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FRENCH REVOLUTION

FRENCH REVOLUTION. 1789-1799. The Three Estates. First Estate Clergy Collect taxes, operated schools and hospitals Less than one percent of population Owned 10 percent of land Second Estate Nobility Born into rights and privileges Tax exempt Less than two percent of population

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FRENCH REVOLUTION

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  1. FRENCH REVOLUTION 1789-1799

  2. The Three Estates • First Estate • Clergy Collect taxes, operated schools and hospitals • Less than one percent of population • Owned 10 percent of land • Second Estate • Nobility • Born into rights and privileges • Tax exempt • Less than two percent of population • Owned 20-25 percent of land • Both hated enlightenment ideas

  3. Third Estate • Rest of society • Mostly peasants • Paid ALL taxes • 97 percent of population • Bourgeoisie • Owned means of production • Lawyers, doctors, etc. • Exploited by clergy and nobility

  4. Life of a peasant • No food • Starvation • Few privileges • Servants = skilled and unskilled • Laborers • Responsible for taxes • Wars, palaces, used to support wealthy

  5. Louis XVI and Marie antoinette • King and Queen of France 1774-1792 • Supported American Revolution, 1776 • Represented absolute monarchy • Inherited debt • Bad spending habits • Palace of Versailles

  6. Long term Causes • Corrupt & inconsistent leadership • Massive debt • Absolute monarch • Resentment of 3rd Estate privileges • Paid largest sum of taxes • No voice in government • First and Second Estate would overrule Third Estate • Each estate had one vote • Enlightenment Philosophy • “Freedom of the Individual” • Voltaire, Diderot, Turgot • Saw effects of American Revolution

  7. Short Term Causes • Government debt • Did not tax upper class • War debt, tax evasion • Poor harvest • Bad weather in 1780s led to crop failure • Increase in the price of bread • Rejection of financial reforms • Attempted to force nobles to pay taxes, failed

  8. Estates general • One vote per estate • Clergy and nobility joined to outvote Third Estate • Versailles May 1789 • First meeting since 1614 • Third Estate formed National Assembly • Sign of revolution

  9. National assembly • Third Estate established own government • 1789 • Inspired by Abbe Sieyes • French Roman Catholic

  10. “the third estate awakens”

  11. Confrontation with king • Louis XVI locked Third Estate out of National Assembly’s meeting hall • Moved to nearby tennis courts for meetings • Tennis Court Oath • Vowed not to leave • King reversed position • Ordered first two estates to join National Assembly • Called French troops to Paris

  12. Storming of the Bastille • Rioting in Paris, early July • Louis fired Necker • Lowered Third Estate taxes • Paris mobs seized weapons from armory • Attacked Bastille • Prison and armory: symbol of oppression • Soldiers refused to stop attack • Bastille destroyed

  13. Declaration of the rights of man and citizen • Adopted by National Assembly, 1789 • Enlightenment ideas • Outlined basic freedoms held by all • Asserted sovereignty of the people • “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”

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