By: Robin HoulahanBy: Robin Houlahan

It was the best of times, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of it was the age of foolishness, foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of it was the epoch of incredulity…incredulity…

-- Charles Dickens-- Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities A Tale of Two Cities

“..power transferred by a

series of successive

shocks to ever more radical

groups.”

“ The single most important event in the history of

government.”

The French Monarchy:The French Monarchy:1775 - 17931775 - 1793

Louis XVILouis XVI

•“Dull and Slow Witted”

•“Well intentioned”

•“Dull and Slow Witted”

•“Well intentioned”

•“Let them Eat Cake”

•Austrian

•Married at 15

•Guillotined

•“Let them Eat Cake”

•Austrian

•Married at 15

•Guillotined

Marie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette

Marie Marie AntoinetteAntoinette and the and the Royal Royal

ChildrenChildren

““Palace of Versailles”Palace of Versailles”

Financial Financial ProblemsProblems• Lots of money spent on American Revolution

• Storm causes price of flour to up which causes the price of bread to go up—people rioted

• Peasants spent 30-50% of their income on bread

• Population was increasing- in 1780’s 40,000 babies were abandoned

• Queen spent a lot of money on herself- hair, clothing, etc.

The French Urban PoorThe French Urban Poor

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% of Income Spent on Bread

1787

1788

a Urban Urban Commoner’sCommoner’sBudget:Budget:

– Food 80%Food 80%– Rent 25%Rent 25%– Tithe 10%Tithe 10%– Taxes 35%Taxes 35%– Clothing 20%Clothing 20%– TOTAL 170%TOTAL 170%

a King’s King’s Budget:Budget:

– Interest 50%Interest 50%– Army 25%Army 25%– Versailles 25%Versailles 25%– Coronation 10%Coronation 10%– Loans 25%Loans 25%– Admin. 25%Admin. 25%– TOTAL 160%TOTAL 160%

Financial ProblemsFinancial Problemsin France, 1789in France, 1789

French Budget, 1774French Budget, 1774

3 Estates (Social Classes)1st Estate-

Clergy1st Estate-

Clergy2nd Estate-

Nobility2nd Estate-

Nobility

3rd Estate-

“Everyone Else”

3rd Estate-

“Everyone Else”

1st Estate- Clergy

• Owned 10% of the land

• Provided education and relief services to the poor

• Contributed 2% of its income to the government

• Less than 2% of the population

• Received tithes and excluded from taxes

2nd Estate- Nobility

• Owned 20% of the land

• Paid almost no taxes

• Received land and taxes

• Exempt from Corvee

3rd Estate- “Everyone Else”Bourgeois

ieBourgeois

ie

Petite Bourgeoisi

e

Petite Bourgeoisi

e

Peasants

Peasants

Bourgeoisie

• Merchants and artisans, well educated, believed in ideas of Enlightenment

• Some were as rich as nobles, but lacked privileges

• Forced to work on corvee (applies to all of the 3rd estate)

Petite Bourgeoisie

• Cooks, servants, and other workers/merchants

• Paid low wages• Directly influenced by

economy

Peasants

• Formed 80% of the 26 million population• Peasants paid half of their income to nobles,

tithes to the church, and taxes• Even had to pay taxes on staple items such as

salt.