Revolution Threatens the French King KEY IDEA: Economic and social inequalities in the Old Regime helped cause the French Revolution.

The Enlightenment Leads to Revolution In the 1700s, France was the leading country of Europe. It was the center of the new ideas of the Enlightenment. However, beneath the surface there were major problems causing unrest. Soon the nation would be torn by a violent revolution.

A Divided Society One problem was that people were not treated equally in French society. The French were divided into three classes, or estates. Church and Clergy Nobles Commoners

First Estate - Church and Clergy The First Estate consisted of the Roman Catholic clergy. The Church owned 10% of the land and paid almost no taxes.

Second Estate- Nobles The Second Estate was made up of rich nobles. Only about 2% of the people belonged to these two estates. Yet they owned 30% of the land and paid little or no taxes. They had easy lives.

Third Estate - Commoners Everybody else belonged to the Third Estate.

The Third Estate: A Diverse Group This huge group included three types of people: The bourgeoisie- mostly well-off merchants and skilled workers who lacked the status of nobles. City workers- cooks, servants, and others who were poorly paid and often out of work. Peasants- farm workers, making up about 80%of the French people

Population By Estate .5% 1.5% 98%

Discontent Among the Masses Members of the Third Estate were angry. Although many were well educated, and some were wealthier than the nobles, they had few rights. The Merchants and artisans paid very high taxes but lacked the privileges like the other members of the Third Estate.

Carrying the Burden The peasants and city workers paid up to half of their income in taxes, while the rich of the First and Second Estates paid almost none. They often went hungry because they could not afford food after paying their overwhelming tax burden.

Three Factors Lead to Revolution. Three factors led to revolution. First, the Enlightenment spread the idea that everyone should be equal. The powerless people in the Third Estate liked that. Second, the French economy was failing. High taxes kept profits low, and food supplies were short. The government owed money. Third, King Louis XVI was a weak, unconcerned leader. His wife, Marie Antoinette, was a big spender and was disliked.

Louis XVI King Louis XVI was a lethargic, somewhat fat, rather dull man who was more interested in hunting than in governing France. On the day that the rioters stormed the Bastille, he wrote “Rein” meaning “nothing” in his diary- a reference to his lack of success in his morning hunt.

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, came to Paris as a teenager. She was unpopular with the French people because of her spending and involvement in French affairs. She referred to her husband, Louis XVI, as a “poor man” and did not want to spend any time with him.

Scandalous Marie Antoinette She refused to wear the traditional French clothing and opted for a lighter cotton dress. The French viewed such clothing only appropriate as underwear. They believed her style of dress to be scandalous! This angered the French silk industry who suffered from the queens refusal to endorse their clothing.

Gin Rummy Anyone? She was in constant need of entertainment and was bored quite often. She spent a lot of times playing cards. In one year alone, she lost the equivalent of 1.5 million dollars by gambling in card games.

Answer these questions Who belonged to the First Estate? Who belonged to the Second Estate? Name the three groups that made up the Third Estate.

Who was the King during this period? Who was his wife? Why was the queen so disliked among the French?

Answers 1. The Church 2. The nobles 3. The Bourgeoisie (merchants and Artisans), city workers, and peasants. 4. King Louis XVI 5. Marie Antoinette 6. She spent too much money, she was too involved in the governmental affairs and she dressed in a scandalous manner.

Louis Needs Cash! Due to the expense of the Helping the Americans in the Revolutionary War, and his wife’s carelessness with money, the country was deep in debt. France needed money. Louis tried to tax the nobles. Instead, the nobles forced the king to call a meeting of delegates of the three estates to decide tax issues. The meeting began in May 1789 with arguments over how to count votes.

The Old Regime In the past, each estate had cast one vote. The top two estates always voted together and got their way.

The Medieval System is Challenged Now the Third Estate delegates wanted to change the system. The Third Estate had as many delegates as the other two estates combined. They wanted each delegate to have a vote. The king and the other estates did not agree to the plan.

The National Assembly The Third Estate then broke with the others and met separately. In June 1789, its delegates voted to rename themselves the National Assembly. They claimed to represent all the people. They promised to end the system of absolute monarchy. This was the beginning of representative government for France.

The Tennis Court Oath Delegates of the The Third Estate found themselves locked out of their meeting room. Not to be deterred, they broke down the door of an indoor tennis court, pledging to stay until they had drafted a new constitution for France.This pledge is called the Tennis Court Oath.

Louis Tries To Pacify the People Louis tried to make peace. He ordered the clergy and nobles to join the National Assembly. However, trouble erupted. Rumors flew that Swiss soldiers paid by Louis were going to attack French citizens.

The People Storm the Bastille                                                              On July 14, an angry crowd captured the Bastille, a Paris prison. The mob wanted to get gunpowder for their weapons in order to defend the city.                                                                                                             

The Great Fear A wave of violence called the Great Fear swept the country. Peasants broke into and burned nobles’ houses. They tore up documents that had forced them to pay fees to the nobles.

The Bread Riot Late in 1789, a mob of nearly 6,000 women marched 12 miles from Paris to the king’s palace at Versailles. The women were angry about high bread prices. As the women marched to Paris, men began to join them. The took with them knives and axes.

Versailles is Stormed Killing two guards, they broke into the palace and demanded that the king move to Paris to see for himself the horrible conditions. They hoped he would end hunger in the city. The king and queen left Versailles, never to return.

Questions What system did the Third Estate want to reform? What new governing body did the Third Estate establish? What is the name of the oath taken that promised a new constitution? What event marked the beginning of the French Revolution on July 14, 1789?

Answers 7. The Third Estate wanted to reform the rules of voting in the Estates-General in order to give the Third Estate a greater political voice . 8. The National Assembly 9. The Tennis Court Oath 10. Storming of the Bastille

The End Viva la France