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The French Revolution. 1789. Causes of French Revolution. Ideas of liberty and equality from the American Revolution (note: Constitution was signed 2 yrs before in 1787) Enlightenment ideas of John Locke . Causes of French Revolution. Vast majority of people were broke and hungry.
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The French Revolution • 1789
Causes of French Revolution • Ideas of liberty and equality from the American Revolution (note: Constitution was signed 2 yrs before in 1787) • Enlightenment ideas of John Locke
Causes of French Revolution • Vast majority of people were broke and hungry. • Vast majority were in the lowest estate
Society under the Old Regime • In France, people were divided into three estates • First Estate (1%) • High-ranking members of the Church • Privileged class • Second Estate (2%) • Nobility • Privileged class • Third Estate (97%) • Everyone else – from peasants in the countryside to wealthy bourgeoisie merchants in the cities • Unprivileged class
Bourgeoisie • Part of the third estate, they were the “middle class” of France. • They were bankers, merchants, factory owners (educated people) • Led the revolution
Revolution - beginnings • Although people were starving and the country was broke, the royal family flaunted their wealth and uncaring.
Jack and Jill Rhyme Nursery Rhyme & History Jack and Jill story - The French (history) connection! The roots of the story, or poem, of Jack and Jill are in France. Jack and Jill referred to are said to be King Louis XVI - Jack -who was beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette - Jill - (who came tumbling after). The words and lyrics to the Jack and Jill poem were made more acceptable as a story for children by providing a happy ending! The actual beheadings occurred in during the Reign of Terror in 1793.
The Guillotine was a cruel form of punishment of death during the French Revolution. The Executioner cranked the blade to the top, and a mechanism released it. The blade was heavy, with its weight made the fall and the slice through the neck, severing the head from its body. About 90% of beheadings were of the third estate, about 7% from the second estate and about 3% from the first estate.
In spite of its efficiency, an execution by guillotine was still a sickening spectacle. When the head was severed, blood poured from the body as the heart continued to pump. When it was used frequently (as it was during the revolution), the stench from the place of execution was horrible.
Although the guillotine is most closely associated with the French, the Nazis guillotined more people (20,000) than were killed during the French Revolution. Hitler considered it a demeaning form of punishment and used it for political executions in 1942 and 1943. The last use of the guillotine was in 1977. Capital punishment has been abolished in France.
Bread riots • People were hungry; the country was broke. • This picture is from an all-woman bread riot. • Marie Antionette said “let them eat cake”
King Louis XVI • His grandfather Louis XIV was the ultimate “absolutist” king. • This king was weak • He had so little control, he called for the French congress to fix the problems
Estates General meets The part of the French Congress representing the third estate left and declared themselves THE congress of France.
The Tennis Court Oath “The National Assembly, considering that it has been summoned to establish the constitution of the kingdom, to effect the regeneration of the public order, and to maintain the true principles of monarchy; that nothing can prevent it from continuing its deliberations in whatever place it may be forced to establish itself; and, finally, that wheresoever its members are assembled, there is the National Assembly; “Decrees that all members of this Assembly shall immediately take a solemn oath not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established and consolidated upon firm foundations; and that, the said oath taken, all members and each one of them individually shall ratify this steadfast resolution by signature.”
Storming the Bastille • Rumors began that the King was going to use military force to break up the National assembly • A mob went to a Paris Prison, The Bastille, to get weapons • Killed several guards, paraded their heads around the city
Events continued • French created the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen modeled after the Declaration of Independence
Conditions in Paris • Conditions were poor in Paris for the common people. • High price of bread, low supplies • Rumors spread that the King and Queen were responsible for the shortages • Then French troops marched to the capital. • Rumors spread quickly among the already restless mobs that the King was intending to use them against the people.
The Great Fear • By the end of July and beginning of August there were riots in the countryside. • Peasants burned their nobles' chateaux and destroyed documents which contained their feudal obligations
The Flight to Varennes • The King did not fully accept the new constitution (e.g., the Civil Constitution of the Clergy) and decided to leave the country. • On June 20, 1791, the King and his family fled. • The King was disguised as a steward and his son was wearing a dress. • At the border village of Varennes, he was recognized and caught.
Goals of French Revolution? On your notes page, think about what the goals were for the French Revolution Try to think of 5 goals that the people of France were interested in achieving (We’ll make a list on the board)
Effects of the French Revolution • Both the King and Queen were beheaded • French monarchy was no more • In addition to the Royal family, 17,000 people were executed with the guillotine.
The French Flag • The Marquis de Lafayette, commander of the new National Guard, combined the colors of the King (white) and the colors of Paris (blue and red) for his guardsmen's uniforms and from this came the Tricolor, the new French flag.
