Download The French Revolution

The French Revolution
Introduction and Context
Jacobin Mobs of
the French
Revolution
What seems
revolutionary
in this scene?
The Schiller Institute.
http://schillerinstitute.org/educ/hist/eiw_this_week/nov6_1794.html
Historical Thinking Concepts
Continuity and
Change
Primary
Source
Evidence
Historical
Perspectives
Causes and
Consequences
Quiz and HTC Journal
Quiz: Fri. March 27 (half period)
 “Terms for French Revolution Quiz”

◦ Open notebook

HTC Journal: primary evidence (lots of
docs), con’t and change [progress and
decline, turning points], some causes and
consequences
Phases of the French Revolution
(Periodization, Pace of Change)
 Prelude
◦ Traditional aristocratic rights
reasserted vs. royal absolutism
 Phase 1, 1789-1791
◦ Tone: Moderate
◦ Who: Middle class, bourgeoisie
(with some street action in Paris)
◦ Form of Gov’t: Constitutional
Monarchy
Phases of the French Revolution
 Phase
2, 1792-94
◦ Radical (The Terror- Jacobins
under Robespierre)
◦ Peasants and Paris workers
(sans culottes)
◦ Foreign Wars
◦ Republic (execution of the king)
Phases of the French Revolution
 Phase
3, 1794-95
◦Conservative/ Moderate
◦Napoleon rises out of the
Directory
◦Still a republic but back to
conservative/moderate
Enlightenment
= Liberal
Vs.
France
= Absolute Monarchy
5
6
radical =
change a
lot
7
4
moderate
3
2
conservative =
1 preserve
tradition
Where were enlightened philosophes on this spectrum?
Economic Context
French Burden of Taxation on The Peasants
French Peasants must pay…
To the Church:
 Tithe
To the State:
 Taille
 Vingtieme
 Capitation
 Gabelle (salt tax)
*Note: In France, grain prices
increased by 60% between 1730
and 1789
To Seigneur: (feudal lord of his/her parish)
o Corvee (cash or kind)
o Cens (feudal rent in cash)
o Champart (renit in kind)
o Lods et ventes ( charge on the transfer of property)
o If he doesn’t own land himself, he may have to pay to use the
lord’s mill, wine press, or bakery
Social Context (and some
Economic, too)
The Three Estates in France – A Corporatist View of Society
parish
priests
First Estate
The Clergy
Main Privileges
About 130,000
• 138 archbishops and bishops
• 2,800 canons and priors
• 37,000 nuns and 23,000
monks
• 60,000 parish priests
• Had their own law
courts (parlement)
• Exempt from taxes
Second Estate
The nobility
Main Privileges
Between
120,000 and
350,000 people
• King and queen
• Nobles of the sword: princes,
dukes, marquises, counts,
viscounts, barons, knights
• Nobles of the robe
• Had the right to carry
a sword
• Received special
treatment in law
courts (parlement)
• Exempt from taxes
Everybody else
Privileges
Bourgeoisie = professionals
Third Estate
About 27 million • Lawyers, doctors, businessmen, • None
people
merchants, soldiers, craftsmen,
shopkeepers, peasants, etc.
Conflict…
Three Estates add to financial crisis (First
and Second don’t pay taxes!!!!)
 Everyone in conflict with Louis XVI,
pointing out flaws of absolute monarchy

bourgeoisie
• Influence of enlightenment/
philosophes makes them
critical of absolute monarchy
• Want constitutional
monarchy
nobility
Louis XVI
• Complain about
centralization
• Re-assert power by claiming
law courts have to register
the King’s edicts (laws)
Political Context
French Institutions of Gov’t Under
Absolute Monarchy
Where is the only place where the third estate had any influence?
Estates General
A sort of parliament where the three
estates get to meet (May, 1789)
 Haven't met since 1615!!!
 Estates vote by order (by estate) despite
equal numbers (don’t vote by head - individually)

1
2
3
Estates General Con’t…
Six months pass between the calling and
the meeting
 Before the meeting each estate of each
region of France gets to write its
grievances (complaints, criticisms) in the
form of Cahiers de Doleances

◦ every estate had complaints, but didn’t agree
how to reform government
Cahiers de Doleances Activity

In pairs read the Cahiers PSD (in handouts)
and complete the comparative organizer on
Three Estates (in handouts)
◦ You may not have something for every box
◦ Vocab








Edict = rule or law
Deliberation = discussion
Order = estate
Arbitrary = random
Concurrence = agreement
Inherent = built-in, naturally part of
Inviolable = cannot be taken away
Legislative = law-making
Cahiers Consolidation:
Surprise or As Expected?





“since diversity of religious opinions … respectful
devotion to the Catholic religion…” ( )
“the legislative power reside collectively in the
hands of the king and the united nation.” ()
“every arbitrary order prejudicial to the liberty of
citizens be abolished entirely;” ()
“no tax be established without the concurrence
[agreement] of the legislative power.” ()
“tax be borne equally, without distinction, by all
class of citizens.” ()
10 = surprise, 1 = as expected
Homework
Finish cahiers chart
 Read pages 159-162 in the text. Take
notes on:

◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
causes
National Assembly
Cahiers
Bread Riots
Bastille
Estates General Voting
Abbe Sieyes