World Studies I

Review: the 3 Estates in France

1st Estate – Catholic Church or Clergy

2nd Estate - Nobles

3rd Estate – Everybody Else!Bourgeoisie (Middle Class) and Peasants

King Louis XVI and Queen Marie

Antoinette

Causes of the French Revolution

• Cause #1: Weak King and large debt– Wasteful spending (jewelry, dresses, parties)– Banks would not lend $ to King Louis XVI and

peasants were already taxed too much, so… he started to tax the nobles!– The nobles forced the King to call a meeting of

the “Estates-General” – an assembly of representatives from all three estates. It hadn’t met for 175 years!!!

Pictures of Queen Marie Antoinette

The picture to the right shows one of the Queen’s elaborate hairdos. (Yes, that’s a boat in her hair!) She often spent A LOT of money on lavish and ridiculous outfits.

The picture below show what the Queen normally did in her free time. The Queen often spent most of her time entertaining guests at the luxurious Palace of Versailles and strolling through its lush gardens. Remember, Marie Antoinette was only 16 when she became the Queen of France!

While the Queen was called “Madame Deficit” by the French people for spending a lot of money on unnecessary things, King Louis XVI was the origin of many of the excesses. An observer at the Palace claimed that the king once ate four plates of soup, a whole pheasant (chicken), a partridge in garlic sauce, two slices of ham, a salad, a plate of pastries, fruit, and hard-boiled eggs in a single sitting! Nearly 500 cooks, waiters, and other servants worked to satisfy him. Every morning, King Louis XIV’s chief valet (servant) woke the king at 7:30. There would be 100 nobles outside of his bed to help him dress.

Pictures of King Louis XVI at the Palace of Versailles

Diamond Necklace for Marie Antoinette: King Louis XVI spent $40 million dollars!!!

American Revolution: King Louis XVI spent $25 billion dollars!!!

(this DOUBLED France’s debt)

Causes of the French Revolution

• Cause #2: High taxes & famine (mainly affected the peasants)– Taxes and the price of basic foods, like bread,

DOUBLED for the peasants! In France, bread was their main food that people ate everyday.

– In 1788, there was a drought (no rain) followed by a REALLY cold winter. The rivers froze and there were no crops (like wheat). This caused a FAMINE (shortage of food).

– Peasants were STARVING TO DEATH!!!!! (literally)

Taxation of Peasants

Before 1789

Peasant’s Initial Earnings $100

Nobility Tax $14

Church Tax $14

Government Tax $53

Total Left for Peasant $18

Average Cost of Basic Necessities

Before 1789

Bread $8

Salt $5

Rent $10

Total Cost $23

Here is an example of how a peasant would have to spend their money BEFORE the revolution

Causes of the French Revolution• Cause #3: Enlightenment Ideas (affected the

bourgeoisie)– Enlightenment thinkers (like Rousseau) helped

convince the bourgeoisie that an absolute monarchy was wrong.

– The bourgeoisie started wanting more basic freedoms (like freedom of speech) and a representative democracy.

– Remember, most of the peasants could not read, so most of them did not know who the Enlightenment philosophers were or their ideas!

Quotes from the Bourgeoisie

• “The Third Estate is the People and the People are the foundation of the State.”

• “We have acquired enlightenment…Each man must forget himself and…detach himself from his individual existence and belong only to the great French society.”

Causes of the French Revolution

• Cause #4: Inequity of Old Regime (the inequality of the 3rd Estate system)– The 3rd Estate paid ALL of the taxes (even though they

were the poorest estate)– Nobles paid very little taxes, but the clergy did not have

to pay ANY taxes – Nobles and clergy had all the political power; this made

the bourgeoisie resentful!– Many times the nobles and clergy got special privileges

from the monarchy because they were part of the 1st and 2nd Estate.

Remember this political cartoon?

How does this image show the inequality

of the 3rd Estate system?