What is going on in France during the late 1700s?

What is going on in France? What is going on in France? The Enlightenment Liberty Equality Reason John Locke’s Ideas: –Fair government and private property Voltaire attacked noble’s privileges and the Church's authority

What is going on in France? What is going on in France? The American Revolution American Revolution (1775 to 1783) Enlightenment ideas in action French helped the Colonies Put Louis XVI in debt

What is going on in France? What is going on in France? Failing Economy National Debt: 4 billion livres Inefficient and uneven tax system

What is going on in France? What is going on in France? Outdated Class System First EstateSecond EstateThird Estate Clergy (Roman Catholic Priests) Nobles (Rich upper class people) Peasants (98% of the people were in this class

What is going on in France? What is going on in France? Louis XVI Weak King Indecisive Marie-Antoinette was allowed “to dispense patronage amongst friends.”

What is going on in France? What is going on in France? Peasants’ Situation is Unbearable Peasants’ are… –Overtaxed –Land-starved –Subsistence Farmers –Paying half of their income to taxes

What is going on in France? What is going on in France? Harvest Failures Failures from 1787 to 1788 Less food available Higher prices Businesses failed Unemployment in the cities

The Outbreak of a Revolution Money problems forced Louis XVI to call the Estates-General into session. Each Estate casts ONE vote. Elected Delegates Represented First EstateSecond EstateThird Estate 100,000 clergymen 400,000 noble men and women 24.5 million people

Outbreak (cont’d) Main disagreement: Representation –Should the estates vote by estate or by individual? –Third estate argued that all delegates should sit together and vote as individuals. –Third estate demanded as many delegates as the First and Second Estates combined.

National Assembly June 1789 the delegates of the Third Estate declared themselves to be “The National Assembly” This was the beginning of the representative government for France.

Tennis Court Oath Promised to make a new constitution.

Louis’ Attempt at Peace Louis ordered the First and Second Estates to join the National Assembly. Rumors started that Louis ordered Swiss soldiers to attack the French citizens.

Storming the Bastille On July 14, an angry mob stormed a French prison to get gunpowder for their weapons in order to defend the city.

Great Fear Great Fear swept through the country –Peasants broke into and burned nobles’ houses –Tore up documents that had forced them to pay fees to the nobles

Great Fear Late 1789, a mob of women marched to the Palace of Versailles –Angry about high bread prices –Demanded the King come to Paris –Hoped he would end the hunger in the city King and Queen left Versailles.

National Assembly Makes Changes August 4, 1789 Abolished all noble privileges –Tax exemptions and monopolies –Obliterated remnants of feudalism

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: August 26, 1789 Declared Natural Rights –Private Property –Liberty, Security, and Resistance to Oppression Declared Freedom of Speech, Religious toleration, and liberty of the press.

The Execution of the King & Queen Louis and Wife tried to flee house arrest in Paris but were caught and charged with treason Louis XVI was executed by the guillotine in Jan of 1793 Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine in October of 1793

Reign of Terror The Revolutionary Council- The Committee for Public Safety led France through a time of over 15,000 executions by the guillotine for “crimes against the revolution”

Reign of Terror Maximillian Robespierre was the leader of the council and ordered the executions of many of his enemies and one time allies He was eventually also executed by the guillotine