Maggie O.
April 13, 2009
Per. 4
The French Revolution: The Nationalistic Ideas of the
Early Third Estate
Debt, class consciousness, and new political ideas led to the formation of
nationalistic ideas on the part of the Third Estate causing riots, protests and the
ultimate destruction of the feudal system in France. The beginning of the French
Revolution was geared towards ending the feudal system in hopes of fixing the large
economic, social, and political problems facing the lower classes in France. It led to ten
years of great upheaval involving the Great Fear and Reign of Terror but the
nationalistic ideas never ceased to exist.
I.
The Estates General meets.
A. After years of supporting the nobles, clergy, and monarchs of France the
peasants had had enough.
1.
For 12 months a list of grievances or Cahiers de Doléances
were drawn up by each estate (Kreis The French Revolution: The
Moderate Stage 2)
a. Large points in Cahiers de Doléances:
i.
Loyalty to Louis (Kreis Cahiers de Doléances 2)
ii.
Loyalty to the Church (Kreis Cahiers de Doléances 2)
iii.
Sanctity of private property (Kreis Cahiers de
Doléances 2)
iv.
Written constitution (Kreis Cahiers de Doléances 2)
v.
Elected assembly (Kreis Cahiers de Doléances 2)
B. Large debt and an unfair tax system weakened France putting more stress
on the already struggling peasants and causing them to develop their own
nationalistic ideas.
1.
The American Revolution from 1778 left France with little
money (Rudé 28)
a. Almost 4 billion livres in 1789 (ABC-Clio 1)
b. Couldn’t make loan payments or get more credit (Merriman
884)
2.
Unfair taxes caused the common people to support the
nobles’, clergies’ and monarchies lavish live.
a. Nobles and clergy except from the taille (Neely 7-11)
b. Taille- land tax paid by rural masses (Neely 7-11)
c. Income taxes raised because of wars (Neely 7-11)
d. Commoners had to pay taille and vingtième (income taxes)
(Neely 7-11)
e. Large taxes on certain foods (Neely 7-11)
3.
The peasants wanted control of the economy that they
already unwillingly supported.
a. “no tax may be laid without the consent of the nation”
(Stewart 4)
b. Want the nation to work together to fix it for everyone
(Stewart 4)
c. Basic rights to use land at own will (Stewart 4)
C. The people of the Third Estate were sick of their low social status while
they carried the failing economy on their backs.
1.
Justice is needed before ruling is made
2.
No rights taken away before put before a judge
3.
Wanted basic rights
4.
Banded together for equal rights for all
D. Due to enlightenment ideas the monarchies power as well as the voting
system of the Estates General was challenged when they met in May of
1789 (ABC-Clio 1)
1.
Dislike of absolute monarchy (ABC-Clio 1)
2.
Voting structure debated
a. Nobles wanted one vote per Estate (Neely 63)
b. Third Estate wanted vote by head (Soboul 11)
c. Third Estate banded together against Third Estate
d. First and Second Estate could band together against the
Third Estate
3.
The Third Estate breaks away on June 17, 1789 (Neely 63)
a. Plan to band together for rights
II.
The Third Estate breaks away
A. The Third Estate broke away after a month long stalemate in the Estates
General meeting. (Soboul xvii)
1.
Called French National Assembly (Lefebvre The Great Fear
53)
2.
The Oath of the Tennis Court made (Lefebvre The Great
Fear 53)
a. Will not break apart (Kreis The Oath of the Tennis Court 1)
b. June 20, 1789 (Kreis The Oath of the Tennis Court 1)
3.
Troops ordered around Paris and Versailles (Scott 70)
III.
Feudalism is destroyed in France.
A. After breaking away from the Estates General the National Assembly
worked to abolish serfdom.
1.
French aristocrats surrendered special privileges August 4,
1789 (Kreis The French Revolution: The Moderate Stage 2)
2.
Subordinated Church to State- Civil constitution of the clergy
(Kreis The French Revolution: The Moderate Stage 2)
3.
Declaration made (Lerner 1-2)
a. A lot like American Declaration
b. Basic rights
c. Painting
4.
National Assembly constitution September 1791 (Kreis The
French Revolution: The Moderate Stage 2)
5.
Political, economic, social standardization (Lefebvre The
French Revolution: From its Origins to 1783 174)
B. Revolution declared over in September 1791 (Kreis The French
Revolution: The Moderate Stage 2)
1.
Had abolished feudalism and the ancient regime
2.
Left vulnerable
3.
Brought in the Reign of Terror
The French Revolution started with the nationalistic ideas of the Third
Estate and led to the ultimate abolishment of the feudal system in France. It took
many years and a completely fractured government to do this. It led into the
horrific Reign of Terror and the dictatorship of Napoleon.
The French Revolution: The Nationalistic Ideas of the Early Third Estate
Works Cited
"The "Cahier de Doleances" (1789)." The History Guide -- Main. 13 Apr. 2009
<http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/cahiers.html>.
"Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen." GaleNet. 13 Apr. 2009
<http://find.galegroup.com/gic/start.do?prodId=GIC>.
"French Revolution." 2009. ABC-CLIO. 4 Mar. 2009 <http://www.worldhistory.abcclio.com>.
Georges, Lefebvre,. Great fear of 1789 rural panic in Revolutionary France. New York:
Vintage Books, 1973.
"Lecture 12: The French Revolution - Moderate Stage, 1789-1792." The History Guide - Main. 13 Apr. 2009 <http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture12a.html>.
Lefebvre, Georges. The French Revolution. Vol. 1. New York: Columbia UP, 1962.
Merriman, John, and Jay Winter, eds. "French Revolution." Europe 1789 to 1914.
Farmington Hills: Thompson Gale, 2006. 884-98.
Morris, Gouverneur. A Diary of the French Revolution. Cambridge: Riverside P, 1939.
Neely, Sylvia. A Concise History of the French Revolution. Lanham: Rowman &
Littlefield INC, 2008.
"The Oath of the Tennis Court (June 20, 1789)." The History Guide. 13 Apr. 2009
<http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/tennis_oath.html>.
Pernoud, Georges. The French Revolution. New York: G.P. Putnam's Son, 1960.
Rude, George. The Crowd in the French Revolution. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1959.
Scott, Samuel F. Response of the Royal Army to the French Revolution the role and
development of the Line Army, 1787-93. Oxford [Eng.]: Clarendon P, 1978.
Soboul, Albert. Short history of the French Revolution, 1789-1799. Berkeley: University
of California P, 1977.