Name________________________________ Block______________________________
Creative Writing – A French Revolution Letter
Reading Notes
List at least THREE causes of the French Revolution:
Directions:
 Choose to be from the first, second, or third estate
 Imagine you are living in France and watching this happen. Write a letter to a friend that:
o Begins with Dear_______________ and ends with Sincerely, (your name)
o Explains in PARAGRAPH ONE
 Which estate you are in
 Two facts that describe your life in that estate
o Explains in PARAGRAPH TWO
 Two things that are happening in France that are making people upset
 How you feel about those two things
 What you think the plan will be to take care of the issues
WHEN CHECKING YOUR WRITING, ASK YOURSELF:
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Did I write an introduction?
Did I give all of my main points?
Did I support my main points with detail?
Did I write a conclusion?
Does my writing make sense?
Did I write in complete sentences?
Did I use correct punctuation and spelling?
Did I write my best?
CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
In 1789 the people of France began the French Revolution. The revolution
brought own their king and made France a republic – a country ruled by the
people. This republic did not last, but France never returned to its old, unequal
form of society. In addition, the ideas of the French Revolution spread to many
other countries.
In the 1780s, several groups in France were pushing for a change in society. Two
groups of people in the Third Estate wanted change. One of them was a new
class of wealthy city people called the bourgeoisie. They wanted to more power.
Meanwhile, farm workers and other common people were tired of working hard
for the nobles, or rich landowners. Many were angry about paying taxes that
nobles did not have to pay. At the same time, French thinkers called philosophers
from the Enlightenment wanted new reforms for society and the government.
The French government was weak. It had spent too much money on costly wars.
The most recent of its wars was the American Revolution, in which France had
helped the colonists defeat the British. The 250 million dollars that it cost France
to aid the Americans in their fight for independence was the last straw. King
LOUIS XVI and Queen MARIE ANTOINETTE also spent a great deal of money on
themselves while the rest of the country suffered. Finally, foreign bankers
refused to lend more money.
In 1788, Louis XVI, as a last resort, called a meeting of the Estates-General. The
three states were the nobles, the clergy, and the common people. Their
representative met at Versailles, a suburb of Paris, in early May, 1789. Reforms
and a constitution were demanded at this meeting.