French Revolution

Revolt Why do people revolt? Have you ever revolted? What would cause you to riot or revolt?

Estates System First Estate- Clergy, less than 1% of pop, 2% of income paid in taxes Second Estate- Rich nobles, held highest offices of government, 1% of pop, 0% in taxes Third Estate- bourgeoisie, urban lower class, peasant farmers, no power or influence in government, 98% of pop., 50% of income to taxes

Would you join the mob? You are returning home from a bakery that is out of bread –again. You have no food to take to your starving children. You are desperate. Suddenly you turn a corner and come upon the king’s palace. King Louis and his wife are living there in luxury while your children and most of your fellow citizens are starving. You see a mob surrounding the palace, demanding food and relief from heavy taxes. They have turned violent. Would you join the mob?

People Questioned The Existing Order What is the Enlightenment? 1700s philosophy: looked at society through a rational – not religious – lens Enlightenment Ideas Believed …Rejected… in the rule of lawthe divine rule of King and God in equality and LibertySocial privilege and arbitrary state power that man has natural rights that man is born with sin Enlightenment Institutions Believed …Rejected… in a parliamentthe King’s Court Democratic elections Papal privilege Jean Jacques Rousseau Thomas Jefferson

Causes of Revolution “Old Regime” - traditional system of aristocratic (wealthy) privilege. The estates system. Enlightenment ideas- equality, liberty, and democracy. People reading and becoming more interested in politics. People begin to question the role of the government and King in society. Economic Woes- Debt from war and frivolous spending by King and nobles, taxes makes business difficult Weak leader- Louis XVI was indecisive and paid little attention to government and politics

Revolution Continues… Storming of the Bastille Declaration of the Rights of Man Bread Riots King and family forced to return to Paris Rise of radical revolutionary groups Louis attempts to escape Trial and execution of the King!

Estates-General Assembly of representatives from all 3 estates To get approval for reform each estate had one vote The two privileged estates could always outvote the Third estate

National Assembly Third Estate delegates meet to pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people. Beginning of representative government First deliberate act of REVOLUTION!

Tennis Court Oath Third Estate delegation locked out of their meeting room Broke into a tennis court, pledging to stay until they came up with a new constitution

What would you do in this situation? King stationed Swiss guard around your city (Paris) Rumors of foreign troops coming to massacre the French citizens People gathering weapons Need gunpowder from the Bastille, Paris prison Citizens overwhelm the King’s soldiers and take the Bastille- July 14, 1789 Citizens march around city with guard’s heads on stakes.

Great Fear Rumors, senseless panic Peasants become outlaws Women riot over bread- marched on Versailles- force King and Queen to come to Paris