The French Revolution Begins

Causes of French Revolution Three Estates 1st Estate: Clergy 2nd Estate: Nobility 3rd estate: Vast majority of the population Enlightenment ideas/American Revolution Discontent Economic Troubles

Three Estates First Estate: Enormous wealth & privilege. Paid no taxes. Second Estate: Top jobs in the government, army, courts & church. Paid no taxes. Third Estate: 98% of population. Diverse group Bourgeoisie- Middle class; included bankers, merchants & manufacturers peasants (majority) Urban workers

Discontent Members of Third Estate resented privileges enjoyed by the other estates Small rise in price of bread=hunger or starvation Burdened by taxes Enlightenment ideas led people to question: Why should the first two estates have privileges at the expense of the majority?

Economic Problems Deficit Spending- Government spending more money than it takes in Louis XIV left France in debt Food prices were rising Solution: increase taxes, but nobles & clergy greatly resisted So, Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates General…

Estates General Meeting Each estate listed their grievances: fairer taxes regular meetings of Estates General freedom of the press Showed boiling class resentments

Tennis Court Oath Estates General meets, calling for reform Issue of voting Traditionally, each estate has one vote (Third Estate always outvoted) Third Estate called for votes to be counted by head Declared themselves the National Assembly- formed to write a constitution that describes the basic rules and laws of government Tennis Court Oath- Met on a tennis court & swore never to separate and to meet wherever the circumstances might require until they had established a just constitution

Storming of the Bastille Bastille: fortress that represented royal authority 800 Parisians gathered outside of Bastille demanding weapons and gunpowder Mob broke through defenses, killing many, but finding no weapons Symbol of the beginning of the French Revolution

Timeline You will construct a timeline of the events of the French Revolution. With each date, give a brief description of the event & a colored picture Pgs. 470-481 Due at the end of class tomorrow. Dates: 1770s 1780s May 1789 July 14, 1789 June 1791 April 1792 September 1792 January 1793 October 1793 July 1794 Reign of Terror