1. The French Revolution Begins

2. Setting the Stage
In 1700’s France was the most advanced country in Europe
Center of Enlightenment
Large population
Prosperous foreign trade

3. Hidden Problems Bad Harvests High Prices High Taxes
Questions raised by the Enlightenment

4. The Old Order 1770’s – France was under the Old Regime
The people of France were divided into three large social classes or estates

5. Privileged Classes First Estate (1% of French population)
Made up of clergy of Roman Catholic Church
Hated Enlightenment ideas
Paid very few taxes

6. Privileged Classes Second Estate (2% of French pop.)
Made up of rich nobles
Held highest offices in government
Disagreed with Enlightenment ideas
Paid NO TAXES

7. Not so “Privileged” Class
Third Estate (97% of French population)
Was made up of three sub groups
Included bourgeoisie (middle class businessmen), urban lower class, and peasant farmers
Peasant Farmers – largest group
Had no power to influence government
Loved Enlightenment ideas
Resented the wealthy First and Second Estates
PAID A TON of TAXES!!!

8. Forces of Change
Member of the Third Estate were inspired by the success of the American Revolution (Life, Liberty, and Property!)

9. Bad Leadership Louis XVI + Maria Antoinette Weak Leaders
They were left a lot of debt from previous monarchs
Spent A TON of money
Tried to tax nobility!! (This is going to cause a problem!!)

10. Called a meeting to vote on this new tax
This meeting was called the Estates General
An assembly of representatives from all three estates would vote for this new tax

11. Problem with the Estates General
Each estate’s delegates met in a separate hall to vote
Each estate had one vote
What’s the problem here???

12. The two privileged estates could always outvote the third estate.
This meant that the third estate never gained political success
They needed to do something about that!

13. National Assembly
Third Estate – Named themselves the National Assembly (1789)
They could pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people
They were locked out of their meeting room by the nobles

14. Tennis Court Oath
The National Assembly broke into an indoor tennis court to create a new constitution – This became known as the Tennis Court Oath

15. King Louis XVI
In response to the Tennis Court Oath he stationed his army around Versailles
The French people thought the King was going to attack his own people
They began to gather weapons for defense

16. Storming of the Bastille
July 14th 1789 – An angry French mob attacked the Bastille, a French prison, to get gunpowder.
The French people took over the prison
This marked the beginning of the Revolution!!

18. The Revolution Spread
From Paris to the countryside the revolution spread.
Peasants began burning down nobles’ farms
Women marched on Versailles and demanded cheap bread.
The monarch left France –
The revolution succeeded!!

19. Revolution Brings Reform and TERROR!!

20. The Assembly Reforms France
Aug 4th 1789 – Many Clergymen and Nobles joined the National Assembly. They took many powers away from the First and Second Estate.

21. Revolutionary Ideals
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
This was the doc. created by the National Assembly (Like our Declaration of Independence)
It stated that “all men are born and remain free and equal in rights”
Freedom of speech, religion, and equal justice

22. A State-Controlled Church
National Assembly took over Church lands
Clergy had to be elected
Clergy and nobles are losing power!!

23. Division in the National Assembly
For 2 yrs. the Assembly fought over a new constitution
Finally created a new one in 1791
Created the Legislative Assembly
It could create laws and approve or reject declarations of war.

24. L.A. The Legislative Assembly split into three groups
Those that sat on the left side of the hall (Radicals)
Those that sat in the middle (Moderates)
Those that sat on the right side of the hall (Conservatives)
Does this sound familiar???

25. War and Execution
During the French Rev. other European countries did not want this revolution to spread into their country. SO – they demanded that the French restore Louis XVI to his throne.
NOT A CHANCE – Let’s go to WAR!!

26. September Massacres
Rumors started that the Kings supporters were going to break out of prisons.
SO – revolutionaries broke into the prison and killed everyone.

27. National Convention takes over
Out with Legislative Assembly (1791) and in with National Convention
Universal male suffrage
Declared France a republic

28. JACOBINS
Radicals from a distinct political organization (revolutionaries)
Jean-Paul Marat – newspaper editor
Believed that anyone who supported the kind should be KILLED!!

29. Death of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
1793 – King and queen are murdered by the newly introduced guillotine.
This marks the beginning of “THE REIGN OF TERROR”!!!