3. Marie Antoinette 02/11/1755 to 16/10/1793 King Louis XVI 23/08/1754 to 21/01/1793 KING & QUEEN OF FRANCE King Louis XVI ruled from 1774 to 1792 Married Marie Antoinette in 1770 Both died in the year 1793 They had 4 children

4. King Louis XVI 23/08/1754 to 21/01/1793 The Absolute Monarch of France Louis became King at the age of 19. He focused on foreign policy and religious uniformity. He wanted to be love by his people The country was heavily in debt He suffered from depression An Absolute Monarch is a King or Queen who has total control over everything in the country in which they rule.

5. The French Elite – the First Estate The Nobility in France during this period owned 90% of all lands They collected dues and rent from the peasants who lived on their land The French Elite were Kings, Queens, and Nobility

6. The Church in France – the Second Estate King Louis brought about religious uniformity which meant that people were allowed to practice different religions without fear of punishment. Religious Leaders controlled 10% of the land in France

7. Poverty in France – the Third Estate 97% of the French population were living in poverty They were forced to work on the Nobilities Estates for very little in return During this time the American Revolution was taken place which encouraged people to think about taking control to implement change

8. The Revolution Begins In 1788 a bad harvest leads to further unrest 97% of people in France had no vote On May 19 th 1789 King Louis convened the Estates- General to hear the grievances of the Third Estate Leaders (who represented the common people) King Louis locked them out of the meeting so they could not air their grievances As a result the Leaders met in a indoor tennis court and decided to form a National Assembly and establish a new Constitution

9. The Tennis Court Oath The Estates-General took an oath not to separate until the new Constitution was established This oath became known as the ‘Tennis Court Oath’ They were gradually joined by other leaders of the common people The people feared that they King would attack them for looking to make changes so they decided to break into the Bastille Prison to Steal the weapons that were there

10. The Bastille Prison On 14 th July 1789 the common people stormed the Bastille Prison taking all weapons and releasing prisoners

11. The Fete de la Federation On 14 th July 1790 a huge celebration and feast was held. It lasted for four days It took place on the Champ de Mars which was outside Paris In 1880 Bastille Day was made a national holiday to be celebrated each year

12. The Death of King Louis XVI On 21 st January 1815 King Louis was beheaded by guillotine at Place de la Revolution in Paris

13. Questions Thank you for listening Any Questions?