THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Lesson 3.4

Knight’s Charge

What was the name of the king who ruled over the English colonies?

What is the difference between a citizen and a subject?

What was the colonists primary complaint towards England?

If Mr. Sliwa lived in the ocean, what would he be?

Weird Disney Fact of the Day!

There is a secret club at Disneyland called “club 33.”

It is hidden in the “New Orleans” district. It is for the ultra rich and famous…We

won’t be going.

Louis XVI King of France Louis XVI was an awkward, clumsy

man who had a good heart but was completely unable to relate to the people on a personal level.

He often appeared unfeeling and gruff

He was insecure and supposedly disliked being King of France

When one of his ministers resigned, he supposedly remarked “why can I not resign as well?”

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette, in her early years as queen, was flighty and irresponsible.

She spent HUGE amounts on clothing, buying a new dress nearly every other day.

Being Austrian, she was extremely unpopular (not French) and had very few friends.

The Palace of Versailles

The King and Queen of France lived in luxury at the magnificent Palace of Versailles just outside of Paris.

Do you think most people in France

lived like this?

French Society is Divided

France was under the Ancien Regime.

Ancien Regime – Old order, aristocratic structure where society was divided into three classes called “Estates.”

Obviously, this order favored the rich elite.

French Society Divided

First Estate – Clergy (mainly bishops and church leaders)Enjoyed immense

wealthAllowed to collect taxesPaid no taxes to the

stateOwned 10% of all of the

land in France

French Society Divided

Second Estate – NoblesDid not pay high

taxesOwned landHeld the top

government jobs

French Society Divided The Third Estate – Made up of very

different kinds of people (3 kinds). This may get a bit confusing:

Bourgeoisie – Prosperous bankers, merchants, lawyers, doctors, manufacturers (the middle class)

Rural Peasants – The bulk of the third estate. Farmers, tenant farmers, laborers.

Urban Workers – Poorest members. Unemployed, street vendors, printers, etc.

French Society Divided

The first and second estates paid almost no taxes.

The Third Estate greatly disliked the First and Second Estate.

The Third Estate paid taxes on everything from soap to salt.

Do people like taxes?

Financial Troubles

Caused by Deficit Spending Deficit Spending – When a government

spends more than it earns.National debt will soar because wars and

helping the American Revolution forced the government to borrow money.

Both France and Spain supported the U.S. in the American Revolution.

Financial Troubles Bad Harvests – made food costs rise

and left poor with less money to pay taxes - - - - - > STARVATION

The first and second estates STILL refused to pay taxes…

The Third Estate would form a “National Assembly.”

Locked Out In June 1789, the Third class’s

National Assembly was locked out of the meeting hall.

They gathered on an indoor tennis court and signed the “Tennis Court Oath” swearing to meet anywhere until justice was met!

The Third estate would influence some reform minded clergy to change the taxes!

But…Louis would ignore the changes!

Parisians Storm the Bastille

Rumors swarmed Paris that Royal troops were going to occupy the capital and suppress the third class.

800 Parisians assembled outside of the Bastille.

Bastille – a medieval fortress and current prison.

The people assembled to take what weapons were there and to free the prisoners.

Parisians Storm the Bastille

They killed the guards and released the prisoners…but found no weapons.

This is considered the beginning of the French Revolution

The French now celebrate “Bastille Day” every July 14th.

Viva La Revolucion!

French Revolution – Crash Course