The French Revolution Begins PDF

The French Revolution Begins ECONOMICS _E_con_omic and Throughout history, economic social inequaht1es m the Old Old Regime National and social inequalities...

The French Revolution Begins ECONOMICS _E_con_omic and Throughout history, economic social inequaht1es m the Old Old Regime National and social inequalities have Regime helped cause the estate Assembly at times led peoples to revolt French Revolution. Louis XVI Tennis Court against their governments. Marie Antoinette Oath Estates-General Great Fear Pictured Above: SETTING THE STAGE In the 1700s, France was considered the most advance d (L) French country of Europe. It had a large population and a prosperous foreign trade. It Revolution: was the center of the Enlightenment, and France's culture was widely praised Assault on and imitated by the rest of the world. However, the appearance of success was the Bastille, deceiving. There was great unrest in France, caused by bad harvests, high Jean-Baptiste prices, high taxes, and disturbing questions raised by the Enlightenment ideas Lallemand; of Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire. (R) Napoleon andHis General Staff The Old Order in Egypl Jean- In the 1770s, the social and political system of France -the Old Regime-- LeonGerome remained in place. Under this system, the people of France were divided into three large social classes, or estates. Use the graphic organizer The Privileged Estates Two of the estates had privileges, including access to online to take notes on the causes of the French high offices and exemptions from paying taxes, that were not granted to the Revolution. members of the third. The Roman Catholic Church, whose clergy formed the First Estate, owned 1O percent of the land in France. It provided education and relief services to the poor and contributed about 2 percent of its income to the government. The Second Estate was made up of rich nobles. Although they accounted for just 2 percent of the population, the nobles owned 20 percent of the land and paid almost no taxes. The majority of the clergy and the nobility scorned Enlightenment ideas as radical notions that threatened their status and power as privileged persons. The Third Estate About 97 percent of the people belonged to the Third Estate. The three groups that made up this estate differed greatly in their economic condi- tions. The first group--the bourgeoisie (aUR zhwah ZEE), or middle class-were bankers, factory owners, merchants, professionals, and skilled artisans. Often, they were well educated and believed strongly in the Enlightenment ideals ofliberty and equality. Although some of the bourgeoisie were as rich as nobles, they paid hig~ taxes and, like the rest of the Third Estate, lacked privileges. Many felt that their wealth entitled them to a greater degree of social status and political power... The workers of France's cities formed the second, and poorest, group wtthm the Third Estate. These urban workers included tradespeople, apprentices, laborers, and domestic servants. Paid low wages and frequently out of work, they often The French Revolution and Napoleon 217  Population of France, 1787.Q ~c.- O First Estate made up of clergy of Estate) Roman Catholic Church 97% (Third scorned Enlightenment ideas less than I 'Mi 0 Second Estate (First Estate) made up of rich nobles ent 2% (Second Estate) held highest offices in governm disagreed about Enlightenment ideas r---------- G Third Estate Percent of Income Paid in Taxes included bourgeoisie, urban lower class, and peasant farmers 2(, rst sta ) / 1111 had no power to influence government ( eco d atf) I: I f embraced Enlightenment ideas '-----"" sar c:11ird Estate) resented the wealthy First and O'lb 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Second Estates. rts and Political cartoons SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Cha ain the I. Drawing Condusions How do the chart and the graphs help expl political cartoon? sed to 2. Making Inferences Why might the First and Second Estates be oppo change? grain , mobs of these workers might attack went hungry. If the cost of bread rose needed. carts and bread shops to steal what they per- up wit hin the Third Estate, more than 80 Peasants formed the largest gro in dues Peasants paid about half their income VoQWly cent of France 's 26 million people. taxes 6the: adiltll s to the king's agents. They even paid to nobles, tithes to the Church, and taxe clergy and norma~tlfl ts and the urban poor resented the tenth ola~ on such basic staples as salt. Peasan discon- cial treatment. The heavily taxed and income the nobles for their privileges and spe nge. tented Third Estate was eager for cha The Forces of Change factors ent among the lower classes, other In addition to the growing resentm governm ent, d in France. New ideas about contributed to the revolutionary moo to gen- k and indecisive leadership all helped serious economic problems, and wea erate a desire for change. were ut power and authority in government Enlightenment Ideas New views abo ired by mbers of the Third Estate were insp spreading among the Third Estate. Me ding ion. They began questioning long-stan the success of the American Revolut began. Quoting Rousseau and Voltaire, they notions about the structure of society friend of dem and equ ality, liberty, and dem ocracy. The Comte D' Antraigues, a to s on what government should be: Rousseau, best summed up their idea PR IM AR Y SO UR CE it is i~ fad People is the foundation of the State; The Third Estate is the People and the sub ordi nate d to it. : · · ng. Everything should be the State itself; the... People is everythi ple that all state s exi~t er resides and for the Peo It is in the People that all national pow ens: nicle of the A Chro French Revo lution COMTE D'ANTRAICUES, quoted in Citiz was in France's once prosperous economy Economic Troubles By the 1780s, erS, ao