1. The French Revolution

2. Revolution Begins
Internal revolt against entrenched feudal, clerical and monarchical privilege of France
Three Estates (classes)-
Clergy- 100,000 pop./ controlled 10% of land
Nobility- 300,000 pop./ controlled 25% of land
Everyone else- 8% of pop. urban merchants, professionals, artisans/ 80% of pop. Farmers
Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were extravagant rulers, required lots of money
Built the Palace at Versailles, breaking the financial back of France

3. Revolution Begins
Each group had their own group of reps. who met together.
Parlement ruled to meet separately, estate three boycotted the meetings, until they were locked out of their meeting house
They met in an indoor tennis court, took the “Oath of the Tennis Court”
Claimed legal power
Would not disband until new constitution was written
Established the National Assembly
Louis XVI called 18,000 troops to protect him at Versailles, fearing an attack

4. Revolt of the Poor Poor harvest, price of bread skyrocketed
1789-
Poor harvest, price of bread skyrocketed
Mobs of beggars and poor farmers stormed into Paris
Stormed the Bastille- French jail and armory
Killed the mayor, several soldiers and governor of the Bastille
Trying to subdue the mob, the king recognizes the National Assembly and its allies
Created a new constitution: abolished feudalism, serfdom, the tithe for church, special privilege for the nobility, created the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen”
Men are born and remain free
The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and unalienable rights
Law is the expression of the will of the people

5. Revolution Builds Still angry mobs marched on Versailles
“The March of the Women”- Housewives, market women, and revolutionary militants broke into the palace and forced Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to return to Paris where they were kept under surveillance
In the country- farmers feared their landlords were going to block reform stormed nobility estates

6. Revolution Builds The National Assembly:
Called for a constitutional monarchy
Did away with titles and prerequisites for nobility
Uniform government countrywide
Disestablished Roman Catholic clergy
Confiscated the property of the church