Chapter 20

Section 1

Main Idea: Problems in French society led to a revolution, a new “monarch-free” government

Causes of the Revolution

            -Inequalities in society

                        -“Old Order” divided society into three groups (estates)

                                    -King above them all

                                                -Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette (wife)

                                                            -Lived lavishly

                                                            -“Let them eat cake”

                                    -First estate

                                                -Catholic clergy (1%)

                                                -Did not have to answer to same laws

                                                -Did not pay taxes (owned 10% of land)

                                                -Very wealthy

                                    -Second estate

                                                -Nobility (2%)

                                                -Wealthy, but paid very little taxes

                                    -Third estate (97%)

                                                -Divided into groups

                                                            -Bourgeoisie

                                                                        -Professionals (lawyers, doctors, etc)

                                                                        -Merchants, factory owners

                                                                        -Played no role in government

                                                            -Artisans

                                                                        -Bricklayers, laborers, etc

                                                                        -Sans Culottes

                                                                                    -Out of work laborers

                                                            -Peasants

                                                                        -Farmers, poor

            -Enlightenment ideas

                        -Spread ideas of what gov’t should be

                                    -Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau

                        -Saw how it changed other governments (Britain, US)

            -Financial crisis

                        -France in debt

                                    -Louis XVI tried to tax 2^nd estate (nobles refused)

                        -Bad weather ruined crops

                                    -People hungry, angry

First Events of the Revolution

            -No one in France was happy

            -Estates-General meets to increase taxes on 3^rd estate

                        -All three estates represented

                        -First time in 175 years it met

                        -Each estate given 1 vote

                        -3^rd estate refused to follow old rules

                                    -Declared themselves the National Assembly (legislature)

                                                -King locks them out of meeting

                                    -Tennis Court Oath

                                                -Promise not to leave until a constitution was written

            -Storming of the Bastille

                        -Louis XVI ordered troops to Paris “just in case”

                        -3^rd estate feared violence against them

                                    -Took up arms

                        -July 14, 1789àBastille (prison) mobbed by people looking for weapons

                                    -Overtook Bastilleà-Beginning of Revolution

            -Fear spreads

                        -Many thought king would retaliate

                                    -Rumors spread about potential danger (some fact, fiction)

                                                -“Great Fear”

                        -Peasants destroyed financial records, burned nobles’ houses

Creating a New Nation

            -August 1789àNational Assembly abolished feudalism

            -Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen

                        -Laid out ideas of the Revolution

                                    -Liberty, equality, fraternity

                        -Borrowed ideas from English B of R, Dec. of Indep.

                        -Guaranteed some freedoms

                        -Did not extend rights to women

            -Restrictions on Power

                        -King forced back to Paris (captured)

                        -NA seized church lands, sold them

                        -Religious orders abolished

            -1791àNew constitution written

                        -Restricted kings power

                                    -Legislative Assembly made the laws

                        -More could vote (25, male, paid taxes)

            -1792àOther countries get involved

                        -Austria sent 50,000 troops to border

                                    -Wanted to protect monarchy

                        -WaràFrance losesàBlamed king

                        -Food shortages, inflation, foreign troops all caused chaos

            -August 10 1792àKing and family thrown in prison

            -Legislative Assembly helpless

                        -Disbands, calls for new election

                        -Radicals (wanted major change) in control

                                    -Abolished monarchy, declared France a republic

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