The French Start Out to The French Start Out to Make a SmallMake a SmallRevolution Revolution

and End Up Making a Big Oneand End Up Making a Big One

I. Brief Historiographical Survey (Four Major Interpretations)

A. Senseless Violence and Destruction

– Edmund Burke, Reflections of the Revolution in France, 1790

Edmund Burke, Reflections of the Revolution in France (1790)

I. Brief Historiographical Survey (Four Major Interpretations)

B. Rise of Liberty: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

– Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution, 1837

Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution, 1837

Storming of the BastilleStorming of the Bastille (July 14, (July 14, 1789) by Jean-Pierre-Louis-Laurent 1789) by Jean-Pierre-Louis-Laurent

HouelHouel

I. Brief Historiographical Survey (Four Major Interpretations)

C. Marxist, Class Struggle

– Georges Lefebvre, The Coming of the French Revolution, 1939

D. Revisionist

– William Doyle, Origins of the French Revolution, 1980

II. Myths and Realities of Its Origins

A. Political

1. Despotic Rule of the Bourbon Dynasty?

2. Illogical Character of French Government?

3. Wars of the French Kings?

4. Lack of Effective Leadership at Crucial Times

II. Myths and Realities of Its Origins (continued)

B. Social and Economic

1. Rise of the Middle Class and Their Opposition of Mercantilism?

2. Survival of Privilege?

3. Inequitable System of Taxation?

4. Inability to Solve the Credit Crunch

5. Bad Harvests during 1780’s

II. Myths and Realities of Its Origins (continued)

C. Intellectual

1. Contribution of Philosophes?

2. American Revolution?

3. Education

a. Grub Street Writers — Scandal and Slander

b. Lawyers and Civil Servants

Grub StreetGrub Street

According to Samuel Johnson’s According to Samuel Johnson’s DictionaryDictionary, the term was , the term was

“originally the name of a street...much inhabited by writers of “originally the name of a street...much inhabited by writers of

small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems, whence small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems, whence

any mean production is called grubstreet.” any mean production is called grubstreet.”

Grub Street Grub Street (formerly (formerly Milton Milton Street) in Street) in LondonLondon

Engraving from Robert Engraving from Robert Chambers, Chambers, Book of Days: A Book of Days: A Miscellany of AntiquitiesMiscellany of Antiquities, 2 , 2 vols., 1vols., 1stst ed. (London: W. and ed. (London: W. and R. Chambers, 1866−1868)R. Chambers, 1866−1868)

Oath of the Tennis Court (June 20, Oath of the Tennis Court (June 20, 1789), drawing by Jacques Louis David 1789), drawing by Jacques Louis David

(1748−1825) made in 1791(1748−1825) made in 1791

III. Significant Results

A. Medical Reforms

B. Relatively Efficient and Centralized Tax System

C. Reform of Legal Code — Equality Before the Law

D. Nationalism — Ideology That Integrated Society from Top to

Bottom

E. Metric System of Measurement

Countries that use metric system color Countries that use metric system color coded according to when adoptedcoded according to when adopted

James Burke, Social Impact of New Medical Knowledge, part 1

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) — hospitalsMadame Helvetius (1719–1800) — salonsPierre-Jean Georges Cabanis (1757–1808) Gottfried Leibniz (1646–1716) — infinitesimal calculusFredrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling (1775–1854) —

NaturphilosophieMarie François Xavier Bichat (1771–1802) — Treatise on

Membranes (1800)Pierre-Simon Marquis de Laplace (1749–1827) — probability theoryNapoleon I Bonaparte (1769–1821)

Population of France in 1789

First Estate: Clergy 135,000 0.5%

Second Estate: Nobility 400,000 1.6%

Third Estate: Bourgeoisie 1,000,000 3.9%

Non-agricultural workers 2,000,000 7.8%

Farmers (landowning and tenant) 5,000,000 19.6%

Sharecroppers 11,000,000 43.1%

Day Laborers 5,000,000 19.6%

Serfs 1,000,000 3.9%

25,500,000

The Radical’s The Radical’s ArmsArms

Guillotine (1792 Guillotine (1792 model)model)

Not invented by Joseph-Ignace Not invented by Joseph-Ignace Guillotin but by Antoine Louis.Guillotin but by Antoine Louis.

First used April 25, 1792.First used April 25, 1792.

Execution of Louis XVI (January 23, Execution of Louis XVI (January 23, 1793)1793)

Beheading of Louis XVI Beheading of Louis XVI

Table 3.2 Overall wealth, 1774 Table 3.2 Overall wealth, 1774 Thirteen New Middle South

Colonies England ColoniesAvg. per capita: (1) Net worth 44.9 31.3 46.4 51.6 (2) Total physical wealth 46.5 36.6 41.9 54.8 (3) Land (real estate) 25.6 26.1 25.9 25.1 (4) Portable, human & nonhuman 20..9 10.5 16.0 29.6 (5) Financial assets 7.5 6.5 14.6 3.9 (6) Financial liabilities 9.1 11.7 10.1 7.1 A vg. per wealth holder: (7) Net worth 243.2 138.0 207.1 371.8 (8) Total physical wealth 252.0 161.2 186.8 394.7 (9) Land (real estate) 138.5 115.1 115.5 181.1 (10) Portable, human & nonhuman 113.5 46.1 71.2 213.6 (11) Financial assets 40.6 28.5 65.3 28.3 (12) Cash 5.9 1.8 8.1 7.5 (13) Claims, good 32.2 26.4 56.4 14.7 (14) Claims, doubtful 2.5 0.2 0.8 6.1 (15) Financial liabilities 49.3 51.6 45.0 51.2

FINISFINIS