The French Revolution

Great unrest in Fr. Bad harvests High prices High taxes Enlight. ideas

Prd. prior to 1789 = Old Regime

I. The Old Regime

Absolute monarch at top Society = broken into Estates (3)

First & Second = fewest people, but most $

A. First Estate Consisted of clergy (Roman Catholic Church) <1% of pop. Privileges:

Only Church courts could try its own Did not pay taxes Owned 1/10th of all Fr. land (charged rent, taxes)

Higher clergy held most wealth Lost view of spiritual duties

Lower clergy (parish priests) performed most work for little pay

B. Second Estate

Consisted of nobility <2% of pop. Privileges:

Wear a sword Primogeniture Paid few taxes, if any Collected feudal dues from peasants Held high positions in army & govt.

C. Third Estate Rest of people About 97% of pop. Divided into 3 groups:

Bourgeoisie –middle class Laborers & artisans Peasants

Paid rent for land, the heaviest taxes, & 1/10th of income to Church

No voice in govt.

II. Growing Discontent Pop. growth Changing economic conditions

High taxes & rents (First & Second Estates) Food prices rose, but not wages

1780s = crop failures (food shortages) Third Est. resented others b/c of their wealth

Did not have to pay taxes

Blamed King Big spender (Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette) 1786: bankers cut off loans to govt.

Discontent among bourgeoisie Wanted political power Resented paying taxes Wanted to eliminate govt. interference Wanted positions in Church, army, govt.

Discontent among First & Second Estates Disliked power of King

Had lost power as King gained power

A. A Weak Leader 1774: Louis XVI became king

Wife = Marie Antoinette (“Madame Deficit”) Debt was worsening Louis sought advice…

TAX THE FIRST TWO ESTATES!!!! 1787: bankers cut off loans to govt. Estates General

Reps. from all three estates to approve tax May 15, 1789 at Versailles

III. Meeting of the Estates General

Bad times inflation, financial crisis, high food prices

Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes—sympathetic clergyman What then is the Third Estate? All. But an ‘all’ that

is fettered (chained) & oppressed. What would it be w/out the privileged? It would be all; but free & flourishing. Nothing will go well w/out the Third Estate; everything would go considerably better w/out the two others

Powers of Estates General? Originally, each estate cast one vote Third Estate reps. = bourgeoisie

Wanted “real voice” Had as many reps as other two combined Goal = popular vote

May 5, 1789: Estates General met Louis wanted to follow old custom Third Estate refused to meet

Third Estate = National Assembly June 17, 1789—became official First deliberate act of the rev. King locked them out

Met at tennis court Tennis Court Oath – CONSTITUTION!!!…never to cry to the King, and to meet quietly when

the circumstances demand, until the constitution of France is happily singing.

Three estates could meet together

IV. The Spread of Revolution

Louis brought troops to Paris & Versailles July 14, 1789: people stormed Bastille for

weapons General Lafayette – formed Nat’l Guard New French flag adopted

“Great Fear” peasants were fearful of noble retaliation

Peasants struck first Attacked monasteries & manors Burned records of rents, dues, etc.

Oct. 1789: Parisian women rioted b/c of bread costs Forced king & queen to leave Versailles