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1
MAIN IDEA Economic social inequalities in
the Old Regime

French Revolution
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2
The Old Regime

• 1770s France ruled by the Old Regime system of
  feudalism
• unequal society
• French citizens divided into Estates social
  classes
• First Estate
• Second Estate
• Third Estate

3

• FIRST ESTATE
• Roman Catholic clergy
• Owned 10 of land but paid few taxes
• Scorned Enlightenment ideas

• SECOND ESTATE
• Rich nobles, 2 of population
• Owned 20 of land
• Held highest government offices
• Disagreed on Enlightenment ideas

• THIRD ESTATE
• 97 of population
• Bourgeoisie, workers, peasant farmers
• Heavily taxed and no govnt power
• Embraced Enlightenment ideas
• Dissatisfied and wanted change

4
Forces of Change
3 Factors led to revolution

• Enlightenment Ideas
• equality, liberty, democracy
• American Revolution

• 2. Economic Troubles
• High taxes inflation
• Louis XVI Marie Antoinette are extravagant
• national debt doubles
• banks refuse to lend more money

• 3. Louis XVI Weak Leader
• Marie Antoinette unpopular
• Tries to tax aristocrats
• Forced to call Estates-General representatives
  from all three estates

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Revolution Dawns

• Estates-General
• Third Estate always outvoted under rulesnow want
  each delegate to have a vote
• Third Estate breaks away

• National Assembly congress to make reforms
• Beginning of representative government in France
• Tennis Court Oath promise to write new
  constitution for France

6

• Storming the Bastille
• Rumors spread that Louis will suppress National
  Assembly
• Swiss guards sent to Pariscitizens panic
• July 14, 1789 Bastille Day
• Mob attacks and seizes Bastille to get gunpowder
• symbol of revolution

7
A Great Fear Sweeps France

• Great Fear wave of panic and violence
• Peasants destroy legal papers binding them to
  feudal system
• October 1789 Parisian women revolt over rising
  price of bread
• storm Versailles force Louis to return to Paris