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The Causes of the French Revolution

hfeller2028 — 2024-09-23 18:15:56 UTC

In 1744, King Louis XVl and Marie Antoinette were crowned as King and queen. He was 20 and she was 18. They were very wasteful spenders. Many citizens resented them because there was a famine and they needed money for food. In 1788 there was a severe storm which led to the destruction of a lot of food. They also made grain more expensive and there was not enough money because King Louis was funding the American Revolution. He was also spending money that he didn't have which caused the taxes to be raised. But there was an unfair social structure so only one Estate would pay taxes. It was divided between the privileged and the unprivileged. The king was on the top and then there were three Estates. The first Estate was the Clergy and the second was Nobility both did not have to pay taxes although they were rich. The third Estate was the laborers and peasants which were the only ones that had to pay taxes. There was also the influence of Enlightenment thinkers. They were spreading pamphlets and books about living freely. John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Baron de Montesquieu, and Maximillion Robespierre, were all enlightenment thinkers and some of them were very outspoken for the poor and democratic ideas of philosophers. The Declaration of Independents, The English bill of rights, and the Magna Carta also influenced the French people into wanting to rebel.

( History notes)

The Meeting of the Estates General

hfeller2028 — 2024-09-23 22:16:08 UTC

Instead of King Louis cutting excessive spending he pushed off dealing with it until he had almost no money left. The Clergy enforced a meeting with representatives of all the three Estates, this was called the Meeting of the Estates General. They met in the Grands Salles des Muenus-Plaisirs in Versaille, France. On May 5, 1789, at Versailles the first meeting in over 175 years was held. There were about 1,200 people there. The First and Second Estate had the upper hand in the meetings before and looked forward to doing so. They would be able to outvote the peasants. Each Estate met in different halls to vote and they had one vote per Estate. The Third Estate had mostly members who had been influenced by Enlightenment thinkers and they were longing to make changes in the government. They changed the voting, all representatives got a vote. This gave them the advantage of having more people than the Fist and Second Estate combined. The King made the Estates-General follow the medieval rules. The Third Estate was determined to have power. A representative for their viewpoint was a clergyman, Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes. He suggested that the Third Estate should be called The National Assembly. They should pass laws and give ideas in the name of the French people. The delegates agreed to his idea by majority rules. On June 17, 1789 they voted to start the national Assembly, declaring the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of the representative government. This was the first act of the French Revolution.(History textbook page 4)

The Tennis Court Oath

hfeller2028 — 2024-09-24 03:14:58 UTC

On June 17, Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes, established The National Assembly. This was mostly the Third Estate and they made this to pass laws and gave input in the name of the French people. Three days later, on June 20, 1789, The Third Estate representatives were locked out of their meeting room. So they broke down the door to an indoor tennis court. They Insisted on staying until there was a new constitution in France. They stayed in the tennis court for two days. This was known as The Tennis Court Oath. Afterwards, the Nobles and the Clergy joined the Third Estate. In response to this, King Louis sent his mercenary army of Swiss guards around Versailles.

( History notes pg 4)

Storming of the Bastille

hfeller2028 — 2024-09-24 18:27:39 UTC

Rumors went around that King Louis the 16th was using his mercenaries to get rid of the National Assembly. Other people thought it was a group of troops coming to attack the French people. Citizens decided to get weapons and trained self defense because they thought their country was under attack. On July 14, 1789, a riot looking for gunpowder and other weapons stormed into Bastille, the Paris prison. There were only seven inmates in the prison at the time. The mob breached the security and took control of the building. They attacked the prison commander and guards until death and marched around the streets with their heads. This symbolized revenge to the French citizens. July 14 has been a French Holiday ever since it is called, Bastille Day. It's often compared to July 4, because they both symbolize independence. ( History note pg 4 and 5)

Storming of the Bastille - World History Encyclopedia

The Establishment of the French Republic and the Declaration of the rights of man

hfeller2028 — 2024-09-25 18:40:57 UTC

After Bastille Day on August 4, 1789, many noblemen made huge speeches stating their love for liberty and equality. They influenced them more by fear than by assurance, all three Estates combined and making everyone equal and getting rid of the Old Regime overnight . Three weeks later, The National Assembly wrote the Rights of Man. This was similar to The Declaration of Independents. This document stated,"men are born and remain free and equal in rights." These rights are," liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression." This document also stated equal justice, freedom of religion and freedom of speech. They made," Liberty Equality, Fraternity" their slogan. The Catholic people did not agree with this new constitution because they believed that the pope should rule over a Church of independent of the stste.

Trial of the King and Queen

hfeller2028 — 2024-09-26 18:26:01 UTC

“The Flight to Varennes” was when the King and his family tried to escape to the Austrian Netherlands but failed, In June, 1791. After his failed attempt the hatred for the monarchy grew more and more and people started to resent him. In December of 1792, The national convention put Louis on trial for betraying his Country and trying to escape. He had 33 charges of betrayal and sabotage he was referred to as "citizen Louis Capet." Majority of the deputies found him guilty for treason and voted for his execution. On January 21 1793, he was guillotined as a punishment for his actions. Guillotined is a machine that has knives and is used to behead criminals. (History notes

Louis XVI | Biography, Reign, Execution, & Facts | Britannica)

Reign of Terror

hfeller2028 — 2024-09-26 18:50:00 UTC

The Jacobins were members of a radical political organization, the Jacobin club. Maximilien Robespierrewas the leader of the Jacobins he started off as a good guy until he started killing a lot more people than needed. The Jacobins were also people that were involved in the changes of the government in September, 1792. Anyone that opposed the new government led by the Jacobins would be guillotine. The guillotine was used by dropping a blade to behead people. It could have been 40,000 people that were executed in this era. This period was called Reign of terror because, the Jacobin led government would use violence against anyone that they thought was the enemy. This would cause the citizens fear and terror. The people did not feel protected in France because they feared if they did one thing wrong they would be executed . This period lasted from September 5, 1793 until July 27, 1794.
(What Led to France's Reign of Terror? - Britannica

History notes)

Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

hfeller2028 — 2024-09-27 18:04:35 UTC

In July of 1794, some people in the National Convention betrayed Robespierre because they were scared for their own safety. So they arrested and killed him with the guillotine on July 28, 1794, thus ending The Reign of Terror. The National convention met and created a new plan of government. This was the First Republic of France. They appointed Napoleon Bonaparte as the director of the new government. This was the beginning of the "Napoleonic Era."