1. The French Revolution Begins
Chapter 23
Section 1

2. Key Terms Old Regime Estate Louis XVI Marie Antoinette Estates-General
National Assembly
Tennis Court Oath
Great Fear

3. The Old Order
Old Order-social and political structure that created inequalities
King was at the top and three groups called estates were under him
King Louis XVI was the king at the time
Lived extravancantly

4. Economic Troubles Lived at Versailles
Marie Antoinette was from Austria (enemy of France)
She was unpopular
Frivolous and self indulgent
Wore fancy clothes, lavish parties

5. The Privileged Estates
Most people wore rags
First Estate
Roman Catholic clergy 1 percent of the population
Clergy had several privileges since the Middle Ages
Only the church could try priests or bishops

6. The Privileged Estates
Did not have to pay taxes
Land that belonged to the church was not taxed
Church owned 10% of France’s land
Bishops and clergy became very wealthy
Many people resented the wealth and priviledge

7. Second Estate Made up of nobility 2 percent of the population
Controlled much of the country’s wealth
Paid few taxes
Held key positions in government and military

8. Second Estate Many lived in country estates
Owned 20 percent of the land
Peasants did all the work
Charged high fees and rents
Some lived at the king’s court
Lived in luxury, jobs ceremonial

9. Third Estate Largest group 97% of the people Made up of several groups
Bourgeoisie- top, city dwelling merchants, factory owners and professionals
Some very educated and rich
Did not buy influence of government

10. Third Estate
Next were artisans-shoemakers, bricklayers, dress makers laborers
If they had no work they went hungry
Sans culottes-”without knee beeches

11. Third Estate At the bottom peasants who farmed (80%)
Paid rents and fees to landowners
Paid 1/10 of income to the church
Performed labor like working on the roads without pay
Peasants were miserably poor with no hope of a better life

12. Enlightenment Ideas Social inequality driving people to revolt
Enlightenment ideas were inspiring revolution
Bourgeoisie- knew of Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu
Great Britain limited the kings power

13. Enlightenment Ideas
American colonists had rebelled against the king

14. Economic Troubles Third cause for revolution France was deeply in debt
Borrowed huge sums of money
Some for American Revolution
King spent lavishly

15. Economic Troubles 1787 King Louis XVI tried too tax the Second Estate
Nobles refused to pay
King backed down
Year later country faced bankruptcy
Half the taxes covered the debt

16. Economic Troubles Winter of 1788 was the worst in years
Frozen rivers could not turn mill wheels
Food and firewood were scarce
Hunger and cold made life wretched for thousands

17. Economic Troubles Country was broke People were hungry
Price of bread doubled
Eliminating tax exemptions for the First and Second Estate would have helped
Clergy and nobility resisted all efforts

18. Meeting of the Estates General
Estates General made up the three estates
Wanted to approve new taxes on the third estate
August 1788 Louis agreed to the meeting
Had not met in 175 years
Wrote notebooks to document grievances

19. Meeting of the Estates General
People wanted the Estates to pass sweeping reforms
Each Estate had one vote
First and Second usually voted together
Enlightenment philosophers gave Third Estate feeling of importance

20. Dawn of the Revolution King went over voting rules
Third Estate which had more representatives refused the king’s order
June 1789 Third Estate proclaimed themselves legislature
National Assembly had the right to make laws

21. Dawn of a Revolution King locked the Third Estate out of the meeting
Third Estate met indoors at a tennis court
Swore the Tennis court Oath
Would not leave the court till they wrote a constitution

22. Storming of the Bastille
Louis ordered troops to Paris and Versailles
National Assembly feared the king would use violence
Paris had sympathy for the national Assembly and started to arm themselves

23. Storming the Bastille
July 14, 1789 a mob went to the Bastille looking for weapons
Mob tried to negotiate with the commander
Mob and prison guard exchanged fire
Mob killed the commander and put his head on a stick

24. A Great Fear Sweeps France
Storming the Bastille was a powerful symbol of the French Revolution
Great Fear- wave of senseless panic
They feared the king would punish them
Spread rumors the king had hired foreign soldiers

25. A Great Fear Sweeps France
Great Fear swept France
Rumors of massacres spread
Peasants took revenge on landowners
Destroyed records listing feudal dues and rents
Burned nobles homes

26. Restrictions on Power
Louis called troops to Versailles to protect his throne
Angered the common people of Paris
7,000 women march on Versailles demanding bread
Mob broke into the palace

27. A Great Fear Sweeps France
Women demanded that Louis and Marie return to Paris
Louis agreed
King, family and servants would never return
Change of power
Beginning of radical reforms