French Revolution

Causes of the French Revolution Immediate Causes: Bankruptcy of France Built Versailles Helped in American Revolution No taxes for 1st and 2nd estates Finance ministers ignored Estates-General Other Causes: Influence of English and American Revolutions Laissez-Faire unpopular government leaders Abuses of Old Regime: Political abuses Absolute Monarch by Divine Right Favoritism (not ability) for government office positions. Censored speech and press. Corrupt and inefficient government.

Estates-General Summoned 1789 To solve financial crisis Had not been called since 1614 (175 years) Admitted king could not solve France’s problems

Undemocratic Estates-General Representation 1st and 2nd Estates each had 300 3rd Estate had 600 Voting Each estate had 1 vote First 2 estates could outvote 3rd

National Assembly—1789 3rd Estate led by members of 1st & 2nd estates 3rd Estate demanded that Estates General be changed into a National Assembly Each member (not estate) would have 1 vote King Louis XVI rejected it

National Assembly—1789 3rd Estate: Kicked out of Estates General Broke into an indoor tennis court Declared themselves to be the National Assembly Tennis Court Oath – pledged not to leave until they had finished writing a constitution Wanted a new constitution constructed to give more power to the lower estate

Tennis Court Oath

National Assembly (1789-1791) June 17, 1789, 3rd Estate renamed the themselves to “The National Assembly” Mostly bourgeoisie class citizens They began to pass laws and reforms in the name of the French People! 1st official act of revolution This ended absolute monarchy in France

National Assembly (1789-1791) Abolished: Unfair taxes/tithes Tax exemptions of privileged All class distinctions Guild restrictions on trade and manufacturing Paris mobs pressured Louis to give in to National Assembly

FEAR! Senseless panic fed by wild rumors spread all over France. Peasants all over the land began destroying nobles property and burning legal papers.

The Bastille Louis XVI tries to make peace with 3rd Estate by yielding to the National Assemblies demands. Orders 2nd and 3rd Estates to join 3rd in the National Assembly. Sensing trouble, sends mercenary Swiss guards to Paris (no longer trusted French soldiers) Rumors that king was sending troops to disperse Assembly In reaction, Paris mobs stormed the Bastille in search of gunpowder Destroyed July 14, 1789

Women’s March on Versailles October, 1789 7,000 women (?) Due to bread prices Demanded royal family return with them to Paris

Declaration of the Rights of Man Men are born free & equal with rights to: Liberty Property Security Resistance to oppression All citizens are entitled to voice in making laws All persons are guaranteed Equality before the law Freedom from unlawful arrest Freedom of speech, press, and religion

The Declaration of the Rights of Man: Gave all citizens the natural rights of Life Liberty Property Speech Religion These rights were declared for men only (not women).

National Convention 1792-1795 First French Republic Tried Louis on charges of treason Both King and Queen were beheaded Louis’ death alarmed other monarchs About 3,000 people were executed in Paris about 40,000 total deaths from the country including Robespierre.

Processing Write a post card to the Americans talking about the events of the Revolution Newspaper article on one of the events Storming of the Bastille Woman’s march on Versailles The guillotine The National Assembly