French Revolution

Background on France1700s France was most advanced country of EuropeLarge population & prosperous foreign tradeCenter of the Enlightenment

Social ProblemsOld Regime- people divided into 3 large social classes or

“estates”1st Estate

Roman Catholic Church & Clergy Owned 10% of land in France Provided education to poor and only 2% of income to

government2nd Estate

Rich nobles Owned 20% of land Paid almost no taxes

1st & 2nd estates rejected enlightenment ideas because it threatened their status as privileged people

Social Problems Cont’d3rd Estate

97% of the population 3 groups within this class

1. Bourgeoise- middle class (bankers, factory workers, merchants, skilled professionals)

Believed in enlightenment ideas Many were as rich as the nobles but paid much higher taxes

2. City workers- cooks, servants, & others who were poorly paid & often unemployed

3. Peasants- 80% of the French population (20/26 million) Farm workers Paid roughly ½ of their income to church or nobles

3 Factors of Revolution1. Enlightenment Ideas

People inspired by American revolutionBegan demanding EQUALITY, liberty, & democracy to fix

their society

3 Factors of Revolution

2. Economic TroublesEconomy was in declineGood production/trade but taxes made workers

no profitsCrop failures (bad winter)- caused starvation

3 Factors of Revolution

3. Weak Leader- Louis 16th Inherited debtDoubled debt by helping American’s win independencePaid little attention to advisers & didn’t like government

businessMarie Antoinette (Queen of France)

Interfered w/ gov. business and offered poor advice Spent lots of $ on gowns, jewels, gambling, & gifts Very unpopular in France “Madame Deficit”

King’s SolutionDid not cut expensesRaised taxes on nobilityForced king to call a meeting of delegates from each estate to

discuss tax issue

Revolution In previous meetings each estate got 1 vote- 1st & 2nd estate

always voted with each other 3rd Estate- had more delegates than others combined

Wanted each delegate to have a voteNational Assembly- 3rd Estate

Claimed to represent all people Ended absolute monarchy Beginning of representative democracy in France 1st act of the revolution

Tennis Court Oath Locked out of meeting room Broke down door to indoor tennis court and promised not to leave

until they had formed a new constitution

Revolution Cont’d

Fall of Bastille French citizens took control of a prison 1st act of violence Celebrated like 4th of July

Great Fear

Rebellion spreading throughout FranceRumors that nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize citiensGreat Fear

Wave of panic throughout FrancePeasants began to storm gov. buildings destroying

documents, demanding food, and stealing suppliesBroke into palace of Versailles, killed the guards, demanded

King & Queen return to ParisThis signaled a change in power and reforms that were about

to over take France

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