The French Revolution was caused by social discrimination between the estates, economic troubles that left France nearly bankrupt, and the political incompetence of King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. The Third Estate demanded equal representation which was refused, leading them to form the National Assembly and take the Tennis Court Oath for citizens' rights. On July 14, citizens stormed the Bastille prison, celebrating their independence. The Revolution established the Declaration of the Rights of Man and a period of violence known as the Reign of Terror followed.

1. French Revolution

2. Reasons for Revolution
1. Social Discrimination – The social ladder was
divided into three parts.

3. Population of France
Third Estate
Second Estate
First Estate

5. First Estate
• Leaders of the French church
• They were exempt from most taxes

6. Second Estate
• Nobles and aristocrats
• Also exempt from taxes
• Charged rent to
peasants who farmed
their land and charged
fees for the use of their
mills, wine presses and
bakeries.

7. Third Estate
• Contained a wide variety
of citizens
– Middle class, artisans,
townsmen and peasants

8. • The wealthy produced little of the wealth
• Those who produced the nation’s wealth were
taxed heavily

9. 2. Economic Collapse
– France was nearly bankrupt

10. • King Louis XVI called for the
Estates-General
• This was the only political body
with the authority to reform the
tax system.
• It consisted of representatives
from the First and Second
Estates elected by the king and
from the Third elected by the
people.

12. 3. Political Incompetence
• King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette proved to
be totally unqualified to lead the nation

13. • When the Estates-General met things went
bad
– The Third Estate demanded one vote per
representative
– First and Second Estate refused and the Third
Estate walked out

14. National Assembly
• The Third Estate formed this group
• They signed the Tennis Court Oath
• They simply wanted a constitution that would
guarantee basic rights to all French citizens

16. • The citizens began to panic
• The crowd charges the Bastille on July 14
• July 14 is celebrated as France’s Day of
Independence

18. • National Assembly signed the Declaration of
the Rights of Man on August 26, 1789

19. • Many French nobles fled France and went to
Austria.
• France declared war on Austria

20. Reign of Terror
• Called for the removal of opposition and had a
period of mass execution

23. • A five-man committee known as the Directory
headed up the new government