The French Revolution
Mepham High School
Global History II
Kempton & Patten
The Story of Revolution
The Old Regime



By the 1770s, the
France of the Middle
Ages, The Old Regime,
still survived.
The people of France
were divided into three
estates (large social
class).
King Louis XVI would
soon be besieged with
calls for reforms.
The Estates
People in Estate
High Clergy &
Priests
Firs
t
Esta
te
1%
People in Estate
Nobility
Second
Estate
2%
People in Estate
Bourgeoisie (Middle
Class)
Peasants
Doctors Merchants
Professionals
Third Estate
97%
Rights
Paid NO
Taxes
Rights
Paid NO
Taxes
Rights
Paid ALL Taxes
NO Privileges
Questions?

Describe the
distribution of the
French population
across the 3 estates?
The Estates General



1789 – The meeting of the
Estates General –
legislative body of France
The delegates of the third
estate insisted that the three
orders meet together and
that the vote be taken by
head, rather than by order.
The King refused to grant
their request. The third
estate refused to budge.
The meeting of the Estates General
May 5, 1789
Questions?


What is the Estates
General?
Why do you think the
3rd Estates wanted the
vote to be taken by
head not by each
estate?
Beginning of the Revolution



The members of the Third
Estate demanded more
power and rights and
formed the National
Assembly.
June 17, 1789 – delegates
of the Third Estate voted to
establish the National
Assembly – this is the first
act of the French
Revolution
Delegates Established the
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath
The Storming of the Bastille


Louis XVI attempts to
make peace with the
Third Estate by
ordering the other two
estates to join the
National Assembly
Rumors begin of
foreign troops coming
to kill French citizens
The Bastille - medieval fortress
The Storming of the Bastille


The fall of the Bastille
July 14, 1789 – a mob
overtakes the Bastille –
a French prison – in
order to get gun
powder.
The Bastille falls to the
control of the citizens
and the Revolution has
begun.
Questions?

Why is the storming of
the Bastille an
significant event in the
French Revolution?
Reforms of the Assembly

The Declaration of the
Rights of Man
August 27, 1789 – The
Assembly adopts the Declaration
of Rights of Man

All men have Natural Rights

Government protects
Natural Rights

All male equality under the
law

Free to practice any religion

Tax based on what people
could afford

Uses America as a model

Liberty, Equality, &
Fraternity
Questions?

Where do you think the
ideas for the
Declaration of Rights
and Man came from?
Other Changes Made By The
Assembly

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A limited constitutional monarchy is created –
stripping the king of most of his powers
September 1791, the National Assembly
finishes the constitution and gives the power
to the Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly is given power to
make laws and approve or prevent any war
declared by the king
The National Convention



1791 – A new government is elected - The
National Convention
Radical groups begin to form, mobs became
more common and had more real power than
the government
September 1791 – The National Convention
abolishes the monarchy and declares France a
Republic
Death of Louis XVI
1793 – Louis XVI is tried and
convicted of treason
He is sentenced to death
by the guillotine
Questions?

What was the guillotine
used for?
Struggle for Power

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Because of threats from
foreign armies and
domestic mobs there is a
struggle for power
Maximilien Robespierre
gains power
Robespierre wipes out all
traces of the monarchy and
religion (Ex. Sunday was
removed from the calendar
because it was considered
religious and church were
also closed).
Questions?

Who gains power in
France and how do you
think he wiped out all
traces of the
monarchy?
The Reign of Terror


Summer 1793 –
Robespierre becomes
the leader of the
Committee of Public
Safety
The committee would
decide who was an
enemy of the state of
France


Robespierre become a
dictator and his reign
becomes known as the
Reign of Terror
The 4 R’s…

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
Robespierre
Radical
Reign of Terror
Republic
Questions?

What is the main goal
of the Committee of
Public Safety?
Victims of Terror


The most famous was
Marie Antoinette, who
was the widow of the
king
Even those who helped
with the revolution
were put to death for
not being “Radical
Enough”
The End of the Reign of Terror


By July 1794 – no one
was safe from
Robespierre
The National
Convention turns on
Robespierre and he is
sentenced to death
(Beheading) – July 28,
1794

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1795 – A new
government is formed
A two hours legislative
body and a five man
executive called The
Directory
Napoleon Bonaparte is
put in charge of
France’s army.
The Age of Napoleon
Questions?

Why did the French
Revolution follow the
path that it did?