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THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

BEGINS
p. 217-221
OBJECTIVES
List the three estates of the Old Regime
Summarize the factors that led to the French
Revolution
Describe the create of the National Assembly
and the storming of the Bastille
Explain the importance of the Great Fear and the
womens march on Versailles
THE OLD ORDER
Old Regime
the political and social system that
existed in France before the French
Revolution
Estates
One of the three social classes in France
before the French Revolution
First Estate
Clergy
Second Estate
Nobility
Third Estate
Commoners
THE OLD ORDER
The Privileged Estate
The Church owned 10% of the
land in France
Nobles
~2% of the population
Owned 20% of land
Paid no taxes
Scored Enlightenment ideas
THE OLD ORDER
Second group workers
Tradespeople Apprentices
Labors Domestic servants
Low wages
Frequently out of work
Third Group peasants
80% of Frances 26 million pop.
Half of their pay was spoken for
The Third Estate
~97% of the population
First group Bourgeoisie
Bankers Factory owners
Merchants Professionals
Skilled artisans
Welled educated and believed strongly in
Enlightenment ideas
Often as wealthy as nobles, but paid high taxed
FORCES OF CHANGE
Enlightenment Ideas
New views of power and government
Inspired by American Revolution
Started to demand
Equality
Liberty
Democracy
Economic Troubles
1780s prosperous economy declines
Burden is put on businesses through taxes
Cost of living rising
Crop failures
Price of bread doubles
Extravagant spending by
Louis XVI
Marie Antoinette
FORCES OF CHANGE
A Weak Leader
Paid little
attention to
advisors
Bad patience
Marie
Antoinette gave
bad advise
Was unpopular
Austrian
Madame
Deficit
Assembly of
representatives from
all three estates
Estates-
General
May 5, 1789
First in
75
years
DAWN OF THE REVOLUTION
The National Assembly
Dated back to the middle ages
Each estate gets one vote
Third Estate insisted that all meet together
National Assembly
Established to enact laws and reform in the
name of the French people
Tennis Court Pledge
Would not leave until a new
constitution was drafted
Sympathetic members of
clergy and nobles join
DAWN OF THE REVOLUTION
Storming the Bastille
Rumors fly
People began to gather weapons
July 14
th

Attack the Bastille for gunpowder
Overpower the guard and sieze power
A GREAT FREE SWEEPS FRANCE
Great Fear
A wave of senseless panic that spread
through the French countryside after
storming the Bastille
Destroyed legal documents that
bound peasants to the land
Women march on
Versailles
Louis and Marie flee
Signaled a change of power
and radical reform about to
take over in France

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