The French Revolution

The 18 th Century French social system was based on the idea of privilege – special rights and advantages. The word “privilege” comes from Latin: privus ‘private’ + leg- ‘law’

The French nobility had all kinds of privileges – top posts in the government, army, church, etc. Their best privilege was that they didn’t have to pay any taxes. Everyone else had to pay numerous taxes, which was not only a burden but also caused resentment.

The king of France in 1789 was Louis XVI. He was married to an Austrian princess named Marie Antoinette. When the people of France had no bread to eat, a story says that she replied by saying, “Let them eat cake!”

Since the ingredients for cake would have cost more than bread, she was essentially saying, “Let them starve.” There is no evidence that she ever said, “Let them eat cake!” However, the fact that this story was popular showed what people believed of her.

Interestingly, this story may be based on a much older anecdote from Chinese history. Emperor Hui of Jin 晋惠帝, named Si Ma Zhong 司马衷 during the Jin Dynasty (265 – 420), being told that his subjects didn't have enough rice to eat, replied, “Why don't they eat meat?”

King Louis summoned the Estates General in The Estates General was a gathering of representatives of the ancient estates of France.

The estates were based on the medieval idea that three types of people existed: First Estate: Those who prayed – the Clergy Second Estate: Those who fought – the Nobles Third Estate: Everyone else (not just peasants, but also many wealthy, educated people)

The Third Estate said that because it was the biggest section of the population, it should have more representatives. King Louis let them have double the number of each of the other two estates. However, when it came time to vote, it was announced that the voting would be done separately. This meant that the Third Estate could be outvoted.

August 4, 1789 – the nobility of France give up their titles and privileges, including their tax exemption.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen did not guarantee the rights of women. A female playwright and political activist, Olympe de Gouges, was an early feminist who demanded that French women be given the same rights as French men. For attacking the regime of the Revolutionary government, she was put to death by the guillotine in 1793 at the age of 45.

The Guillotine

Invented in 1789 by Dr. Joseph Guillotin, a French physician. Purpose: Carry out executions by decapitation. Intended to be a humane form of execution. The last person guillotined in France was in September Capital Punishment was abolished in France in 1981.