The French Revolution

Causes

Do Now: List some issues that you would start a revolution for? Why would they be enough to cause you to start one?

Long Term Causes of the French Revolution

Rigid Class Structure

No Social Mobility Examples:
! !

Caste System (India) Feudalism in Europe and Japan

Rise of the Bourgeoisie

Educated Middle Class

Senses

Describe your experience using the image

!
Hear

!
Smell

!
Touch/ feel

Extension Explain: Why are so many people attacking the castle in the painting?

Commoners Clergy Nobility

1. 2. 3.

Were most of the population commoners? What percentage of the population were commoners? How much tax did the nobility pay?

The Old Regime

Under the ancien regime, or old order, everyone in France belonged to one of three classes
First Estate Second Estate Third Estate

The CLERGY Enjoyed enormous wealth and ! privilege

The NOBILITY Owned land but had little money ! income

BOURGEOISIE and PEASANTS

Peasants were 98 % of French ! population Resented privilege of first and ! second estates Burdened by taxes, miserable ! wages faced hunger, starvation

Owned about 10 percent of land, ! ! Hated absolutism collected tithes, and paid no taxes ! Feared losing traditional privilege, ! Provided some social services especially exemption from taxes

Was Louis XVI a bad king?

Louis XVI was King of France from 1774 to 1791. He was the only French King to ever be executed. Colour-code the statements below. Use one colour for the statements that suggest that he was a good king and another colour for the statements which suggest that he was a bad king.
Louis tried to make the French people tolerate people with different religions. Louis was very indecisive and would often take a long time to make decisions. Louis wanted to abolish a tax that French peasants paid for the land they farmed. Some reforms that Louis tried to introduce angered many rich French people. Louis supported the Americans who wanted to be independent from Britain. Louis fought wars to win land in India from Great Britain, but lost them all. Louis was fluent in six different languages, including French and English.

Louis and his wife, Marie Antoinette, had four children.

Louis spent lots of money on clothes and palaces when many people were starving. Louis encouraged explorers to travel the world.

Many historians claim that, by todays standards, Louis was an alcoholic.

He married an Austrian woman to maintain good relations. She was unpopular.

Extension: Explain whether, in your opinion, Louis was a bad king or not.

This is a painting of the storming of the Bastille in 1789. It was part of a riot that started the French Revolution.

God, Grain, and Revolution

Stand up if you know the name of the King at the time of the French Revolution

Raise your right arm if you know how much tax the nobility paid in France.

Stand up if you know what happened to Louis XVI during the French Revolution.

Raise your left arm if you know what percentage of the population were commoners.

Smile if you know why the bad harvest in 1789 caused the French Revolution.

Stay seated if you recall why some people thought that Louis XVI was a bad king.

The French Revolution

Events

Convening the Estates General M ! ay, 1789