1. Detail From Triumph of Marat, Boilly, 1794 (Musee des Beaux-Arts)
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
The French Revolution
Play Marseilles
Detail From Triumph of Marat, Boilly, 1794 (Musee des Beaux-Arts)

2. Why are Revolutions important?

3. Because they happen all the time!!

4. All around the world

5. Just this Spring

6. In Libya

7. In Egypt

8. And still going on in Syria

9. Causes of French Revolution
Ideas of liberty and equality from the American Revolution (note: Constitution was signed 2 yrs before in 1787)
Enlightenment ideas of John Locke

10. Causes of French Revolution
Vast majority of people were broke and hungry.
Vast majority were in the lowest estate

11. The Three Estates
Before the revolution the French people were divided into three groups:
The first estate: the clergy (religious leaders)
The second estate: the nobility (rich)
The third estate: bourgeoisie (workers and peasants).
The first two estates enjoyed many privileges, (exemption from most taxes).

12. The French Royalty
The royal family lived in luxury at the Palace of Versailles.
Play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Hall of Mirrors

13. Louis XVI
Louis XVI was an awkward, clumsy man who appeared weak. His grandfather was Louis XIV.
He often appeared like he didn’t care about the poor
He was insecure and seems to have disliked being King of France.

14. Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette, in her early years as Queen, was irresponsible.
She spent huge amounts on clothes, buying a new dress nearly every other day.
Being Austrian, she was terribly unpopular in France and had few friends.

15. The Financial Crisis
The government of France, however, was bankrupt and was facing a serious financial crisis.
The crisis resulted from:
An inefficient and unfair tax structure, which placed the burden of taxation on those least able to pay, the third estate
Deficit Spending: France spent more money then they made!

16. The National Assembly
King Louis calls for an assembly to resolve the issues between the rich and the poor. The Declaration of the Rights of Man was created, which stated the principle that all men had equal rights under the law.
This was too little to late, the conditions in France were still terrible.

17. Declaration of the Rights of Man
"Men are born free and equal in their rights....These rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.
The fundamental source of all sovereignty resides in the nation.
The law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to take part personally, or through representatives, in the making of the law."
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

18. Conditions in Paris
Conditions were poor in Paris for the common people.
The price of bread was high and supplies were short due to harvest failures.
Rumors spread that the King and Queen were responsible for the shortages
Then French troops marched to the capital.
Rumors spread that the King was intending to use them against the people.

19. The Storming of the Bastille
On July 14, 1789, the mob, joined by some of the King's soldiers, stormed the Bastille (for weapons and ammo)
The commander of the Bastille attempted to surrender, but the mob would not accept it.
He was killed as they poured through the gates.
No guard was left alive.

20. The Fall of the Bastille

21. Bread riots People were hungry; the country was broke.
This picture is from an all-woman bread riot.
Marie Antionette said “let them eat cake”

22. The King tries to escape
On June 20, 1791, the King and his family set out for the border in a carriage.
The King was disguised as a steward and his son was wearing a dress.
At the border village of Varennes, he was recognized and eventually apprehended.

23. The End of Constitutional Monarchy
The royal family was living under house arrest in the Tuileries Palace.
On August 10, 1792, the mob attacked the Tuileries.
This time the royal family barely escaped with their lives.
The king's guards were killed and the King and his family fled.
The constitutional monarchy was over.

24. The Execution of Louis XVI
The people of France decided to put Louis on trial for his crimes.
They voted for his execution.
Marie was also executed
On January 23, 1793 Louis went to the guillotine.
At the scaffold he said "I forgive those who are guilty of my death.“
Guillotine: falling blade used to execute people in France, became a symbol of horror.
Roughly 2,400 people were executed over a one year period

25. The Reign of Terror
After the death of Louis in 1793, the Reign of Terror began.
Robespierre led a parade where citizens were publically executed.
Used to scare enemies of the new government

26. Effects of the French Revolution
Both the King and Queen were beheaded
French monarchy was no more
In addition to the Royal family, 17,000 people were executed with the guillotine.

27. Napoleon Bonaparte Elected the next leader of France
Transforms France into a military power!
Napoleonic Code- Laws that protected peoples rights
However his constant wars lost favor with the people and he was kicked out of the country
He abdicated or stepped down from power

28. Not the ice cream!
In March of 1815 Napoleon marched into Paris and retook power
His glory was shot lived as he lost a major battle to France in Waterloo Belgium and was forced out of power again.

29. Sources
Adapted from Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité: The French Revolution by Jennifer Brainard. See