Fuel for the Revolutionary Fire

1
Fuel for the Revolutionary Fire
Danger!
2
Why the Estates Matter
of population of land rights privileges
Royals Less than 1 25-30 - absolute power
Clergy (1st Estate) 1 5-10 - received tithes - lived well
Nobility (2nd Estate) 2 25 - lived well - govt positions
Bourgeoisie / Peasants (3rd Estate) 97 40 - few political rights - no voice in govt
3
An Economic Crisis

• Spending on foreign affairs elaborate court
  life
• No taxes were being collected from the First
  Second Estates
• Banks refused to lend to Louis XVI
• Crop failures bread shortages
• Response (May 1789) Summon the Estates-General!

4
Conflicts Between the Estates

• Each estate gets 1 vote in the Estates-General
• 3rd Estate thinks this is unfairwants to meet
  jointly and have each delegate vote individually
• Louis XVI opposes this idea and the 3rd Estate
  gets locked out
• This leads to creation of the National Assembly
  and the Tennis Court Oath

5
The Tennis Court Oath (please refer to your
handout)

• Why are these people gathered?
• How does the oath define a legislature?
• What are their goals?
• How does the oath regard monarchy?

6
Conflicts Between the Estates

• Each estate gets 1 vote in the Estates-General
• 3rd Estate thinks this is unfairwants to meet
  jointly and have each delegate vote individually
• Louis XVI opposes this idea and the 3rd Estate
  gets locked out
• This leads to creation of the National Assembly
  and the Tennis Court Oath
• Will create a French constitution
• King orders 1st 2nd Estates to join the
  National Assembly . . . he smells trouble

7
Reforms of the National Assembly (please refer
to your handout)

• Who benefits from these reforms?
• Who does not?

Power
Power
Power
Bourgeoisie Philosophes Businessmen
Commoners Workers Women
Monarch Church/Clergy Nobility
8
July 14, 1789

• The Bastille (in Paris) was a prison where the
  monarchy held prisoners (both justly and
  unjustly)
• Stormed by a mob trying to steal weapons for the
  National Assemblys defense (rememberthe king
  had been gathering troops _at_ Versailles)
• The Great Fear begins

Outcomes?