Mr. Wang's History Class, World History, The French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, Lesson 1, A Call to Revolution

1. LESSON 1
A CALL TO REVOLUTION
World History - The French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars
Mr. Wang’s History Class

2. Do you hear the people sing? - Les Miserables
Something to help us get in the mood of the French Revolution!

3. Content Standards
10.2 - Students compare and contrast the Glorious Revolution of
England, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution
and their enduring effects worldwide on the political
expectations for self-government and individual liberty.
• 10.2.4 – Explain how the ideology of the French Revolution led France to develop
from constitutional monarchy to democratic despotism to the Napoleonic empire.

4. Big Idea: Human Rights
• What are essential human rights that everybody should have?
• Essential and Universal Rights of Humanity: Understanding the
process of attaining rights for all humanity allows us to better
empathize with current battles for equality and fairness.

5. Big Idea: Revolutions
• What are the causes of civil unrest and revolutions?
• Nature of Revolutions: Exploring the different causes of civil unrest
(i.e. social, economic, ideological) provides us with knowledge on
how to identify early symptoms of revolutions and the tools to
remedy them.

6. Lesson Objectives
• Students examine the societal structure of France by comparing
and contrasting the characteristics of the First, Second, and
Third Estates.
• Students analyze how the social inequality within the Three
Estates contributed to the French Revolution.

7. Warm-up: Why Revolt?
Think-Write-Pair-Share
1. What’s happening in the picture?
2. What are the people holding?
3. What could make people angry enough to
do that?
4. Why do people revolt? List and draw 3
reasons.
*Hint: Think back on our study of the
American Revolution.*

8. Background: False Appearances
France was considered the most
advanced European in the 1700s:
1. Center of the Enlightenment
2. Large population
3. Thriving foreign trade
4. French culture and fashion were
praised and emulated globally

9. Background: False Appearances
However… France was plagued by:
1. High prices of food
2. High taxes on the poor
3. General unrest due to revolutionary
Enlightenment ideas

10. Why did the French Revolution Begin?
1. Ideological: Ideas of the Enlightenment, Influences of the
American Revolution
2. Social: Social Inequality within the Three Estates
3. Economic: Debts, Unfair Taxation, High Prices of Bread
4. Political: Weak Leadership

11. Causes for Revolution: SOCIAL

12. Problems of the Old Regime
What is the Old Regime?
1. The political and social system that existed in France before the
French Revolution.
2. It shared key characteristics with feudalism
3. Under this form of government, the people of France were divided
into three large social classes known as the Three Estates.

13. The Three Estates
The Three Estates make up the
structure of the French society
• First Estate (Clergy) and Second
Estate (Nobility) have privileges: can
hold high offices and are exempt from
paying taxes
• Third Estate (Bourgeoisie, Workers,
Peasants) cannot hold high offices and
have to pay taxes

14. Social Inequality
Can you guess who is who in the picture?
How can you tell?
*Hint: One of them is King Louis XVI*

15. First Estate
Clergy of the Roman Catholic Church
• 1% of the population, yet owned 10% of land
• Paid 2% of income to government
• Have access to high offices
• Provided education and services to the poor
• Received tithes (donations) from peasants
• Disliked Enlightenment ideas

16. Second Estate
Rich Nobles and other Nobility
• 2% of the population, yet owned 20-25% of land
• Have many privileges and held highest positions in
government
• Paid almost no taxes
• Taxed the peasants
• Disliked Enlightenment ideas

17. Third Estate
Divided into three groups: Middle class
(bourgeoisie), workers, and peasants
• Remaining population, roughly 97-98%
• Few privileges
• Heavily taxed, paid 50% of income for taxes
• No power to influence the government
• Embraced Enlightenment ideas

18. 1st Group: Bourgeoisie
Merchants and Artisans
• Power growing since Middle Ages
• Many are well-educated
• Believed strongly in Enlightenment ideals of liberty
and equality
• Some are as wealthy as nobles, but still paid much in
taxes and lacked privileges
• Desired the social status and political power to match
their wealth

19. 2nd Group : Workers
Urban Middle Class (Cooks, Servants… etc)
• Poorer than bourgeoisie
• Paid low wages, often out of work and thus went hungry
(can’t pay for bread)
• The most literate
• Most supported revolution

20. 3rd Group: Peasants
• Largest group within the Third Estate, 80%
of the total population
• Paid 50% of income in taxes to nobles, tithes
to the church (clergy), and to the king
• Corvee = If unable to pay taxes, peasants will
pay in the form of physical labor on
government roads
• No Enlightenment ideals, but simply
revolted against oppression

21. Food For Thought
Rousseau’s ideas inspired many leaders of the French Revolution!
“The heart of the idea of the social contract may be stated simply:
Each of us places his person and authority under the supreme
direction of the general will, and the group receives each
individual as an indivisible part of the whole…
In order that the social contract may not be a mere empty
formula, everyone must understand that any individual who
refuses to obey the general will must be forced by his fellows to do
so. This is a way of saying that it may be necessary to force a man
to be free; freedom in this case being obedience to the will of all.”
- Jean Jacques Rousseau, “The Social Contract”
*Suggestion:
Read ALOUD for
best results!*

22. Food For Thought
Reflecting on Rousseau’s quote, answer the following questions:
1. What is Rousseau trying to say?
2. What type of government would Rousseau most likely suggest?
3. Which of the Three Estates do you think would prefer Rousseau’s
suggestion? Why?

23. Food For Thought
How did the structure of the French society (Three Estates)
contribute to the buildup to revolution?
Using your notes, list 3 reasons and explain.

24. Review: Three Estates

25. Lesson Closure: Quick Write
Think-Write-Pair-Share
1. Do you think this social inequality made the French
Revolution inevitable?
2. Why or why not?

26. Here’s some bread for the angry
women of the French Revolution!