1. “It was the Best of Times; It was the Worst of Time.”
The French Revolution
23.1
“It was the Best of Times; It was the Worst of Time.”

2. The Old Regime Feudal system from the Middle Ages
People were divided into three social classes - estates

3. First Estate Roman Catholic clergy 1% of the population
Owned 10% of land
Paid no taxes
Collected the tithe
Controlled education, hospitals

4. Second Estate Nobility and King 1% of the population
Owned majority of land
Paid few taxes
Could tax, collect rent
Could wear a sword
Practiced primogeniture
Louis XV

5. Third Estate 98% of the population Paid the majority of taxes
Paid rent on lands
Could not own land
Three sub-groups
Bourgeoisie
Educated
Believed in Enlightenment ideals
Artisans
Earned low wages
Peasants
Peasants – 80%
Paid half their income to nobles, tithes, and taxes

6. Three Estates

7. Forces of Change
People began questioning the structure of government and society
Inspired by the American Revolution
Inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment

8. Economic Problems Heavy tax burden Cost of living increased
Bad weather lead to crop failure
Price of bread doubled in 1789
People faced starvation

9. Louis XVI Louis inherited the debt from his grandfathers
Borrowed money to help the American Revolution
1789 Bankers refused to loan Louis XVI more money

10. The Royal Family Married to Marie Antoinette
Hated by the people of France because she was Austrian
Spent lots of money on clothes, jewels and gifts

11. Estates General (1789)
The Estates-General: an assembly of representatives from the three estates
Louis tried to tax the aristocrats to pay the debt
Called a meeting of the Estates General, May 1789 to approve a plan to tax the wealthy
Traditionally, each estate met in separate rooms and cast one vote

12. National Assembly ( )
Third Estate, mostly bourgeoisie, insisted all three estates meet together and each delegate cast a vote
King Louis XVI favored the nobles and ordered separate meetings
Abbé Sieyès, a member of the clergy, supported the Third Estate
The Third Estate renamed itself the National Assembly with the goal of passing laws and reforming France, June 17, 1789

13. Tennis Court Oath
20 June 1789 – Louis locked the delegates out of their meeting, so they moved next door to an indoor tennis court
Wrote the Tennis Court Oath promising to stay together until they wrote a new constitution
Louis XVI called his Swiss mercenaries to Paris

14. Storming of the Bastille
Rumors spread through Paris that the troops were sent to attack the citizens, arrest the National Assembly
14 July 1789 – people of Paris stormed the Bastille in search of weapons, freed prisoners
The Bastille was here. The bricks mark its original location prior to July 14, The building that currently sits here is an opera house.

15. Great Fear
July-August – National Guard is formed and the blue, red and white flag replaces the fleur-de-lis
Great Fear swept the peasants:
Feared the nobles would try to crush the rebellion
Feared the nobles were hoarding grain
Eager to seek revenge
Destroyed nobles’ property
October – Women of Paris riot over the price of bread, march to Versailles, force King and Queen to return to Paris with them