1. The French Revolution

2.  Great unrest in Fr. Bad harvests High prices High taxes Enlight. ideas  Prd. prior to 1789 = Old Regime

3. I. The Old Regime  Absolute monarch at top  Society = broken into Estates (3) First & Second = fewest people, but most $

4. A. First Estate  Consisted of clergy (Roman Catholic Church)  <1% of pop.  Privileges: Only Church courts could try its own Did not pay taxes Owned 1/10 th of all Fr. land (charged rent, taxes)  Higher clergy held most wealth Lost view of spiritual duties  Lower clergy (parish priests) performed most work for little pay

5. B. Second Estate  Consisted of nobility  <2% of pop.  Privileges: Wear a sword Primogeniture Paid few taxes, if any Collected feudal dues from peasants Held high positions in army & govt.

6. C. Third Estate  Rest of people  About 97% of pop.  Divided into 3 groups: Bourgeoisie –middle class Laborers & artisans Peasants  Paid rent for land, the heaviest taxes, & 1/10 th of income to Church  No voice in govt.

7. II. Growing Discontent  Pop. growth  Changing economic conditions High taxes & rents (First & Second Estates) Food prices rose, but not wages  1780s = crop failures (food shortages)  Third Est. resented others b/c of their wealth Did not have to pay taxes Blamed King  Big spender (Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette)  1786: bankers cut off loans to govt.

8.  Discontent among bourgeoisie Wanted political power Resented paying taxes Wanted to eliminate govt. interference Wanted positions in Church, army, govt.  Discontent among First & Second Estates Disliked power of King  Had lost power as King gained power

9. A. A Weak Leader  1774: Louis XVI became king Wife = Marie Antoinette (“Madame Deficit”)  Debt was worsening  Louis sought advice… TAX THE FIRST TWO ESTATES!!!!  1787: bankers cut off loans to govt.  Estates General Reps. from all three estates to approve tax May 15, 1789 at Versailles

10. III. Meeting of the Estates General  Bad times inflation, financial crisis, high food prices  Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes—sympathetic clergyman What then is the Third Estate? All. But an ‘all’ that is fettered (chained) & oppressed. What would it be w/out the privileged? It would be all; but free & flourishing. Nothing will go well w/out the Third Estate; everything would go considerably better w/out the two others

11.  Powers of Estates General?  Originally, each estate cast one vote  Third Estate reps. = bourgeoisie Wanted “real voice” Had as many reps as other two combined Goal = popular vote  May 5, 1789: Estates General met Louis wanted to follow old custom Third Estate refused to meet

12.  Third Estate = National Assembly June 17, 1789—became official First deliberate act of the rev. King locked them out  Met at tennis court  Tennis Court Oath – CONSTITUTION!!! …never to cry to the King, and to meet quietly when the circumstances demand, until the constitution of France is happily singing. Three estates could meet together

13. IV. The Spread of Revolution  Louis brought troops to Paris & Versailles  July 14, 1789: people stormed Bastille for weapons  General Lafayette – formed Nat’l Guard  New French flag adopted

14.  “Great Fear” peasants were fearful of noble retaliation  Peasants struck first Attacked monasteries & manors Burned records of rents, dues, etc.  Oct. 1789: Parisian women rioted b/c of bread costs Forced king & queen to leave Versailles