grade for how well the National Assembly guarded the rights granted by the DOROMAC.
Why would you give them this grade?
2 minutes

19. The Committee of Public Safety
The Convention still exists but it’s executive body, the Committee of Public Safety, takes control of most government functions.
Composed of:
Radical “Jacobins”

20. Committee’s Actions: Late 1793
July 27: The Convention institutes death penalty for those who hoard scarce goods.
August 23: Levée en masse voted by the Convention. All able-bodied non-married men between ages 18 and 25 are required to serve in the army.
September 17: Convention adopts a new Law of Suspects, permitting the arrest and rapid trial of anyone suspected of opposing the Revolution. Start of Reign of Terror. 16,594 official death sentences will be handed down in the next 10 months—with some estimates ranging as high as 40,000.

21. Committee’s Actions: Late 1793
September 29: The Convention passes the General Maximum, fixing the prices of many goods and services, as well as maximum salaries.
October 28: The Convention forbids religious instruction by clerics.
November 23: The Paris Commune orders the closing of all churches and places of worship in Paris.

22. Committee’s Actions: Early 1794
February 4: The Convention votes to abolish slavery in French colonies.
April 2: Trial of Danton before the Revolutionary Tribunal. He uses the occasion to ridicule and insult his opponents.
April 4: The Convention decrees that anyone who insults the justice system is excluded from speaking, barring Danton from defending himself. He is executed April 5.

23. Committee’s Actions: 22 Prairial year 2
June 10: Law of 22 Prairial - As the prisons are full, the Convention speeds up the trials of those accused. Witnesses are no longer required to testify. From June 11 to July 27, 1,376 prisoners are sentenced to death in Paris, with no acquittals, compared with death sentences in the previous fourteen months. The Convention also gives itself the exclusive right to arrest its own members.

24. How’d the Committee do?
Assign an A-F grade for how well the Committee of Public Safety guarded the rights granted by the DOROMAC.
Why would you give them this grade?
2 minutes

25. The National Convention takes power again: 1794-1795
The Girondins who survived the terror take control once more. Most of the Jacobins are executed.
Composed of:
Liberal “Girondins”
Very Liberal “Montagnards”

26. Convention’s Actions: Late 1794
August 5: Inmates of Paris prisons arrested under the Law of Suspects are released.
September 18: The Convention stops paying officially-sanctioned priests and stops maintaining church properties.
November 12: The Convention orders the suspension of meetings of the Jacobin Club.

27. Convention’s Actions: Late 1794
December 16: Conviction and execution of the Jacobin Carrier for ordering the mass execution of as many as prisoners in the Vendée
December 24: The Convention repeals the law setting maximum prices for grain and other food products.

28. Convention’s Actions: Early 1795
February 21: the Convention proclaims freedom of religion and the separation of church and state.
March 21: the Convention votes the death penalty for leaders of movements who try to overthrow the government.
April 10: Convention orders the disarmament of Jacobins who were involved in the Terror.
April 11: The Convention restores civic rights to all citizens declared outside the law since May 31, 1793.

29. Convention’s Actions: 1795
June 10: The Convention decriminalizes the émigrés who fled France after the Jacobin seizure of power on May 26, 1793.

30. How’d the National Convention do this time?
Assign an A-F grade for how well the National Assembly (part 2) guarded the rights granted by the DOROMAC.
Why would you give them this grade?
2 minutes

31. The Directory:
Stability is rebuilt but the directory is weak, destitute, and corrupt and is essentially propped up by the army—the only part of France that works. Is eventually replaced by Napoleon’s Empire.
Composed of:
Conservative Royalists
Liberal Girondins
(Radical Jacobins)