French Revolution Part 1- How the French Revolution started, the rise of Napoleon.

1. The FRENCH REVOLUTION: Part I
.

2. The French Revolution Begins
.

3. Objectives: Students will…
• Describe the background to the Revolution
– Class structure of France
– King Louis XVI
– Financial crisis
Objectives: Students will…
• Identify early events of the French Revolution
– The Estates-General and National Assembly
– End of the Old Regime
• Declaration of the Rights of Man
• End of Absolutism
• Church reforms
• New Constitution (1791)
• War with Austria
– Rise of the Paris Commune

4. Lesson Vocabulary
• Estates
• Taille
• Bourgeoisie
• Louis XVI
• Tennis Court Oath
• Declaration of the Rights of Man
• Olympe de Gouges
• Sans-culottes

5. Time Line Activity
• Draw a line in your notes from left to right.
• Mark the first date as 1787.
As we progress through the lesson you will
notice that some dates are written in BLUE.
Mark them on your timeline and note the event
that took place.

6. Class Structure of France
Three estates divided French society.
•The First Estate
– Clergy
•The Second Estate
– Nobility
•The Third Estate
– Everyone else

7. Picture Analysis #1
1. What does this
picture say about
the relationships
between the three
estates of France?
2. Looking at this
picture, which
estate do you
think the artist
was a part of?
-take a moment to write
down your response.

8. The First Estate – The Clergy
Before the Revolution:
•Made up .5% of
France’s population
•Owned 10% of land in
France
•Did not have to pay the
TAILLE (France’s Chief
tax).

9. The Second Estate – The Nobility
Before the Revolution:
•Made up 1.5% of
France’s population
•Owned 25% of land in
France
•Like the Clergy, did not
have to pay the TAILLE
3. Since the First and
Second Estates did not
pay the Taille, whom do
you think did?

10. The Third Estate – Everyone Else
Before the Revolution:
•Made up 98% of
France’s population.
•Owned 65% of land in
France.
•Third Estate only one
required to pay the
TAILLE
•Included every French
citizen from the poorest
farmer to the richest
merchant.

11. The Third Estate – Everyone Else
Breakdown of Third Estate:
• Peasants made up 75-80% of
population and owned 35-40% of
land (of the estate).
• Peasants had to pay duties to
nobility, a hold over from Feudal
practices.
• Craftsmen, workers and
shopkeepers made up 10% of the
population and struggled to
survive as the price of goods rose
quickly.
4. Which part of the Third Estate
would be the most unhappy in
this scenario and why?

12. The Third Estate – Everyone Else
The BOURGEOISIE:
•Middle Class of France.
•Made up 8% of the
population.
•Owned 20-25% of the land
in France.
•Included; Merchants,
Bankers, Industrialists and
Professionals.
•Aspired to join the nobility,
often paying for the
privilege.

13. King Louis XVI
• Ruled France from 1774-1791.
• Married to Marie Antoinette
• Initially popular with population, but
overtime became a symbol of tyranny in
France.
• Viewed as indecisive and overly
conservative in his policy making and
leadership.
• Strong supporter of the United States
during the Revolutionary War with
Britain (more to regain Canada and
other territories and far less because he
believed in American independence).
5. Why do you think France was broke at
this point?

14. Marie Antoinette
• Youngest daughter of
Francis I, the Holy
Roman Empire
(Austria).
• Known for her
extravagance and
generally disliked by
the French population.
• Never said, “Let them
eat cake.”

15. Financial Crisis!
• Socioeconomic conditions were longstanding issues that led to
the French Revolution.
• Prior to the crisis, France had experienced 50 years of
expansion and prosperity.
• Bad harvests in 1787 and 1788, and a slow down in
manufacturing led to food shortages, rising costs and
unemployment.
• Cost of supporting the United States was high and France
benefitted little, and took on high interest debt.
• Crisis led King Louis XVI to convene the Estates-General with
the goal of raising new taxes.
6. King Louis XVI is about to raise taxes on only the Third
Estate…Predict: what do you think is about to happen and
why? How are social and economic issues contributing to it?

16. Writing Activity- 20 points
• Pretend that you are a member of one of the
three estates.
• Imagine that during the French Revolution
Twitter existed!
• Create a “tweet” about how you feel about the
state of France and the King.
• Keep your response under 144 characters!
After you are done take a moment to laugh at how
out of touch the teacher is with your generation!

17. The Estates-General
• Before being convened on May 5th, 1789, the body had not
met since 1614 (175 years).
• The First and Second Estates each had about 300
representatives.
• The Third Estate had nearly 600 representatives.
• The Third Estate wanted a constitutional government that
would require the First and Second Estate to pay taxes as
well.

18. Picture Analysis #2
7. Describe-What
does this picture say
about the
relationships between
the three estates of
France?
8. Analyze- Looking
at this picture, which
estate do you think
the artist was a part
of?

19. Why it failed?
• The King of France and the First and
Second Estate had no interest in creating a
constitutional government.
• Traditionally each estate had one vote,
regardless of the number of
representatives.
• Subsequently, the First and Second Estate
could outvote the Third Estate 2-1 in any
situation.
• The Third Estate demanded a change to
how votes were distributed that would
make the process more fair.
• King Louis XVI supported the “one vote
each” system, ending any further
discussion.
• On June 17, 1789, in protest the Third
Estate declared that it was the National
Assembly and would create a constitution.
9. Explain why the first attempt at a
constitutional government failed.

20. The National Assembly
• June 20th, 1789,locked out of
their meeting place at
Versailles, the new National
Assembly moved to a nearby
tennis court, declaring that
they would not stop meeting
until a new constitution was
created.
• This oath became known as the
TENNIS COURT OATH.
• In response Louis XVI
threatened to use force against
the Third Estate.
10. Why did the new National
Assembly meet on the
Versailles tennis court? Why
was this a risk?

21. The Storming of the Bastille
• 900 Parisians gathered at the
Bastille on July 14th 1789.
• Food shortages and rumors
that the King’s troops were
headed to Paris to restore
order.
• The Bastille was believed to
hold ammunition and weapons.
• Fighting broke out and after
four hours the Bastille was
overtaken, later demolished.
• This marked the beginning of
the French Revolution and the
collapse of the King’s authority
in Paris.
11. Explain why Parisians stormed
the Bastille?

22. End of the Old Regime
• Following the fall of the Bastille, peasant rebellions broke out all over
France.
• The National Assembly abolished all legal privileges of the First and
Second Estate (August 4th, 1789).
• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen is adopted by the
National Assembly.
– Inspired by the English Bill of Rights, and the American Declaration of
Independence and Constitution.
– Proclaimed;
• All men were free and equal before the law.
• No group were exempt from tax.
• Holding of public office based on talent (ability)
• The right of Free Speech and a free press.
12. Describe how both the English Bill of Rights, American
Declaration of Independence and Constitution inspired the
beginning of the French Revolution.

23. All men were free and equal…
• Writer and activist Olympe de Gourges
did not accept the exclusion of women
in the Declaration of the Rights of Man
and the Citizen.
• She argued that women were just as
entitled to the same rights and
protections as men were in her work,
the Declaration of the Rights of
Woman and the Female Citizen.
• Her later attacks on the regime of
Maximillien Robespierre and her close
association with the Girondists led to
her to be executed by guillotine in 1793
during the Reign of Terror.

24. The King Concedes
• Initially, Louis XVI stubbornly
refused to accept the
decrees of the National
Assembly.
• October 5th, 1789,
thousands of Parisian
women march on Versailles
with all manner of weapons,
forcing the king to accept.
• October 6th, 1789, Louis XVI
and royal family are forced
to return to Paris to show
support for the National
Assembly.

25. Church Reforms
• The National Assembly seized and
sold off land owned by the
Catholic Church to increase state
revenues.
• Church officials brought under
state control. Bishops and Priests
would be elected rather than
appointed by the Pope.
• These acts galvanized many
Catholics against the new
government.
13. How might John Locke have
responded to the Assembly
seizing land belonging to the
Church?
14. How might Voltaire and
Rousseau have responded to
Church reforms?

26. New Constitution
• Formally approved September 3rd, 1791 it
created a limited monarchy.
• Louis XVI remained King, but all laws were
now made by a Legislative Assembly.
• “Active” citizens men over the age of 25 who
paid enough tax could vote.
• “Passive” citizens were everyone else.
• Only the wealthy would be able to join the
Legislative Assembly.
• All government and church officials would be
elected and controlled by the state.

27. Writing Activity #2- 20 points
• Imagine that you are a
peasant in France who has
just be read a copy of the
new constitution.
• Describe-How would you
feel about it?
• Is life better than it was
before? Why or why not?
• Take a moment to write
down your thoughts in
paragraph form; (include

28. War with Austria
• European rulers began to fear that
their own people might follow the
French example and begin
revolution.
• Austria and Prussia both threated to
use force if Louis XVI was not
restored to power.
• Insulted and fearful of attack, the
Legislative Assembly declared war on
Austria (April 20th 1792).
15. Why would other European rulers begin to
fear the French example, during this time?
16. Why would both Austria and Prussia
threaten to invade if Louis XVI was not
restored to the throne?

29. The Paris Commune
• Food Shortages and early defeats in the war with Austria led
to protests and demonstrations in Paris. (Spring 1792)
• These protesters formed the Paris Commune (a city council).
• Mob attacks on the royal palace and Legislative Assembly
were carried out. The king was taken captive.
• The monarchy was suspended and a new National Assembly
called for.
• All men were to be allowed to vote.
• Many members of the Paris Commune referred to themselves
as the sans-culottes.
17. What two things led to demonstrations in Paris, in 1792?
18. What was the name of the new Paris city council and what
did they call themselves? Why did they give themselves this
name?

30. Entering a more radical phase…
Because;
• Threat of foreign intervention (Austria, Prussia and
England).
• Disappointing war with Austria.
• Little improvement to economy in France.
Radicals (Jacobins) called for;
• New measures to secure the future of the Revolution
and improves the lives of the French people.
19. Why does the French Revolution turn to a more
radical phase? Explain.

31. Time Line Activity (continued)
• Take a moment to look at the timeline activity
that you completed as we completed this
discussion and lecture.
• Describe- What do you find interesting about
the events, the order and the time passed
from 1787 to 1792.
• 20. Take a moment to write down your
thoughts in paragraph form.

32. the Spread of the Great
Fear- Duplicate this map.
Great Fear, French Grande
Peur, (1789) in the French Revolution,
a period of panic and riot by peasants
and others amid rumors of an
“aristocratic conspiracy” by the king
and the privileged to overthrow the
Third Estate” by the king and the
privileged to overthrow the Third
Estate. The gathering of troops around
Paris provoked insurrection” by the
king and the privileged to overthrow
the Third Estate. The gathering of
troops around Paris provoked
insurrection, and on July 14 the
Parisian rabble seized the Bastille” by
the king and the privileged to
overthrow the Third Estate. The
gathering of troops around Paris
provoked insurrection, and on July 14
the Parisian rabble seized the Bastille.
In the provinces the peasants rose
against their lords, attacking châteaus
and destroying feudal documents. To
check the peasants, the National
Constituent Assembly” by the king and

33. The Move to
Radicalism
Georges Danton led the
Paris Commune.
•The sans-culottes sought
revenge on those who
aided the king and resisted
the popular will.
• Thousands of people were
arrested and massacred.
A new leader emerged,
Jean-Paul Marat, who
published a radical journal
called Friend of the People
21.Why did the Sans-
culottes want revenge?
22. Who is the new radical
leader emerging?
G eorges Danton

34. The Fate of
the King
• 2/3 of the people were under
the age of 45, most distrusted
the king.
First step was on September
21 was to abolish the
monarchy and establish a
republic. -French Republic
They split into factions (dissenting
groups) over the fate of the king.
•Girondins-wanted to keep king
alive
•Mountains-wanted to kill the
king
•Both factions were members of
the Jacobin club
The king was condemned to death-
executed on January 21, 1793-
Beheaded with the Guillotine
23. Which group wanted to not
execute the king?
24. Which Jacobins were more
radical and wanted the Kings’

35. Political and
Foreign
Crises
The National Convention
gave broad powers to a
special committee of 12
known as the Committee
of Public Safety, led by
Maximilien Robespierre.
CPS was the principal organ of
the Revolutionarygovernment
during the Reign of Terror,
but in 1794 Robespierre was
overthrown and executed in
the Thermidorian Reaction.
The Reign of Terror was
responsible for guillotining
tens of thousands of
innocent people.
25. Identify- Who was the
leader of CPS and why was
he famous?

36. For now…