Name: ____________________
Period: ____________________
The Causes of the French Revolution
There was a revolution in _________________ in 1789. The ruler of France before
the
Revolution
was
King
____________
XVI.
His
wife
was
Queen
___________________________________. King Louis XVI lived in his palace at
_____________________ near Paris.
One of the reasons why there was a revolution in France in 1789 is that the king ran
out of __________________. He spent lots of money on two wars against
_________________. One was in 1756 and another one was in 1778. In the second
war the French were helping the _______________ break away from British control.
Another cause of the French Revolution was the problems faced by the
_____________________, also known as the ______ estate. They were so poor that
they did not have enough money to feed their families. This was made worse when
the crops failed to grow and there was a terrible _______________ in 1788.
WORDS:
taxes
commoners
Americans
3rd
Louis
Marie Antoinette
government
Enlightenment
Britain
clergy
2nd
France
debt
Versailles
1st
famine
money
nobility
Another cause of the French Revolution was that the two wealthy groups in France would not give the king
money. The ________________, also known as the ________ estate and the ______________, also known
as the __________ estate, had lots of land and money but would not pay ________________. This left the
country in ________________.
A final reason why the French had a revolution in 1789 was the spread of governmental ideas. A new set of
ideas called the __________________________ attacked the power of the king and the church. These made
lots of ordinary French people think that they should have some power over the _____________________.
I am a bishop of the
church. I have lots of
money, but I pray for
the king and the glory
of France, therefore I
should not have to pay
taxes.
1st Estate
2nd
Estate
I am in a tough
spot! If I don’t
figure something
out soon, society as
a whole may rise up
against my throne.
Man…my neck is
starting to get sore.
King Louis XVI
I am a lord. I have
lots of money, but
I protect France
from invasions
and offer advice to
the king, therefore
I should not have
to pay taxes.
I am a peasant. I
have nothing to
give. When the
crops fail, prices
of goods rise and
my family suffers.
3rd Estate