2. Objectives List the three estates of the Old Regime
Summarize the factors that led to the French Revolution
Describe the creation of the National Assembly and the storming of the Bastille
Explain the importance of the Great Fear

3. READ “SETTING THE STAGE” – CHAPTER 7, SECTION 1
ANSWER QUESTION #1

4. Background to the French Revolution
When Louis XVI took over, France was still the most rich and influential nation in continental Europe.
French commerce and prosperity increased during course of 18th century
Why was there great unrest in France?
I don’t like this game…
There was great unrest in France, caused by bad harvests, high prices, high taxes, and disturbing questions raised by the Enlightenment ideas of Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire.
Louis, the Clergy and the nobility ride the back of the Third Estate, enslaved

5. READ “THE OLD ORDER”
ANSWER QUESTION #2 and fill in chart for the Three Estates

6. The Old Order
What did the social/political order look like in France in the 1770s?
In the late 1700s people of France still divided into social classes, or estates
This was a system of feudalism called the Old Regime
2 of the estates had privileges, held high offices and didn’t have to pay tax
This was the:
- First Estate- made of clergy from the Catholic Church- was less than 1% of France’s total population
- Second Estate- made up of rich nobles - 2% of France’s population

7. The Third Estate 98% of France’s population
paid 50% of their own income to taxes
Had no power to influence the government
Embraced Enlightenment ideas
Was broken further into groups:
-1st: the bourgeoisie- merchants and artisans, some very wealthy, but paid taxes, and lacked privileges
-2nd: city workers- cooks, servants
-3rd: peasants, made up 80% of population- heavily taxed, wanted change, resented nobles and clergy

10. READ “THE OLD ORDER”
ANSWER QUESTIONS #3 - #7

11. 3.Why might the first and second estate be opposed to change?
4.What did the clergy do for society that might justify their low tax rate?
5.How was the bourgeoisie unlike the other groups within the Third Estate?
6.Did France’s system of estates violate the principle of equality?
7.Which group in the Third Estate would suffer most from the increase in the price of bread?
They already had privilege and wealth
Provided education and relief to the poor
It was wealthier and better educated
Yes, because the Third Estate had no power in government
Urban workers, since peasants could raise grain and the bourgeoisie had more money

12. The Forces of Change: Inspirations
The American Revolution inspired the Third Estate
Many began questioning the structures of society and started using words like equality, liberty and democracy
Listened to the enlightenment thinkers

13. Economic Woes Population rising
High taxes made it impossible to have a business with a profit
Cost of living rose for everyone
Bad weather in the 1780s caused crop failures, resulting in severe shortage of grain
People faced starvation
Extravagant spending by King (Louis XVI) and Queen (Marie Antoinette)

14. Louis XVI Became king of France in 1774
Borrowed lots of money to help the American Revolutionaries gain their independence from Great Britain (France’s greatest enemy) doubling France’s debt
Bankers started to refuse to lend more money
Was indecisive, and would play with keys and locks rather than deal with important government issues
Married Marie Antoinette when he was 15, and she was 14

15. Marie Antoinette
Member of Austrian royal family (mother was Maria Theresa)
She was unpopular with the people in France immediately
She refused to wear the tight fitting styles and instead wore loose cotton dresses that many thought looked like underwear and was scandalous
As Queen, she spent so much money on gowns, jewels, and gifts she became known as “Madame Deficit” aka the Queen of Debt
For entertainment, she played cards losing 1.5 million dollars in a single year

17. READ “A WEAK LEADER”
ANSWER QUESTIONS #8

18. His answer was to tax the 2nd Estate
8. What was Louis XVI solution to dealing with France’s debt?
Louis put off dealing with France’s bankruptcy issue until it was too late
His answer was to tax the 2nd Estate
Upset, the nobles forced the king to call a meeting of the Estates General (an assembly of representatives from all 3 estates) to get approval for the tax reform
This was the first meeting in 175 years

19. Dawn of the Revolution: Outnumbered
The 1st and 2nd estate would always outnumber the 3rd estate in votes, because each estate had 1 vote
The members of bourgeoisie in the 3rd estate argued they should have more than 1 vote- in fact they should have 3 votes: 1 for each group within the 3rd estate
This would give the 3rd estate an advantage - for once

20. Old Way vs. New Idea 1st estate (clergy)- 1 vote
2nd estate (nobles)- 1 vote
3rd estate (everyone else) -1 vote
1st estate (clergy) -1 vote
2nd estate (nobles)- 1 vote
3rd estate-
-bourgeoisie- 1 vote
-working class- 1 vote
-peasants- 1 vote

21. READ “THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY”
ANSWER QUESTIONS #9 and #10

22. The king sided with the nobles, and rejected the new idea
9. Why did the Third Estate propose a change in the Estates-General’s voting rules?
The king sided with the nobles, and rejected the new idea
The Third Estate was even more determined to gain power
A sympathetic clergyman, the Abbe Sieyes (AB-ay syay-YEHS) argued “What is the Third Estate? Everything…” and in a dramatic speech he suggested the 3rd Estate name themselves the National Assembly and pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people

23. The National Assembly
On June 17, 1789 delegates of the Third Estate voted to establish the National Assembly
This proclaimed an end to absolute monarchy and the beginning of representative government
This vote was the first deliberate act of revolution

24. Tennis Court Oath
10. What is the Tennis Court Oath?
3 days later, the Third Estate met to draft a new constitution but was locked out of their meeting room
So, they broke down the door to an indoor tennis court, pledging to stay until the new constitution was drafted
This pledge is known as the Tennis Court Oath

26. Louis Tries To Win Favor
Louis tries to make peace with the 3rd Estate by giving in to their demands
He urged the 1st and 2nd Estates to join the National Assembly
Louis also knows that nobody in France trusts him, and sensing trouble, he stationed his mercenary army (paid soldiers) of Swiss guards in Paris

27. Fall of the Bastille
Rumors fly of the king bringing in foreign soldiers to massacre French citizens
People start to gather weapons to defend Paris against a foreign army
On July 14, 1789 a mob tried to get gunpowder from the Bastille, a Paris prison
The mob overpowered the guards, and the Bastille fell into the control of citizens
The fall of the Bastille is celebrated as an act of revolution and a national holiday in France, similar to our 4th of July

28. The mob released all prisoners in the Bastille, however there were only 7 prisoners that day….
Four were forgers, and 3 were lunatics

29. Storming the Bastille

30. The Great Fear
A wave of senseless panic rolled through France, known as the Great Fear
When the peasants met no enemy bandits…they became the aggressors
Waving pitchforks and torches, they broke into nobles’ manor houses destroying documents, and sometimes burning the houses down

31. In October 1789, 6,000 Parisian women rioted over the rising cost of bread
Anger quickly turned towards the king and queen
Seizing knives and axes, men and women marched to Versailles, breaking into the palace and killing 2 guards

32. READ “A GREAT FEAR SWEEPS FRANCE”
ANSWER QUESTIONS #9 and #10

33. 12. Do you think the riots were justified?
11. After years of oppression, what finally caused the French people to revolt?
The threat of starvation
12. Do you think the riots were justified?
13. How did the women’s march mark a turning point in the relationship between the king and the people?
The king had to bow to the will of the people

34. Exit Slip What were the causes of the French Revolution?
Why were members of the Third Estate dissatisfied with life under the Old Regime?

35. http://www.youtube.com/user/historyteachers#p/u/8/wXsZbkt0yqo Teacher Gaga
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