the french revolution key vocabulary king louis xiv

the french revolution

key vocabulary

king louis xiv (14 th) Ruled France 1643 -1715 Known as the “Sun King” Built France into most powerful nation in Europe Built palace at Versailles

king louis XVI (16 th) Ruled France 1774 -1793 Weak ruler; Made bad decisions Married Marie Antoinette Lived at Versailles

marie antoinette Born in Austria Married King Louis XVI; Alliance between Austria and France Lived lavish and wealthy lifestyle Did not understand how poor people suffered

monarchy Rule by a king or queen

versailles Palace built by King Louis XIV starting in 1661 Became the center of political power in France 1682 -1789

ANCIEN REGIME Means “Old Order” This was the political and social order of France before the revolution of 1789 France was divided into 3 classes, also called “estates”

THE THREE ESTATES

analyze the photo 1. Describe which person represents each of the 3 estates 2. Which estate seems to be struggling the most?

France in 1789

the 3 estates 1 st & 2 nd Estates • Nobles complete control over peasants • Almost no taxes • No military service 3 rd Estate • Paid taxes to nobles, King, and Church • Served in military

FIRST ESTATE Social class in France Made up of the clergy- leaders of the Catholic Church Owned land Paid no taxes, but sent a yearly “gift” to government

second estate Social class in France Made up of the Nobility- wealthy landowners Born into wealth and power Paid almost no taxes to government

third estate Social class of France that had limited rights About 98% of the population Made up of the following groups: 1. Bourgeoisie: doctors, lawyers, merchants 2. Urban Workers: bakers, craftsmen 3. Peasant Farmers

class notes

Life in the ancien regime 98% of France was poor Society was divided into 3 estates King had all power in France Versailles was the center of power Nobles lived at Versailles and enjoyed an easy life

problems for france King Louis XVI was responsible for making France poor France was in debt after fighting the Seven Year’s War and helping the American Revolution in 1776 An advisor to King Louis XVI proposed taxing the 1 st and 2 nd Estates. The advisor was then fired In the late 1780 s, poor harvests led to high prices for bread and many people were starving

Based on what we have analyzed and discussed about the 3 Estates, answer the following questions: 1. Which estate in France do you think will want to change their status in society? 2. What reasons do they have for this? 3. How do you think they will go about changing their status in society?