The French Revolution Revolution Begins Internal revolt against

The French Revolution

Revolution Begins • Internal revolt against entrenched feudal, clerical and monarchical privilege of France • Three Estates (classes)– Clergy- 100, 000 pop. / controlled 10% of land – Nobility- 300, 000 pop. / controlled 25% of land – Everyone else- 8% of pop. urban merchants, professionals, artisans/ 80% of pop. Farmers • Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were extravagant rulers, required lots of money • Built the Palace at Versailles, breaking the financial back of France

Revolution Begins • Each group had their own group of reps. who met together. • Parlement ruled to meet separately, estate three boycotted the meetings, until they were locked out of their meeting house • They met in an indoor tennis court, took the “Oath of the Tennis Court” – Claimed legal power – Would not disband until new constitution was written – Established the National Assembly • Louis XVI called 18, 000 troops to protect him at Versailles, fearing an attack

Revolt of the Poor • 1789 - Poor harvest, price of bread skyrocketed Mobs of beggars and poor farmers stormed into Paris Stormed the Bastille- French jail and armory Killed the mayor, several soldiers and governor of the Bastille Trying to subdue the mob, the king recognizes the National Assembly and its allies – Created a new constitution: abolished feudalism, serfdom, the tithe for church, special privilege for the nobility, created the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen” – – – • Men are born and remain free • The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and unalienable rights • Law is the expression of the will of the people

Revolution Builds • Still angry mobs marched on Versailles • “The March of the Women”- Housewives, market women, and revolutionary militants broke into the palace and forced Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to return to Paris where they were kept under surveillance • In the country- farmers feared their landlords were going to block reform stormed nobility estates

Revolution Builds • The National Assembly: – Called for a constitutional monarchy – Did away with titles and prerequisites for nobility – Uniform government countrywide – Disestablished Roman Catholic clergy – Confiscated the property of the church