King Louis XVI and the Estates-General

• In 1774, Louis XVI became King of France at age 19; his wife was Marie Antoinette (age 18).
• Louis XVI inherited massive debt and increased it by supporting the American Revolution against Great Britain.
• King Louis XVI tried to tax the first and second estates to alleviate debt, but they refused.
• In 1789, King Louis XVI called the Estates-General to meet in Versailles to discuss taxes; it was the first meeting since 1610.
• The Estates-General was a body representing the three social estates in France.
• King Louis XVI hoped the Estates-General could solve the debt issue
• The Estates-General wanted to take power from the King and address social issues.

French Constitution

• Third estate outnumbered the first and second estates representatives combined in the Estates-General.
• King Louis XVI locked the third estate representatives out of meetings to prevent them from gaining more votes.
• Outraged third estate representatives formed The National Assembly at a nearby indoor tennis court.
• At the tennis court, the representatives swore an oath to write a new constitution for France.
• King Louis XVI worried about the constitution being written solely by the third estate.
• King Louis XVI ordered representatives from the first and second estates to join the National Assembly.

Revolution

• National Assembly debates spilled into the streets of Paris as people discussed social issues and new government forms.
• King Louis XVI placed troops around the capital and palace due to the increasing revolutionary sentiment.
• Supporters of the National Assembly feared the King would use troops to end the Assembly and their reforms.
• Rioters attacked the Prison of Bastille to defend the National Assembly and acquire weapons and ammunition.
• Rioters gained control of the prison and established a new radical government in Paris.
• The violence spread from Bastille into the French countryside, known as the Great Fear.
• Rumors of feudal lords hiring robbers led peasants to rise up against local lords.
• Peasants broke into manor houses, killed nobles, and took their properties.

Declaration of Rights

• With violence spreading, the third estate demanded equality for all citizens.
• The first and second estates refused to give up their special privileges and grant equal rights.
• On August 4, 1789, the National Assembly passed reforms abolishing feudal dues and taxing the first and second estates.
• The National Assembly created the Declaration of Rights, including freedom of speech, press, religion, and protection from false arrest.
• The Declaration of Rights remains in the French Constitution.

Royal Family Flees

• In June 1791, King Louis XVI and his family tried to escape to Austria, where Marie Antoinette's brother was emperor.
• The royal family's escape failed when they were recognized and arrested.
• The king and his family were returned to Paris and forced to remain as prisoners.

Republic

• From 1792 to 1795, the National Convention met in Paris to define the new form of government.
• The National Convention ended the monarchy and established a republic.
• The right to vote was granted to all men, regardless of taxes paid.

King Louis XVI

• In 1792, King Louis XVI was tried for conspiring against the nation's liberty.
• In January 1793, Louis XVI was put to death by the Guillotine.
• The king's death was greatly celebrated in Paris and France, seen as a guarantee for the revolution's success.

Reign of Terror

• European monarchs feared the French Revolution could disrupt their own nations and thrones.
• Monarchs fought against France to prevent the revolution from spreading.
• Great Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sardinia sent soldiers to fight the revolutionaries in France.
• The French government established a draft for men aged 18-45 to fight, leading to a civil war in Western France by royalists who opposed it.
• The National Convention was threatened by debates and division among political parties.
• The Jacobins aimed to crush any resistance to the new French government.
• They established neighborhood watches to find disloyal individuals.
• Suspected traitors were often put to death during the Reign of Terror (July 1793-July 1794).
• Approximately 17,000 individuals were executed.

This lesson describes the events just before the French revolution with King Louis XVI's reign. It covers his attempts to resolve France's debt crisis by convening the Estates-General. The Estates-General wanted to address power and social issues but Louis XVI hoped the Estates-General could solve the debt issue.