The French Revolution
1789-1799
This cartoon represents the social order in France before the French
Revolution. While a member of the Third Estate is beginning to
express anger and rise up, a nobleman representing the Second
Estate and a priest, representing the First Estate, recoil in surprise
and fear.
The First Estate
 Consisted
of Clergy members
 Owned 10% of land
 Collected tithes
 Tax-exempt
The Second Estate
 Consisted
of the titled nobility
 Held top jobs in the govt, army,
church, and courts
 Owned 20% of land
 Tax-exempt
 Had exclusive hunting privileges
The Third Estate
 Made
up 97% of population
 Paid about 50% of their income in
taxes
• Dues to nobles
• Corvee – unpaid labor to repair roads
• Tithes to the Church
• Taxes to the king
The Third Estate
 Bourgeoisie-
Middle Class
 Jobs included merchants,
bankers, lawyers, doctors and
professors (fam. w/ Enlightenment
ideas)
 Most were educated and well off,
but paid very high taxes, lacked
privileges.
The Third Estate
 Peasants
and urban workers
made up the rest
 The smallest rise in food prices
could cause widespread
starvation
• Prostitution and child abandonment
were common
 Forbidden
to hunt for food
Causes of the French
Revolution
1. Resentment of the Third
Estate/Social Inequality (Old
Regime)
2. Enlightenment Ideas
- The Old Regime did not pass the
test of reason. Success of
American Revolution key.
Causes of the French
Revolution
3. Economic Problems
•
•
•
Deficit spending – L16 and Marie
Antoinette – “Madame Deficit”
Huge national debt (half of all tax
revenue was going toward
interest alone.)
Poor harvests caused the price
of bread to double in 1789
Causes of the French
Revolution
4. Weak
Leadership
- Louis XVI was indecisive
- neglected duties as king
- preferred hunting and
tinkering with locks as hobbies
The Estates-General
 Had
not been called together in
175 yrs – years of absolutism
 With France on the verge of
bankruptcy, L16 called it
together on May 5, 1789 at
Versailles
The National Assembly



Third Estate wanted voting reform = 1
vote per delegate, instead of 1 vote per
estate. Louis XVI and nobles refused.
Declared themselves the National
Assembly
The Tennis Court Oath:
“vow to never separate” until they
had drawn up a new constitution
Storming the Bastille


Sensing trouble, Louis XVI stationed
foreign troops around Paris.
Fearing that the king was going to try to
stop the new reforms of the National
Assembly or order the troops to
massacre them, French citizens decide
to arm themselves.
Storming the Bastille




Bastille- a medieval fortress used to hold
political prisoners
A mob of 800 stormed the prison:
• In search of guns and ammunition
• To revolt against a symbol of tyranny
The commander and 5 guards were
beheaded; heads paraded through the
city.
July 14: Bastille Day- independence day
The Revolution Spreads
The “Great Fear” – rumors caused
panic; peasants set fire to manor
records
 Aug 4 – nobles voted to end their
privileges: gave up feudal dues,
hunting rights, and tax exemption
 The Old Regime was dead!


Declaration of the Rights of Man
• Adopted by the N.A. on Aug. 27
• “Men are born and remain free
and equal in rights”

Women’s March on Versailles (Oct 5)
• 6,000 women marched 12 miles in
the rain from Paris to Versailles
demanding bread. Forced L16 and
family to return to Paris.
National Assembly Reforms




Voted to sell church lands to pay off
France’s huge debt.
The Church was placed under state
control.
Even peasants who wanted change
protested this. Why?
This act drove a wedge between the
peasants and bourgeoisie.
National Assembly Reforms

Constitution of 1791
• Transformed France into a constitutional
•
•
monarchy (instead of absolute)
Gave the new Legislative Assembly the power
to make laws, collect taxes, etc…
King Louis XVI and family tried to escape, but
were recognized and forced to return to Paris
under house arrest.