Wednesday April 3rd

[4th Charlotte]

French Revolution:

• During the French Revolution, George Washington became the 1^st president of the US
• 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 great (good and bad) foreign trade
• Much of the world didn’t know the extreme debt in France

Old Regime

• In the 1770’s the social and political system of France was called the Old Regime
• Under this Regime there were 3 large social classes called estates

1^st Estate

• Made up of clergy of the Roman Catholic Church (priest, bishops, deacons, cardinals)
• Had to pay 2% of their earnings to taxes
• Owned 10% of the lands in France
• Their jobs provide religious, education, and relief services to the poor
• Less than 1% of French population were in this estate

2^nd estate

• Made up of rich nobles
• Held highest offices in the French Government
• This estate paid 0% to taxes
• Owned 20% of the lands in France
• Had only 2% of the population in France

3^rd estate

• Included everyone that wasn’t in the 1^st two estates
• Had no power to influence their French government
• Had to pay 50% of income to food/taxes
• Resented the 1^st two estates
• Owned 70% of the land in France and consisted of 97% of population

Enlightenment Ideals

• Complex with many influences
• The 3^rd estate was becoming 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 always expressing her opinion and the fact that she was from Austria
• He finally wanted to tax the nobles, but they weren’t happy so the Estate-General was called

Estate-General

• An assembly of representatives from all 3 estates
• Their goal was to approve the new tax
• The meeting was held on May 5, 1789 in Versailles (treaty of Versailles ended WW1)
• It was the 1^st time the assembly had met in 175 years
• In the past the 3 estates would meet separately and there would be only 1 vote per estate
• This allowed for the 1^st and 2^nd estate to always beat the 3^rd
• The kind sided with the nobles again and they were outvoted