1. Unit 3: The French Revolution
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
“Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite”
EQ: Who has the right to revolt?

2. Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair”

3. Part 1: The Swing by Jean Honore Fragonard (1768) depicts the leisurely and unproductive lifestyle of the privileged classes.

4. Part 2: The Gleaners by Jean Francois Millet (1871) depicts a much more difficult lifestyle of the average French person on the eve of the Revolution.
Peasant women harvesting the last of the crops. Why? Famine & hardships

5. Clergy & Nobles riding the peasant farmer to a cliff
Clergy & Nobles riding the peasant farmer to a cliff. What are the possible out comes?

6. I. Causes of The French Revolution
A. Inequalities in Society
1. Ancien Regime
2. Estates System
a. First Estate
b. Second Estate
c. Third Estate
First Estate – Clergy – 1% of population. Don’t have to pay taxes
Second Estate – Nobles – 2% of population. Don’t have to pay taxes.
Third Estate – Poor – 97% of population. Have to pay a Tithe Tax – of 10% to their income. Goes to the Church. Plus they are taxed by the nobles & Must use the nobles for services such as milling flour.

7. I. Causes of The French Revolution
B. Enlightenment Ideas
1. Philosophes
2. Constitutional Monarchy
3. American Revolution
Philosophes – French word for Philosopher. Famous Philosophers
John Lock – All men are essentially born good and Nurturing & environmental influences shape us. Government should act more like a night watchmen then an enforcers. There should be a separation of power
Montesquieu - Changed French Gov’t Legislative, Executive & Judicial branches – Sounds familiar?
Voltaire – Believed in Civil liberties, Freedom of Religion & Free Trade – Sounds Familiar?
Rousseau - Nature of man – Society corrupts man

8. I. Causes of The French Revolution
C. Poor Leadership
1. Louis XV - Apres moi, le deluge.
2. Louis XVI - weak leader
D. Financial Crisis
1. Debt
2. Bankruptcy
3. Ruined harvests
Apres Moi, le deluge – I am the flood.
Louis XV – Many Mistresses and listen to them about gov’t affairs.
Louis XVI – Grandson to Louis XV – Wife Maria Antoinette – fickle young board Queen from Austria how spent a lot of the gov’t money on cloths and other lavish items. Such as a mock village & cow a the palace. Often Complained to Mom & Mom always cautioned her!

10. II. First Events of the Revolution
Meeting of the Estates-General
1. First time in 175 years
2. Voting System
3. The National Assembly
4. The Tennis Court Oath
Corrupt voting system. Each Estate got one vote. 1st & 2nd estate represented 3% of the people while 3rd estate represented 97% of France Population.
Why hasn’t a meeting been called in 175 years? Think about an Absolute’s Monarch’s power.
3rd estate says “Screw You” We are creating a National Assembly & we represent the people.
King Louis Kicks out the 3rd Estate from the Estates General and convene on the Tennis Court Outside.
The Tennis Court Oath – Basically a document that says even if we don’t convening no matter where we are we are the voice of the people.

11. II. First Events of the Revolution
B. The Storming of the Bastille
1. July 14, 1789
2. Medieval fortress = symbol of oppression
3. Violent mob
C. The Great Fear
Bastille -Used to imprison French citizens whom spoke out against the Monarchy. Currently housed only seven prisoners. The National Assembly wanted to arm themselves against any retaliation from the King & knew the Bastille had a full armory.
When negations went bad the commander ordered the guards to fire on the mob.
The mob stormed the Bastille and cut off the Commanders head put it on a spike and paraded it around town.
Eventually the National Assembly ordered this symbol of despotic power burnt to the ground. The Bastille no longer exist today.
This lead to the “Great Fear” that the people thought the King would punish them for their actions.
Most of this was just paranoia.

12. III. Creating a New NATION
Legislating New Rights
1. Eliminated feudal services
2. Eliminated privileges of the estates
3. Declaration of the Rights of man and of the Citizen
Restrictions on Power
1. October Days – Bread March
2. Civil Constitution of the Clergy – Turns Clergy into public servants.
Eliminated Feudal Services – 3rd estate had to pay arbitrary taxes such as – Having a baby, Wedding Fees, Etc…
Eliminated Privileges of the Estates – No longer exempt from taxes, Guaranteed jobs, Etc..
The Declaration of the right of man and citizen: “Liberty, Equality & Fraternity!” The Declaration of rights was influenced by the English civil rights & from the famous Enlightenment Philosophers. The Declaration “Freedom of speech, Freedom of Religion & Freedom of the Press.” Women were not included in these rights.
October Days - The Bread March – 7000 women marched from Paris to Versailles (Mostly the peasant fish mongers, Muscular, forceful uneducated women) King Louis had previously call his troops to protect him after the storming of the Bastille. The women demanded bread and that the king return to Paris. “Effectively capturing the King.” Return to Paris 60,000 strong & with all of the food from the Kings food stores.
Civil Constitution of the Clergy – Turns Clergy into public servants. Reclaims all Church Lands & sell land to pay for food. Causes peasant to fear the RCC out of retaliation .

13. 7000 Fish Monger Women going to Versailles to Demand Bread!

14. Returning back to Paris with the palace guards on pikes.

15. III. Creating a New NATION
C. Formation of a New Government
1. Legislative Assembly
2. Flight of the Bourbons – King & Quean Flee under disguise.
D. Intervention of Foreign Powers –Austria & Prussia step in! Why?
E. The End of the Monarchy – Mob Storms the Palace.
1. Legislative Assembly voted out of existence
2. National Convention – “Radical faction voted in!”
Legislative Assembly – Citizens got broad voting rights, Only Tax paying men of 25 years of age or older could vote. New constitution kept the monarchy but with limited power.
Flight of the Bourbons – King & Quean Flee under disguise of servants in a carriage fearing their lives. They are caught by a guard because King Louis XVI face is recognized on a coin & brought back to the Palace.
Intervention of Foreign Powers –Austria & Prussia step in! Why? The Quean was the princesses of Austria. Austria fears that they may get killed during this revolution. So Austria & Prussia sent 50,000 troops… The disorganized French troops are defeated & the French revolution are at a desperate crossroad.
The End of the Monarchy - Mob storms the palace and kills all of the guards and place the king, quean & children in prison.
National Convention – “Radical left Group” Abolishes the Monarchy & Declares France a republic. King & Queen are beheaded why? So a monarchy can never be reinstated. Maria Antoinette even apologizes for steeping on the executioners feet before the beheading.

16. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Activity)
Handout: France Before the Revolution of 1789
Identify in your notes what human/natural rights you believe were violated.

17. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Activity)
Handout: Extracts from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Decide which of the abuses of human rights were addressed by the declaration.
How do you think each of the main groups of people in France in 1789 would have reacted to the declaration?
Which of the rights would you expect to have today in our society and which are no longer relevant? Why?

18. The capture of Louis XVI at Varennes
Flight of the King
Émigrés
Louis XVI and his family attempted to flee France
They were arrested at Varennes
While the National Assembly was busy restructuring the relationship between the state and the church, Louis XVI and his family attempted to flee France. Many of the French nobility had left the country since July 1789; some of these émigrés (as they were known) had met with other European rulers and sought aid to fight against the revolution. Louis, who had been held prisoner in Paris since the mobs had forced him to leave Versailles, decided to try and join the émigrés. He and his family were caught, however, at the city of Varennes which lay only miles from the Austrian border. This attempt to escape further discredited Louis in the eyes of the public.
The capture of Louis XVI at Varennes

19. King Louis XVI Execution

20. A French peasant is crushed beneath the combined weight of 'Taille, Impots Corvees', an oppressive system of taxation imposed by Louis XV. The corvee or labour tax forced peasants to work without pay for a number of days each year. An engraving of 1789