1. Chapter 22 The French revolution and napoleon
LESSON 1 – the French revolution begins

2. French Revolution
The European countries held colonies all over the world
In the later part of the 18th century, many colonies sought better treatment & independence
The American colonies were the first to win independence & others followed their lead
In France, the people were fighting for social changes & a voice in government

3. French Revolution 1) French society was based on inequality
Three Estates (classes)
First Estate: (the Clergy)
Less than 1% of the population
High clergy – cardinals, bishops, leaders – were
from noble families & shared their views
Lower clergy – parish priests, who were usually
from poor, common families
Taxes paid – zero or very little
Determined by birth

4. French Revolution Less than 2% of the pop. leading positions in
Second Estate: (the nobility)
Less than 2% of the pop.
leading positions in
government, military,
& the church (Catholic)
Taxes paid – zero or very little

5. French Revolution Bourgeoisie – the middle class
Third Estate: (everyone else)
Bourgeoisie – the middle class
many of whom were wealthy business people, bankers, lawyers, etc
They made up about 8% of the population
Many philosophes were included in this class
Urban Workers – craftsmen, shop keepers, & laborers made up about 10% of the population

6. French Revolution
Poor Peasants – rural farmers very poor; sometimes rented land from rich nobles They made up about 75-80% of the population The Third Estate paid almost 100% of the taxes!!!!

7. French Revolution 2) New Ideas of the Enlightenment
Abolish absolute monarchies
A political voice for the people
Fair taxation
Social equality
Constitutional government

8. French Revolution 3) Poor Economic Conditions Unemployment & Inflation
A unfair taxation
Royal spending on extravagant luxuries
Food shortages

9. The problem was the voting procedure
French Revolution
4) The Estates General
Each of the three estates sent members to this voting body
The 1st & 2nd estates each had about 300 members, and the 3rd estate had almost 600 representatives
The problem was the voting procedure
Each estate got one vote!
What was the problem with this?
The 1st & 2nd estates could always join together and outvote the 3rd estate

10. French Revolution
5) The Old Regime – People who do not want Change Absolute Monarchs – King Louis XVI The Catholic Church The nobility

11. French Revolution Timeline of Events
May 1789: Louis XVI (16th) called a meeting of the
Estates General
June 17, 1789: The 3rd Estate declared themselves the National Assembly & would draft a constitution
June 20, 1789:
The 3rd estate was locked out of their meeting hall
Moved to a nearby indoor tennis court

12. French Revolution
Tennis Court Oath – the 3rd estate would not disband until they had written a constitution
Left and Right political sides
Liberal and Conservatism

13. French Revolution
July 14, 1789: Storming of the Bastille – 900 citizens stormed this old prison fortress where weapons were stored
They killed the warden & demolished the building
August 1789: The Great Fear – members of the 3rd Estate broke into homes of the nobility to destroy debt records
Rumor heard of reprisals or arrests from army and needed gun powder

14. French Revolution August 26, 1789: The Declaration of the Rights
of Man & Citizen
Proclaimed that all men were free & equal
before the law
No group should be exempt from taxation
Public offices should be based on talent
Did not grant any equal rights to women

15. The royal family was now under house arrest in Paris
French Revolution
October 5, 1789: The Women’s March of Versailles – thousands of women marched several miles to the
Palace of Versailles
Wanted the King, his wife, Marie Antoinette, & son to return to Paris to see their conditions
The royal family was now under house arrest in Paris

16. French Revolution
Several new constitutions & governments were suggested, but none had enough support to last
Other countries worried about the chaos and threatened invasion
Many revolutionaries thought they should take more drastic actions
These people called themselves “Sans-Culottes” which means without knee breeches
Did not want to associate with the nobility, so they wore long pants