1. The Start of The French Revolution

2. On the Eve of Revolution
Unrest at factory due to possible wage cuts
Food prices up
Enraged workers
Nobles relied on reforms
People had taken up arms

3. French Society Divided
Clung to outdated social system
Ancien regime (old order)
3 estates (social classes)
Clergy
Nobility
Common man

4. The Clergy enjoy Wealth
Great influence through Europe
Enjoyed wealth and privilege
Churched owned 10% of land
Collected Tithes (tax to support clergy)
Paid no taxes
Bishops and Abbots basically noble

5. The Clergy enjoy Wealth
Nuns and monks ran schools, hospitals, orphanages
Condemned enlightenment

6. Nobles Hold Top Government Jobs
Military power taken but given other rights
Top jobs in Gov, the army, the courts and the church
Royal appointments, endless entertainment
Others further in the country side felt pinch
Hated royal bureaucracy
Feared losing traditional privilege
Didn’t pay taxes

7. Third Estate is Vastly Diverse
Bourgeoisie-middle class
Bankers, merchants, doctors, lawyers
Rural peasants
Urban workers the poorest
Cloth makers, servants, stable hands or unemployed
Beginning or crime

8. Third Estate is Vastly Diverse
Burdened with taxes
Unpaid labor due to owed fees
Enlightenment led to questioning

9. Financial Troubles Social unrest Heightened tension
Deficit spending cause financial crisis

10. National Debt Soars
Seven years war and American Revolution strained treasury
Prices rise
Borrowed more money
Half of taxes pay interest
Bad harvests- hunger

11. Economic Reform Fails Louis XIV’s heirs not right men to solve problem
Jacques Necker-financial expert, said cut court spending, reform gov, get rid of tariffs
Dismissed after saying tax first two estates
Estates-general- body consisting of individuals of all estates (not used in 175 years)

12. Louis XVI Calls the Estates-General
Verge of bankruptcy
Bread riots
Nobles afraid of taxes said royal tyranny
Estates General met at Versailles

13. Estates Prepare Grievance Notebooks
Cahiers- notebooks listing grievances
Many called for reforms
Fairer taxes, freedom of press, regular meetings of estates-general
Boling class resentment
Courts of nobles

14. Delegates take the Tennis Court Oath
Third estate delegates elected
Only land owners could vote
Insist reform
Deadlock over issue of voting
Use to be that each estate had one vote
Third estate wanted vote count “by head”
3rdestate declared themselves National Assembly
Locked out moved to tennis court

15. Delegates take the Tennis Court Oath
Took oath never to separate and to meet till their was a just constitution
Reform clergy and nobles joined king grudgingly accepted
Rumors he planned to dissolve it

16. Parisians Storm the Bastille
Streets buzzed that royal troops were going to occupy capital
800 assembled outside the Bastille- medieval fortress used as prison
Demanded weapons and gunpowder
Commander open fire on crowd
Mob broke defenses
Killed commander and 5 guards

17. Parisians Storm the Bastille
Released prisoners but no weapons
Was a wake up call to Louis XVI
Challenged regime
Celebrate Bastille Day annually (independence day)

18. The French Revolution Unfolds
Divided into 3 phases
Moderate phase
Radical phase
Age of Napoleon

19. Political Crisis leads to Revolt
Worst famine in memory
Starving flocked to towns
Swelled ranks of unemployed
80% of income on bread due to rising prices

20. Rumors create the “Great fear”
Desperate time
Rumors inflamed fear and panic
Fire set to manor records
Stole grain

21. Paris Commune Comes to Power
Revolutionary center
Factions- dissenting groups of people
Marquis de Lafayette- aristocratic “hero of two worlds”
Headed national guard
Paris Commune- radical group
Mobilize whole neighborhoods for protest
Demanded end to monarchy

22. The National Assembly Acts
Storming of Bastille sent assembly into action
Nobles voted to end own privilege
Gave up manorial dues, hunting rights, special legal status and exemption from taxes

23. Special Privilege ends
“Feudalism is abolished”
Nobles gave up nothing that they had not already loss
Equality of all male citizens under the law

24. Declaration of the Rights of Man
Modeled after American Declaration of Independence
Born and remain fee and equal in rights
Liberty property, security, and resistance to oppression
Right to serve in public office
Freedom of religion
Taxes based on ability to pay

25. Women March on Versailles
6,000 women march from Paris
“bread”
Anger at Queen Marie Antoinette
Led life of pleasure and extravagance
Against reform
Made king return to Paris
King was virtual prisoner