 Learn how the French Revolution
effected the world
 Deepen understanding of a strong
argument
 Take a stand on a controversial
issue
 Who is in charge: The assembly, King had limited
power, “active citizens” (men over 25 who paid a
certain amount of taxes) could vote
 Role of the King: suspensive veto, stuck in Paris
 Religious issues:
Protestants given equal rights,
but tensions remained,
assembly wanted priests to
take oath of loyalty,
priests elected by citizens
 International issues: Foreign kings uneasy about
revolution
 Bread situation:
Prices were increasing
 Major figures: Robespierre –
Leader of radical Jacobians,
wanted a republic,
flight to Vareness
Sept 1791 –
April 1793
 Who is in charge: New constitution, fear of counter
revolution begins, all men could vote
 Role of the King: No more power, wanted war in hopes
of regaining his power
 International issues: Foreign kings wanted French
king returned to power, Prussian actions, problems in
France made resistance weak
 Bread situation: prices continued to rise
 Sans Culottes: Took many from prisons and executed
them, afterwards they went to the front lines and
helped defend France
 Major figures: Robespierre – Did not want war,
thought France was too weak to defend herself
 Marat- Wanted the rest of France to follow the Sans
Culottes example
 After the monarchy was abolished, the King was put
on “trial”
 More traditional citizens wanted him freed
 More radical citizens (including Robespierre and the
Sans Culottes) wanted him executed.
 “If Louise can be presumed innocent, what becomes of the
Revolution?... Louis must die because the nation must live.”
-Robespierre
Reaction: Royalist counter-revolutionaries gained
strength and fought against the government.
 A reaction to the counter-revolutionaries
 Led by Robespierre with the “Committee for Public
Safety”
 Paranoid response to threats
 France is under attack by 8
different European nations
 As the Terror went on in length it became easier to be
convicted of treason and less evidence was needed.
 Eventually no witnesses were required and those who
were accused were forbidden from having a lawyer
 But hey, bread prices finally went down
 Marie Antoinette
 16,000 were tried and sentenced to death
 500,000 were imprisoned and as many as 10,000 died
as a result of poor conditions
 The city of Lyon was ordered to be destroyed by the
Committee and 2,000 were executed. An estimate of
250,000 died in the rebellion in Lyon.
Many of these were civilians including
women and children
 Robespierre wanted France
to strive towards his vision
of perfection
 His opponents saw him as
wanting God like status
 The Great Terror came
from the Committee
making it even easier to be
accused of treason. In this
two month period
alone(June – July), 1,500
people were killed by
guillotine.
The Arrest of Robespierre
The Revolution Consumes
Its Own Children!
Danton Awaits
Execution, 1793
Robespierre Lies Wounded
Before the Revolutionary
Tribunal that will order him
to be guillotined, 1794.
The “Cultural Revolution“ effects of the Revolution
 It was premised upon Enlightenment principles of
rationality.
 The metric system of weights and measures
 Was defined by the French Academy of Sciences in

1791 and enforced in 1793.
It replaced weights and measures that had their
origins in the Middle Ages.
 The abolition of slavery within France in 1791 and
throughout the French colonies in 1794.
 The Convention legalized divorce and enacted
shared inheritance laws [even for illegitimate
offspring] in an attempt to eradicate inequalities.
 Shortly after the Terror, the Convention was replaced
by a governmental group known as the Directory
 This group help its power with the help of the military.
 Leaders of the Directory felt that a strong dictator was
needed to help France get back on track.
 This eventually resulted in a young General Napoleon
Bonaparte to filling this
need with his popularity
and political maneuvering.
 France spent the next
decade and a half in wars
with the rest of Europe.
 Write down your first hypothesis on your post it.
 Line up in the middle of the room according to your
view.
 Discuss with your peer in front of you your reasons
 Share with the class some of the views that came up in
your discussion
 Get out your comp books
 Answer these three questions in groups of four
 How do you know if evidence is strong?
 What are appropriate ways to argue against a
classmate’s evidence?
 How do you know if evidence is properly
explained?
 Write the answers in your comp book, be
prepared to share with the group
 In your groups of four, discuss what makes a good
group member.
 Come up with as many ways as possible
 Pick the top 3 – 5 examples to share with the class
 I will be making a self assessment rubric with the top
ways.
 1. We read the background information together
 2. You split into groups of 4
 3. Those groups split into groups in half (2 on pro side,





2 on con)
4. Each group reads the text for their side.
5. You will develop an argument for your side
6. You will debate in your groups of 4.
7. After each group goes, each group will then argue for
the opposing side
8. The group will attempt to come to a consensus.
 Take 7 minutes to read the background information.
 Make sure to define words that you do not understand
with your partner
 Write down in your comp books any questions you have
about the text.
 What are some questions you have?
 I will assign you to groups of 4
 2 will be on the pro side, 2 will be on the con
 Pro side gather on the left side, Con on the right.
 You will receive a text according to your side.
 You will also receive the self assessment for today and
tomorrow to fill out at the end of the day.
 Copy the graphic organizer and fill out an argument
for your side
 Make sure you define the vocabulary you do not
understand
 Get into your groups of 4
 Each side take 5 minutes to argue your main points
 Make sure to take note of your opponents arguments on
your organizer
 Take 5 minutes each and argue your opponents main
points back to them
 Feel free to help your opponents out and MAKE SURE
they understand your view
 Take 10 minutes to try and come to a consensus with
your group.
 Decide on the three pieces of evidence which were most
convincing for your group.
 Be prepared to share them in the class
 What did your groups decide your opinion was? Why?
 What worked well in your groups? What did not?