French Revolution

[5th Melissa]

• Fun Fact: During the French Revolution, George Washington became the first president of the U.S.A.
• Started in 1789 and lasted until 1799
• In 1700's, France and England were considered the most advanced countries in Europe and the world
• It had a large population and a great (good and bad) foreign trade
• How ever, much of the world did not know the extreme debt that France had occurred
• Old Regime
  • In the 1770's, the social and political system of France was called this
  • Under this Regime, there were 3 large social classes called estates
• First Estate
  • Made up of clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, priests, bishops, deacons, cardinals
  • Had to pay 2 percent of their earnings to taxes
  • Owned10 percent of the lands in France
  • Their jobs were to provide religion, education, and relief services to the poor
  • Less than 1 percent of French Population were in this estate
• Second Estate
  • This group was made up of French Nobles
  • They held the highest offices in the government in France
  • This estate paid 0 percent of income taxes
  • Owned 20 percent of the lands in France
  • This estate had only 2 percent of the population of France
• Third Estate
  • Included everyone that wasn't in the first two estates
  • Had no power to influence the government in France
  • Had to pay 50 percent income/food to taxes
  • Resented the first two classes
  • Owned 70 percent of the lands in France and consisted of 97 percent of the population
• Enlightenment Ideals
  • Enlightenment is a complex with many influences,
  • The 3rd estate was becoming very tired of the Old Regime
  • They prompted the ideals  of equality, liberty, and a democracy
• Weak Leader
  • Louis XVI married to Marie Antoinette was a very weak leader
  • He was very indecisive and paid very little attention to his advisors
  • Marie didn't help much either with constantly expressing her opinion and the fact that she was from Austria
  • He finally wanted to tax the nobles , but they weren't happy there either so the Estates-General was called
  • An assembly of representatives from all three estates
  • Their goal was to approve the new tax
  • The meeting was held on May 5, 1789 in Versailles
  • It was the first time the assembly had met in 175 years