1. The French Revolution
Objective: Learn how and why the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars affected the United States

2. France and the American Revolution
The French monarchy was deeply in debt following the American Revolution
Years of bad harvests had led to famine
These two factors caused the French lower class (the Third Estate) to grow angry

3. Louis XVI
King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette lived an expensive lifestyle, which led the 3rd estate to hate him even more
His palace at Versailles was lavish and expansive, estimated to have cost 300 billion in modern currency
King Louis XVI and his wife were executed in 1793

4. The Guillotine
Used for the mass executions that began during the “Reign of Terror”
Became a symbol of the chaos and violent revolution that was taking place
It is estimated that as many as 40,000 people were executed from

5. Rise of Napoleon
During the French Revolution many social changes took place
Napoleon Bonaparte, a young French artillery officer, rose to power
He eventually named himself Emperor and nearly conquered all of Europe

6. The Napoleonic Wars

7. The Napoleonic Wars Napoleon was a genius level military strategist
He only lost 7 of his more than 60 battles
The Napoleonic Wars were primarily fought between France and Britain
Fighting took place on a global scale since both had colonies

8. Effect on the United States
Spain, France, and Britain all lost territory in North America during this period
The Spanish government underwent a revolution, which caused it to lose many of it’s American colonies
When the United States sided with France it started the War of 1812

9. The War of 1812
American senators known as War Hawks called for war against England
The United States military was underprepared for the war, and as a result started the war poorly
England was even able to invade Washington DC and burn the Whitehouse

10. The Era of Good Feelings
When the war ended in 1815, little had been achieved by either side
No territory was lost or gained
However the United States experienced a psychological victory
Following the war was a time known as the Era of Good Feelings because of the prosperity people experienced

11. The War of 1812
Objective: Compare and contrast Great Britain and the United States in terms of military ability during the War of 1812