The French Revolution

1789-1799

Context and Causes: Social Issues● The “Old Regime”- the old social order- divided French society into 3 social

classes (“estates”): ○ First Estate- Church clergy- 1% of population, owned 10% of land, paid almost no taxes○ Second Estate- Nobles- 2% of population, owned 20% of land, paid almost no taxes○ Third Estate- 97% of population- paid HIGH TAXES, lacked privileges.

These sharp class distinctions caused resentment among lower classes!

Context and Causes: Economic Issues● By the 1780s, France’s economy was in decline● Huge debt from wars and extravagant spending● Crushing tax burden on the Third Estate ● Rising cost of living, stagnant wages= people struggling● By 1786, bankers refused to loan the government more money= govt started

running out of money!

Context and Causes: Environmental Issues● Bad weather in 1780s=

crop failures= shortage of grain= not enough bread!

Context and Causes: Political Issues● France’s new king, Louis

XVI, was weak and indecisive

● Marie Antoinette, from Austria, was seen as out of touch and extravagant

Context and Causes: New Ideas/Inspiration● Enlightenment views spread

among the Third Estate● Britain had limited their

monarch’s power (Magna Carta, Parliament)

● The success of the American Revolution inspired the Third Estate

Buildup to the Revolution: 1789● The Estates-General (meeting of the 3 estates) met to discuss tax increases

○ Each estate had equal voting power- top 2 estates could outvote the 3rd estate

○ Third Estate wanted this changed- wanted each delegate to have a vote (giving the edge to the Third Estate)

○ Louis XVI sided with the nobles (keep current voting rules)

The Revolution Begins: June 1789● The Third Estate became the National

Assembly -passed laws in the name of the French people

● Proclaimed the end of absolute monarchy (beginning of French representative government)

● Louis XVI gathered an army● Revolutionaries gathered weapons to defend

Paris- stormed the Bastille (a medieval prison) for gunpowder

The French Revolution had begun!

Early Stages of the Revolution: 1789-1791● August 1789: National Assembly swept away privileges of the first two estates, adopted

the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen- stated natural rights, freedom of speech and religion

● October 1789: French women marched to Versailles- ordered Louis and Marie Antoinette to follow them to Paris (they did)

● The National Assembly ended independence of the Church● 1791- National Assembly adopted a new constitution- established a limited

constitutional monarchy

The Revolution Continues: 1791-1793● Other nations were alarmed- wanted the French king reinstalled- France went to war

with them● 1792: The radical Jacobins took control:

○ The monarchy was completely removed○ Created the French Republic- males were given the right to vote.

● Louis XVI was taken prisoner- stood trial for treason- sentenced to death (he and Marie Antoinette were guillotined in 1793)

● Britain, Holland, and Spain also declared war on France

The Revolution Turns Radical: 1793-1794● The revolution turned radical under the Jacobins, led by

Maximilien Robespierre- he said the revolution’s ideas needed to be protected from “enemies”= many killed

● Attempted to wipe out traces of France’s past- changed the calendar, closed churches

● Eventually, people got tired of the Terror- Robespierre himself was guillotined

The End of the Revolution: 1795-1799● People wanted a more stable

government- resulted in The Directory (group of 5 men)

● While it did lead to more stability, the Directory was corrupt- Napoleon Bonaparte, a popular general, seized power- essentially a military dictatorship

FRANCE UNDER NAPOLEON (1799-1815)● 1799- seized control of France● Kept key ideas of the French Revolution:

Civil equality, religious freedom● Restored the Church, but kept it separate

from government● Napoleonic Code- uniform set of laws,

restricted some freedoms (such as freedom of the press, freedom of speech); also restored slavery

● 1804- Napoleon became emperor of France● Major mistake was invading Russia in 1812

HAITI● Haiti was a French colony in the

Caribbean- produced sugar (large slave labor force)

● 1791- slaves rebelled- inspired by the American and French revolutions- successfully got their freedom (only successful slave revolt in history)

● Napoleon tried to bring slavery back

● 1804- Haiti got their independence from France

LATIN AMERICA● Most of Latin America was colonized by

Spain; Brazil colonized by Portugal● Napoleon invaded Spain- made his brother

King of Spain● Colonists used this as an opportunity to gain

their independence● Leaders such as Simon Bolivar got colonists

to think of themselves as Americanos, not Spanish

● Spain’s colonies fought wars of independence- violent struggle against Spain

● Brazil gained independence peacefully from Portugal

Simon Bolivar