The French Revolution

1
Journal 1
1) Describe how this picture illustrates the
social conditions in France in the 1700s 2)
Explain why revolution appears inevitable in
France in the late 1700s?
2
Calling of the Estates-General

• Louis XVI is forced into action

3
Louis XVI
4
Louis XVI

• Became King in 1774
• Louis XIV 1638-1715, Louis XV 1715-1774
• Borrowed heavily to help American Revolutionaries
  
• American Revolution begins 1775
• Frances chief rival was England
• Doubled the Governments debt!

5
Marie Antoinette

• Married Louis XVI at age 14
• arranged marriage
• Member of Royal family of Austria
• Extremely unpopular with the French
• Spent lavishly on clothing, jewels, etc.

6
Economic woes of France

• 1780s widespread crop failures
• bad weather
• 1786 Bankers refuse to lend France more money
• 1789 price of bread doubled
• People faced starvation

7
France Faces Bankruptcy

• Louis XVI was desperate
• He tried to tax the nobles
• The 2nd Estate protested forced King to call
  the Estates-General
• Tax Reform was needed

8
The Estates-General

• 3 House Legislative Body
• First Established in 1302
• Comprised of 1st, 2nd, 3rd Estates
• They met May 5th, 1789 at Versailles
• Estates-General had not been called in 175 Years!
  (since 1614)

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Estates-General Voting Procedure
1st Estate
2nd Estate
3rd Estate
Each group meets separately
Each group gets 1-vote
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Abbe Sieyes

• Clergyman who inspired the 3rd Estate to fight
  for more power
• He wrote

What is the Third Estate? Everything What has
been the political order up to now? Nothing What
does it ask? To become something
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Primary Source Document

• Reading What is the 3rd Estate?

Suggested they form a NATIONAL ASSEMBLY