THE FRENCH REVOLUTION Day 1 of 3

TWO WALLPAPERS French flag, known as “the Tricolor” Adopted in 1790 at the start of the Revolution Remains the French flag today

TWO WALLPAPERS Fleur-de-lis Symbol of various monarchs, especially in France France settled Louisiana, so the symbol is often used in Louisiana & New Orleans culture

ROMAN NUMERALS Monarchs & popes often re-use names Roman numerals used to number them Current pope is Benedict XVI (16th) France had 17 kings named Louis In French, Louis is pronounced LU●ee Louis #14-18 relevant to French Rev. Called Louis XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII

VOCABULARY

VOCABULARY Estates = French social classes Not just “rich” or “poor” Defined one’s legal rights and privileges Clergy = all church officials France was Roman Catholic No separation of church and state Officially employed by the king Taille (TAH●yuh) = main tax in France

VOCABULARY Bourgeoisie (BURZH●WAH●ZEE) Estates-General Middle class of French society Lawyers, public officials, doctors, writers, etc. Maybe richer than nobles, but legally inferior Estates-General French congress-like legislature Only called into session when King wanted it Didn’t meet between 1614-1789

BEFORE THE REVOLUTION 1614 – 1789 Absolute Monarchy

LOUIS XIV Ruled 1643-1715 Model of Absolutism “L’etat c’est moi” (“I am the state”) The “Sun King” Left huge debt from personal & military expenses

LOUIS XVI Ruled 1774-1793 Grandson of Louis XV Financially supported the American Rev. to enrage the British Bankrupted France Last absolute monarch of France

MARIE ANTOINETTE Austrian princess & wife of Louis XVI Spent incredible amounts of money on personal luxuries Commoners saw her as a symbol of royal apathy to their issues

SOCIAL STRUCTURE Group Pop. Land Taxes 1st Estate 0.5% 10% 0% (Clergy) 2nd Estate 1.5% 25% 0% (Nobility) 3rd Estate 98% 65% 100% (others)

FIRST ESTATE: CLERGY Cardinals & bishops = rich nobles No complaints about Absolutism Local priests = poor commoners Wanted king to be kinder to peasantry

SECOND ESTATE: NOBLES Educated & cultured Believed Enlightenment principles Favored limited monarchy, not Absolutism Wanted a voice in government (taxation) Wanted bourgeois to stay beneath them

THIRD ESTATE: COMMONERS Bourgeoisie (20-25%) = rich Educated & cultured Believed Enlightenment principles Favored limited monarchy, not Absolutism Wanted a voice in government (taxation) Wanted ability to ascend to become Nobles Peasants (75-80%) = poor Uneducated & uncultured Liked Absolutism /“If only the king knew!” Wanted relief: food, land, socks, etc.

LOUIS XVI’s PROBLEM Spent lots of money on palaces & fashion Let Marie Antoinette spend lots of money Spent lots of money on foreign wars, including the American Revolution Finished bankrupting the country Needed higher taxes but Nobility resisted Decided to call the Estates-General to give the people a voice, but get his way

THE ESTATES-GENERAL First Estate ≈ 300 delegates Second Estate ≈ 300 delegates Third Estate ≈ 600 delegates Traditionally one vote per estate 1st & 2nd estate outvote 3rd (2-1) 3rd estate demands one vote per delegate Debated the issue for six long weeks

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY June 17, 1789 Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly (replacing the Estates-General) Third Estate locked out of meeting hall Met at a nearby indoor tennis court Tennis Court Oath – vowed to continue meeting until they had a new constitution Mild rebellion / no overthrow of monarch

WHERE WAS LOUIS?!?! Monarchs didn’t live in major cities Before the invention of plumbing, sewers, & trash collection, cities were unbearable Louis lived in the Palace of Versailles, about ten miles west of Paris This is why he seemed to be so blind to the problems of his people

THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES

STORMING THE BASTILLE From safety of Versailles, Louis prepared his army to attack the National Assembly June 14, 1789 – Parisians attack the Bastille, a royal prison/armory (weapons) Some royal soldiers join in the attack Warden killed, decapitated, and had his head carried around on a pike Revolts in Paris & throughout countryside

BASTILLE DAY = JUNE 14

THREAT OF INVASION European monarchs were intense rivals However, they also didn’t want their own people to get any ideas from the French Good chance that foreign kings would send armies to stop the French rebellion The National Assembly had to act fast to get people on its side, in case of invasion

END OF THE ESTATES Abolished all legal privileges of the Clergy Abolished all legal privileges of the Nobles