Journal Writing: As of January 2015, America’s National Debt is over $18 Trillion dollars. This is equal to each U.S. citizen owing over $56,000. Do you think that America’s debt is out of hand? What do you think should be done about America’s debt?

The French Revolution And the Reign of Terror

Objective Review the causes of the French Revolution Analyze the Declaration of the Rights of Man Go over the Reign of Terror Analyze the Justification of the Use of Terror **This is important because the ideas that were fought over during the French Revolution are still being debated around the world today.

Review of the Causes Debt Inadequate leadership Food shortage Income Inequality Enlightenment ideas

The 3 Estates Each Estate had 1 vote 1st Estate = Clergy 2nd Estate = the Nobility 3rd Estate = Everyone else Each Estate had 1 vote

Why the 3rd Estate was upset: The debt & hunger affected the 3rd Estate more than it did the other 2 estates. There were heavy taxes that only the 3rd Estate had to pay.

The Tennis Court Oath Tennis Court Oath  creation of the National Assembly (a new government body). Goal was to create a new constitution. Louis XVI sent troops to Paris The Storming of the Bastille The Declaration of the Rights of Man was drafted.

The Reign of Terror A time in which a Radical group called the Jacobins took power in the National Assembly. They used fear & terror in order “protect” liberty and keep France safe. Maximilien Robespierre was the leader of the group. In less than a year, over 40,000 people were put to death. Guillotine Summary execution

Many famous people were executed including Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Georges Danton, Louis Philippe II Duke of Orleans, etc.

Justification of the Use of Terror: 85% of the people executed during the Reign of Terror were peasants and members of the working and middle class. Why is this ironic? The revolution was originally meant to help the people of the 3rd Estate. Soon, those same revolutionary leaders, those champions of the people, became the tyrants.

France at War While this was going on, France was at war with Austria, Prussia, Spain, Great Britain and Holland. These powers were not happy with the French Revolution. They hoped to restore the French Monarchy. Why do you think they wanted to do this?

End of the Terror Eventually, France had enough. In 1794, the National Assembly arrested and executed Robespierre by way of guillotine. By the next year, a new government was created called the Directory.