1. The French Revolution

2. French Revolution (1789-1815) I.Estate System a. Society was divided into 3 social classes 1. First Estate-Roman Catholic clergy a. 1 % of population; had 10% of land b. Highest officials were very wealthy c. Only paid a 2% “gift tax” 2. Second Estate-nobles a. 2% of pop., had 20% of land b. Had best jobs in govt. & mil. c. Refused to pay taxes

3. 3.Third Estate-Everyone else (97% of population) a.Bourgeoisie-middle class (doctors, lawyers, the educated) 1.Some were very rich, but law treated them as peasants 2.Wanted social status & pol. power b.Urban lower class-butchers, weavers, etc. 1.Poorer-people that kept cities running 2.Ate three lbs. of bread a day-staple of their diet c.Peasants 1.4/5 of pop. (80%) 2.Half of income went to taxes 3.Owed the corvee-law required peasants to work w/o pay on govt. projects

4. The Estate System of France prior to the Revolution

5. II.Louis XVI a. not a good leader-very indecisive b. married to Marie Antoinette-lavish lifestyle c. govt. was deeply in debt over financing of American Revolution d. was going to tax the nobles, but they refused unless he called the Estates General-they had not met since 1614

6. III.National Assembly a. 1 st & 2 nd estates had always dominated the 3 rd estate-each only got 1 vote-they expected to dominate as usual b. 3 rd estate now demanded that they all meet together-all should be equal c. King refused & locked them out of hall d. Tennis Court Oath-3 rd Estate meets & vows to pass laws & reforms for France-change their name to National Assembly

7. IV.Storming of the Bastille July 14, 1789 a. Bastille was a jail for political prisoners in Paris b. King was trying to appease the 3 rd Estate and said they would meet 1. He was stalling until his mercenaries got there c. In Paris mobs were rioting over the high price of bread d. Mobs stormed the Bastille for its gunpowder e. Fall of the Bastille was important because: 1. forced Louis to give up plan for foreign troops 2. reduce king’s power & saved National Assembly 3. symbolic act of revolution to the French

9. V.The Great Fear a. Rebellion spread to the countryside b. A wave of panic, called the Great Fear, spread-they said the nobles were hiring men to terrorize the peasants c. Many hid in caves or forests, but nothing happened d. The peasants began terrorizing the nobles instead e. October 1789—women rioting over the price over bread again f. Women marched to Versailles-they demanded the royals come to Paris g. Louis & family “agreed” & moved to Paris

10. VI.National Assembly Makes Reforms A.Voted to sell church lands to pay debt B.Put the church under govt. control C.1791-new constitution---kept monarchy, but legislature chosen by voters D.Delegates were seated by their political beliefs: a.Reactionary royalists-right b.Moderates-center c.Radicals-left

12. Signatures from the National Assembly

13. VII.Decline of Monarchy A. Chaos 1. June 1791-Louis & family try to flee to Austria-caught & go to Paris 2. King agrees to limited monarchy, but people want a republic 3. Aug. 1792-king imprisoned & radicals call for new constitution B. National Convention 1. N.C. met from 1792-1795: wrote the 1 st democratic constitution: a. Power in a single national legislature b. Every male could vote 2. Jan. 1793-Louis XVI beheaded 3. Jacobins-a group in N.C.-extreme radicals-defenders of the Revolution

14. Death of Louis XVI

15. III. Reign of Terror (July 1793-July 1794) A. Crushing Opposition 1. Jacobins set out to crush opposition w/in France to Revolution 2. Committee of Public Safety-led the effort to hunt “traitors” down 3. Maximillien Robespierre-leader of the CPS, leads France 4. 40,000 people killed during Reign of Terror-mostly peasants B. Republic of Virtue 1. CPS set up the “Rep. Of Virtue”-a demo. republic made up of “good” citizens 2. Universal elementary education 3. Abolished slavery 4. Encouraged religious toleration

17. C.End of the Terror 1.Robespierre accused his friends of treason-others turned on him, and he was put to death 2.After his death the Jacobins lost power-wealthier middle class took control 3.Many people even favored bringing back the monarchy 4.the people looked to the army to bring order to France

18. Maximillien Robespierre Leader of France during the Reign of Terror

19. The Directory 1795: New convention, new constitution End of universal male suffrage Gov’t in the hands of wealthy middle class 2 House Legislature Upper house and lower house The Directory 1795-1799 high prices and food shortages royalists and radicals have uprisings