French Revolution Macdonald World History Causes of French

French Revolution Macdonald World History

Causes of French Revolution n Estate System – 3 rd estate unhappy (taxes, no representation) n Enlightenment Ideas – Gov’t should protect rights (John Locke) n Economic Problems – taxes & crop failures & American Revolution n Weak Leader – Louis XVI – indecisive n Unpopular queen – Marie Antoinette – Foreign, out of touch

Estates General n Louis XVI decided to raise taxes on nobility (2 nd estate) to deal with economy n 2 nd Estate refused to pay until called a meeting of Estates General to approve tax n 1 st time called in hundreds of years n Each estate gets 1 vote – 3 rd Estate happy b/c think they will have a voice in gov’t

National Assembly n 3 rd Estate realizes time to make changes n Votes to re-organize themselves n Call themselves National Assembly – want an end to absolute monarchy & representative gov’t n National Assembly will include all estates & will make laws to benefit all ppl

Tennis Court Oath n At meeting of Estates General, 3 rd Estate locked out of meeting room n Broke down door to indoor tennis court and said wouldn’t move until a new constitution which gave them rights was signed n Pledge called Tennis Court Oath

Tennis Court Oath

Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen n Many 1 st & 2 nd Estate joined National Assembly n Wrote Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen stating all “men are born and remain free and equal in rights” n Leaders adopted slogan of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” for revolution

Panic n King Louis XVI scared so put Swiss guards around palace for protection n Rumors flew that king was going to use Swiss guards to get rid of National Assembly or massacre French ppl

Storming the Bastille n Ppl began to gather weapons to defend against Swiss guards n July 14, mob looking for gunpowder broke into the Bastille, a prison n Mob hacked many guards to death then paraded around the streets with dead men’s heads on sticks n First violent event of the French Revolution

Great Fear n Rumors started that nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize peasants n Wave of panic called Great Fear went through countryside n Peasants began to break into noble’s homes, burn, pillage

Women March n In Paris, thousands of women rioted over price of bread n w/ knives, axes, etc. marched to Versailles n Broke into palace, killed guards n Demanded that Louis & Marie Antoinette return with them to Paris n When king & queen left, symbolized change of power from monarchs to ppl

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