Macdonald World History French Revolution Macdonald World History

Causes of French Revolution Estate System Enlightenment Ideas Economic Problems (taxes & crop failures) Weak Leader – Louis XVI Unpopular queen – Marie Antoinette

Estates General Louis XVI decided to raise taxes on nobility (2nd estate) to deal with economy 2nd Estate refused to pay until called a meeting of Estates General to approve tax 1st time called in hundreds of years Each estate gets 1 vote – 3rd Estate happy b/c think they will have a voice in gov’t

National Assembly 3rd Estate realizes time to make changes Votes to re-organize themselves Call themselves National Assembly – want an end to absolute monarchy & representative gov’t National Assembly will include all estates & will make laws to benefit all ppl

Tennis Court Oath At meeting of Estates General, 3rd Estate locked out of meeting room Broke down door to indoor tennis court and said wouldn’t move until a new constitution which gave them rights was signed Pledge called Tennis Court Oath

Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen Many 1st & 2nd Estate joined National Assembly Wrote Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen stating all “men are born and remain free and equal in rights” Leaders adopted slogan of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” for revolution

Panic King Louis XVI scared so put Swiss guards around palace for protection Rumors flew that king was going to use Swiss guards to get rid of National Assembly or massacre French ppl

Storming the Bastille Ppl began to gather weapons to defend against Swiss guards July 14, mob looking for gunpowder broke into the Bastille, a prison Mob hacked many guards to death then paraded around the streets with dead men’s heads on sticks First violent event of the French Revolution

Great Fear Rumors started that nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize peasants Wave of panic called Great Fear went through countryside Peasants began to break into noble’s homes, burn, pillage

Women March In Paris, thousands of women rioted over price of bread w/ knives, axes, etc. marched to Versailles Broke into palace, killed guards Demanded that Louis & Marie Antoinette return with them to Paris When king & queen left, symbolized change of power from monarchs to ppl