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Questions and Answers
What was abolished in 1789 and what was the result of it?
What was abolished in 1789 and what was the result of it?
Tithes were abolished and lands owned by the Church were confiscated, resulting in the government acquiring assets worth at least 2 billion livres.
What sparked the peasants' attack on chateaux in the countryside?
What sparked the peasants' attack on chateaux in the countryside?
Rumors spread that the lords of the manor had hired bands of brigands to destroy the ripe crops.
What was the result of the severe winter of 1789?
What was the result of the severe winter of 1789?
A bad harvest, which led to a rise in the price of bread.
Why did crowds of angry women storm into bakeries?
Why did crowds of angry women storm into bakeries?
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What event occurred on 14 July 1789?
What event occurred on 14 July 1789?
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What was the main object of the constitution drafted in 1791?
What was the main object of the constitution drafted in 1791?
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What was the result of the nobles' flight from their homes?
What was the result of the nobles' flight from their homes?
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What did the peasants loot and burn during the agrarian revolt?
What did the peasants loot and burn during the agrarian revolt?
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Why did the king order troops to move into Paris?
Why did the king order troops to move into Paris?
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What was the status of France after the drafting of the constitution in 1791?
What was the status of France after the drafting of the constitution in 1791?
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Study Notes
French Society in the Late 18th Century
- Louis XVI of the Bourbon family of kings ascended the throne of France in 1774 at the age of 20 and was married to Austrian princess Marie Antoinette.
- The new king found an empty treasury, drained by long years of war and the cost of maintaining an extravagant court at the palace of Versailles.
- France helped the thirteen American colonies gain independence from Britain, adding over a billion livres to a debt that had already risen to over 2 billion livres.
The French Revolution
- On July 14, 1789, the city of Paris was in a state of alarm after the king commanded troops to move into the city.
- Rumors spread that the king would soon order the army to open fire upon the citizens, leading 7,000 men and women to gather in front of the town hall and form a people's militia.
- The militia broke into government buildings in search of arms and eventually stormed the fortress-prison, the Bastille, releasing seven prisoners and killing the commander.
- The Bastille was hated as a symbol of the king's despotic power, and its demolition was seen as a revolutionary act.
Aftermath of the Storming of the Bastille
- The days that followed saw more rioting in Paris and the countryside, mostly due to the high price of bread.
- The National Assembly was busy drafting a constitution at Versailles while the rest of France seethed with turmoil.
- Peasants in several districts seized hoes and pitchforks, attacking chateaux, looting hoarded grain, and burning documents containing records of manorial dues.
- Many nobles fled their homes, migrating to neighboring countries.
The New Constitution
- The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791, aiming to limit the powers of the monarch.
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Description
This quiz covers the French monarchy, specifically the reign of Louis XVI, and the financial situation of France during the late 18th century.
