1. The Causes of the French Revolution
Notes #1
The Causes of the French Revolution

2. Social Problems: The Three Estates
The Estates were an unequal, social order created during the Middle Ages.
It consisted of three different Estates into which the people of France were grouped.
The Estates were NOT
based on wealth but
rather privileges

3. The First Estate Clergy Privileges and duties:
Owned 10% of the land (P)
Paid no taxes (P)
Collected tithes (P)
Ran schools, hospitals and orphanages (D)
Led the Church (D)
Grievance:
Spoke out against Enlightenment ideas
Upper Clergy:
Who: Bishops, Cardinals, Abbots
They were Church leaders, who came from nobility, and were rich and powerful
Lower Clergy:
Who: parish priests, monks, nuns.
They were more like the average Frenchman and worked closely with the common man.

4. The Second Estate Nobility: Privileges and duties: Paid no taxes (P)
Land ownership (P)
Hunting rights (P)
Held top jobs in the government, military, and the church (P)
Grievances:
Hated absolutism
Resented middle class taking jobs
Feared losing their privileges
Upper Nobility:
Who: Dukes, Princes, Marquis, Counts, and Vis-Counts
They were often rich and very influential because they had access to the King.
Lower Nobility:
Who: Knights, Barons, Seigneurs, Chevaliers
They were often poor(er) & lived in the outer regions of France and had little access to the King.

5. The Third Estate Privileges and Duties:
Rich middle class could buy a tax exemption. (P)
Pay taxes (D)
Served other Estates (D)
Grievances:
Only Estate that paid taxes
Served the First and Second Estates
Unequal land distribution
Not enough food/ poor harvest
Rising food prices
Being indebted to the Second Estates
No hunting rights
Labored 1-day a week for free
Legal inequalities
Bourgeoisies:
Middle class included: lawyers, bankers, merchants, doctors, journalists, professors, and skilled artisans
Rural Peasants:
Land-owning peasants
Land-less peasants
Peasant labor
Urban Dwellers:
Laborers / workers
Unemployed
Homeless
ANYONE ELSE!

6. The Three Estates:
First Estate
Second Estate
Third Estate

7. Economic Problems Burden of Debt: Poor Harvest: Failure of Reform
Deficit spending: French govt. was spending more $ than it had.
Wars and upkeep at the Palace of Versailles
Potential solution: reduce expenses and/or raise taxes
Poor Harvest:
Bad harvest increase in food prices
Led to starvation & riots demanding bread
Failure of Reform
Poor leadership under Louis XIV, XV and XVI
Refusal by First & Second Estates to be taxed

8. The French Urban Poor

9. Financial Problems in France, 1789
Urban Commoner’s Budget:
Food %
Rent %
Tithe %
Taxes %
Clothing 20%
TOTAL 170%
King’s Budget:
Interest %
Army %
Versailles 25%
Coronation 10%
Loans %
Admin %
TOTAL %

10. Need for Political Reform
How do we fix these problems?
1. Call a meeting of the Estates-General
the legislative council made up of representatives of each estates – to meet & discuss reform
2. Decrease government spending
3. Tax ALL estates!

11. Convening the Estates General May, 1789
Last time it was called into session was 1614!

12. The Meeting of The Estates General
When: May, 1789
Where: the Palace of Versailles
Who: Members of each Estate
Why: Each Estate was to prepare cahiers, or notebooks, listing their problems
What: Discussion of each grievance & vote. ONE vote per Estate.

13. The Traditional Voting Pattern: Voting by Estates
Clergy
1st Estate 1
Aristocracy
2nd Estate 1 1
Commoners
3rd Estate

14. Voting Problems
In the Traditional Vote thee First & Second Estate outvoted the Third Estate.
The Third Estate demands votes to be counted “by head.”

15. The Number of Representatives in the Estates General: Vote by Head!
Clergy
1st Estate
300
Aristocracy
2nd Estate
300
648
Commoners
3rd Estate

16. The National Assembly
With no agreement on voting, the 3rd Estates leaves.
The National Assembly is formed & work to create a Constitution
Members of the 1st & 2nd Estate are asked to join them & some agree.
They take the Tennis Court Oath: agreeing to work together to create a Constitution.

17. “The Tennis Court Oath” by Jacques Louis David
June 20, 1789

18. Storming the Bastille, July 14, 1789
The event that starts the French Revolution.
The King claims to accept the National Assembly.
Yet a rumor begins that the king is planning a military coup against the National Assembly.
18 died.
73 wounded.
7 guards killed.
It held 7 prisoners [5 ordinary criminals & 2 madmen].