1789-1795: Newspaper
Imagine your terror. You are the son/daughter of a minor noble. All you have ever known is
your family’s quiet country house, which is surrounded by gardens and farms. One night you are
dragged out of bed, dressed in servants clothes, and rushed away in an old market cart. Your parents
have been warned that the family is about to be arrested.
The concentration of wealth and power amongst a few at the expense of the many is a recipe for
unrest. Some of the primary causes of the revolution can be found in the class structure of the three
estates. Others can be seen in the poor harvests and trading practices that characterized the time period
before the outbreak of revolution. Hopefully by the end of this assignment you will have a better
understanding of the causes and events of the French revolution
Your Task:
You and your group are charged with creating a newspaper that contains articles about the
French Revolution. All the articles must be written from one point of view. Points of view you may
choose from are: members of the First, Second, or Third estate. Your finished copy should be both
informative and visually attractive. Try and make it look like an old newspaper!
Process:
1. You and your partner(s) are now newspaper editors. You will be given 3 library/classes to research
your topics and create your revolutionary newspaper. Select FIVE topics from the list below to include
in your newspaper. You may use your textbook, the internet, and any other resources as background
references.
2. Select a format for each topic. The list below contains formatting suggestions based on a modern
newspaper. YOU CAN ONLY USE EACH FORMAT ONCE!!!!!!!!
• Article/Current Event: Article length should be about 200 words- YOU MUST INCLUDE THIS.
Focus on an event that groups or individuals were involved in rather than presenting biographical
information.
• Letters to the Editor: These letters might be about social conditions, political views, or a reaction to
an event
• Editorials: Freedom of the press, killing of Marat, social issues, or political comments are all possible
topics for editorials.
• Fashion and Society Pages
• Sports
• Classifieds
• Advertisements
• Business/Trade
• Cartoons: These should be political cartoons that comment on an event or social condition.
• Obituaries: Someone who met the guillotine
NOTE: Make sure to include on your paper: price, date, page numbers, article titles, and
headlines
Topics:
1. Palace of Versailles
2. Estates General
3. Lifestyles of Louis and Marie Antoinette
4. Women’s March on Versailles
5. The National Assembly
6. The Storming of the Bastille- July 14 1789
7. The Great Fear
8. Declaration of the Rights of Man
9. The Tennis Court Oath
10. Royal family’s flight to Varennes
11. Execution of Louis and Marie
12. Execution of ____________(your choice)
13. The Jacobins
14. The Girondists
15. Robespierre’s contribution to the French Revolution
16. The stabbing of Marat
17. The new Constitution and Government
18. Reign of Terror
19. New Calendar
20. The Revolutionary Tribunal
21. Napoleon (Pre 1799)
22. Any other French Revolution Topic: Check with Miss Hobden
Evaluation:
Presentation
/5
Creativity
/5
Articles
/25
Grammar
and Spelling
/5
Reference list (MLA Style)
/10
__________________________
Total
/50