1. Macdonald World History
French Revolution
Macdonald
World History

2. Causes of French Revolution
Estate System
Enlightenment Ideas
Economic Problems (taxes & crop failures)
Weak Leader – Louis XVI
Unpopular queen – Marie Antoinette

3. Estates General
Louis XVI decided to raise taxes on nobility (2nd estate) to deal with economy
2nd Estate refused to pay until called a meeting of Estates General to approve tax
1st time called in hundreds of years
Each estate gets 1 vote – 3rd Estate happy b/c think they will have a voice in gov’t

4. National Assembly 3rd Estate realizes time to make changes
Votes to re-organize themselves
Call themselves National Assembly – want an end to absolute monarchy & representative gov’t
National Assembly will include all estates & will make laws to benefit all ppl

5. Tennis Court Oath
At meeting of Estates General, 3rd Estate locked out of meeting room
Broke down door to indoor tennis court and said wouldn’t move until a new constitution which gave them rights was signed
Pledge called Tennis Court Oath

6. Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen
Many 1st & 2nd Estate joined National Assembly
Wrote Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen stating all “men are born and remain free and equal in rights”
Leaders adopted slogan of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” for revolution

7. Panic
King Louis XVI scared so put Swiss guards around palace for protection
Rumors flew that king was going to use Swiss guards to get rid of National Assembly or massacre French ppl

8. Storming the Bastille
Ppl began to gather weapons to defend against Swiss guards
July 14, mob looking for gunpowder broke into the Bastille, a prison
Mob hacked many guards to death then paraded around the streets with dead men’s heads on sticks
First violent event of the French Revolution

9. Great Fear
Rumors started that nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize peasants
Wave of panic called Great Fear went through countryside
Peasants began to break into noble’s homes, burn, pillage

10. Women March In Paris, thousands of women rioted over price of bread
w/ knives, axes, etc. marched to Versailles
Broke into palace, killed guards
Demanded that Louis & Marie Antoinette return with them to Paris
When king & queen left, symbolized change of power from monarchs to ppl