1. Time to DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE! Chapter 12 Sections 1-2 Notes

2. Come on! We’re Dying Here! Many peasants believed the king allowed prices to get high because they needed income Why did they need income? Answer: King Louis XV’s enormous debts (which King Louis XVI continued) and the cost of fighting in the American Revolution “It will survive for my time. After me, the deluge.” –King Louis XV What does this mean? It meant that the King ruled for 59 years and didn’t care what happened to France after his death In addition, the first two estates did not need to pay taxes!! The 1 st 2 estates made more $$, lived in big houses, and had plenty to eat—yet no taxes The 3 rd estate was expected to pay increased rent and taxes (Remember the video)

3. Die Louis Die! Louis XV dies. His son, Louis XVI takes over as King and marries Marie-Antoinette French debt continues to grow, meaning prices continue to rise…so people can’t eat What did France do in the mid-late 1770s that cost a lot of $$? French involvement in the American Revolution angered people (costs $$)

4. Louis’s Fatal Flaw Louis XVI was struggling to hold off building anger in the 3 rd estate…so let’s anger the 1 st two estates! Louis begins trying to tax the first 2 estates By 1787, the government is doing so poorly that banks stop lending them $$

5. Estates General  FIRST ESTATE – Clergy – less than 1%  SECOND ESTATE – Nobility – less than 2%  THIRD ESTATE – 97%  BOURGEOISIE – Urban middle class  LABORERS & ARTISANS  PEASANTS – largest group

6.  LOUIS XVI – Married Marie Antoinette to strengthen his alliance with the Austrian Empire Debts increased Louis tried to tax the 1 st and 2 nd Estate – they refused He called the Estates General on May 5, 1789 to approve a tax – In the past each Estate would meet separately and got one vote, so the 1 st and the 2 nd would team up on the 3 rd The 3 rd Estate said they represented the country since they had more people than the other two estates combined (think about the checkers game from the movie) and refused to meet separately. The 3 rd Estate wanted to meet together and when Louis XVI failed to act they declared themselves the National Assembly and invited the other two estates to work with them They did…the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789…the French Revolution had begun!

7. “I hate those peasants. They smell.” “But you smell delllllicious…” When the Bastille was stormed French society, as people were used to, was over Louis XVI moves his troops into Paris and this makes the National Assembly believe he is going to try to drive them out so they took action During the beginning of the revolution, countryside peasants attacked government troops and other nobles trying to impose feudal dues Peasants attacked the homes of nobles, set fire to old manor records, and stole grain from storehouses In Paris, moderates flocked to war hero Marquis de Lafayette who led the National Guard  The National Guard was a middle class militia organized in response to the King’s army in Paris Moderate and radical groups formed to threaten peace and order in France Louis XVI was still technically king, but had no real power

8. A New Government Shall Emerge In August, 1789 feudalism was officially abolished The nobles went along with this because they didn’t want to be swept away in the Revolution Abolishing feudalism was important though because a key Enlightenment goal had been established: the equality of all citizens before the law

9. I’m a Man…You’re a Man…Let’s Declare the Rights of Man! In late August 1789, the National Assembly issued the Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizen Modeled off U.S. Declaration of Independence French Declaration stated men were “born and remain free and equal in rights” All people enjoy natural rights of “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression”—all ideas of the Enlightenment There were 4 phases of the French Revolution:  National Assembly (a Constitutional Monarchy from 1789- 1791)  A Phase of Escalating Violence (1792-1793)  The Reign of Terror (1793-1794)  The Directory (1795- 1799)