French revolution study guide

When did the french revolution begin?

1789

France faced a crisis in the late 1780’s, what was it caused by?

Financial collapse, extreme inequality, and widespread hunger.

What did the people believe could be the only fix for these problems?

A revolution

What was France’s national debt by 1789?

4 billion livres

How much % of tax revenue was spent paying interest on the debt?

50%

What was one major cause of the debt?

France’s involvement in the American War of Independence.

Because the monarchy had poor credit, how large were the lenders' interest rates?

Lenders charged very high interest rates.

How much % of land did the clergy own?

10%

How much % of land did the nobility own?

25%

How much % of land did the Third Estate own?

65% of the land, but paid 100% of the direct land tax.

What did the church collect, and how much % was it equal to the crops?

The Church collected the Tithe, equal to 10% of crops.

How much did a loaf of bread cost in 1787?

8 sous

By early 1789, how much did bread cost?

15 sous.

What % of daily income did workers spend on bread?

80%

The winter of 1786-1789 was the coldest in ___ years.

80 years

What happened to the rivers during the coldest winter?

Rivers froze, stopping grain mills from operating.

What happened to firewood?

It became unaffordable

What were peasants expected to provide?

Labor, crops, taxes.

In return, what were peasants promised?

Military protection, Justice, and infrastructure.

Who was supposed to protect the villages under feudalism?

local lords.

What did France rely on by 1789?

a centralized royal army

Where did many nobles live instead of protecting their peasants?

Versailles

What were local courts controlled by?

local lord(seigneur)

What did peasants believe about the justice system?

That it was biased and corrupt.

Peasants were forced to use the lord’s_______

Grain mills, Bread ovens, and wine presses.

What way did peasants pay fees in? What were they forbidden from owning?

through labor, such as wine or grain. They were not allowed to have their own equipment, either.

What % did the tithe take from peasants?

10% of a peasant’s harvest

What did people question about the church during times of famine?

They questioned whether the church provided enough charity

By 1789, peasants were taxed in______

Cash, Goods, and Labor.

What did peasants believe about the services they were paying for and the entire system?

They believed they were paying for services that dont exist anymore and that the entire system needs to be replaced, not reformed.

Representatives from all 3 Estates met for what?

The Estates General, there hasn’t been a meeting in 175 years.

What was argued about in the meeting?

the rules.

What did the 3rd Estate want to change?

They wanted equal voting since the 1st and 2nd Estates always outvoted them. Because of this, the 3rd Estate declared itself the National Assembly and invited the other estates to join it.

What did Louis do to the 3rd Estate?

He locked them out of the Estates General after their rebellion.

What did the 3rd Estate declare in the Tennis Court Oath

That they would not break apart until they had written a constitution.

What did Lous XVI bring after the Tennis Court Oath?

he brought troops

How did the French people respond to Lous XVI bringing his troops?

They fear he is trying to disband the National Assembly, so they too prepare to defend themselves.

Why do they storm the Bastille?

To get gunpowder

What changes does the National Assembly make to the government?

Abolish the tithe

Abolish all dues owed by peasants

Abolish all special privileges of the 1st and 2nd Estates

Created the Declaration of the Rights of the man and the Citizen.

What is included in the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and the Citizen?

Men are born equal

Freedom of speech, press, and religion

All (male) citizens can hold political office

The slogan of the revolution is “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.”

How many districts was France divided into?

83

Since france was divided into 83 districts, what happened?

Assumed the national debt

Seized and sold church land

Allowed people to vote for clergy members

Created a new government with 3 branches

Created a new constituion that greatly reduced the power of the king.

At the “blossoming of the 18th century,” what began to challenge the age old traditions of hierarchy?

Reason and science

How is paris described at this time?

The philosophical center of the world.

How did the elightenment change people’s way of thinking?

Don’t trust authority, think for themselves.

Where did people meet to discuss Enlightenment ideas? Which authors were spoken of here?

Elite salons across France. Russo and Voltaire were talked about.

What begins to threaten the aristocratic way of life?

drive for equality.

Where could people at this time see enlightenment ideas in action”

Across the Atlantic(americas)

How did Louis XVI help America?

Giving 2 billion livre to America.

How did Marie Antoinette amuse herself at Versailles?

She gets interested in fashion, she gets crazy hairdos and wigs, gambles, and gossips.

What nickname did they give Marie Antoinette?

Madam defecit because she wasted a lot of money on trivial things.

How was life at Versailles starkly contrasted to life outside of the palace?

There is a deficit in flour. People are mad and call for a revolution, while the people at the palace of Versailles live lavishly and have all the food

What does Jacques Necker say is the government’s responsibility? What does he urge Louis XVI to do?

He said that they should have bread and flour on a daily basis.

Who is the skilled young lawyer who represents the 3rd Estate at the Estates General, and how is he described?

Maximillion Robespierre. He is skilled and elegant in his appearance. He is enlightened and rose to academic prominence.

What does the 3rd Estate demand at the Estates General meeting?

That everyone pays taxes.

What does it mean that this victory for the 3rd Estate is a '‘paper victory'“?

A paper victory is that they got the rules they wanted on paper, but it hasn’t been approved by the king.

What are the people afraid of?

people are afraid of gathered troops, this is true.

What do the people need and where do they get it from? What is the Bastille famous for?

gunpowder, and they get it from the Bastille. The Bastille is known for being a symbol of torture and horror.

Why was Necker fired by Louis?

because he is too sympathetic.

What happened on July 14th?

the people rioted and stormed the Bastille.

What “revolutionary tradition is born” on this day?

his severed head is put on a pike.

What are two views on why Louis XVI tries to escape?

Louis claims he wants to leave because he was forced to approve of laws he believes would destroy the country

The peasants believed that he was abandoning the people since he was fleeing to Austria

What is Louis XVI’s view on the push for a new form of government?

Hes fine with the reform, but it shouldn’t be as chaotic as this revolution is.

What are two futures of France with Louis XVI’s in mind.

One if monarchy and law and the other one is the abolishment of it.

What was their motive for killing King Louis?

Because he abandoned France.

What was King Louis reaction to his punishment?

He wasn’t very distraught; he complied with his punishment.

Do Parisian citizens believe that justice was served in King Louis XVI punishment?

Their beliefs are split. Some believe it was out of justice and some believe it was out of vengeance.

What is Robespierre’s last name?

Maximillion

Why was the accused citizen arrested?

Rumors spread that he was a traitor because he wasn’t “enthusiastic enough” about the revolution or he “complained too much”

What does Robespierre believe about liberty?

That liberty is fragile.

What was the name of the new religion that Robespierre created?

Cult of the supreme being.

How did Robespierre maintain control over the revolution?

He kept control by using fear.

How was Robespierre executed?

he died by his own guillotine.

What was Charlotte Corday’s alibi for entering Jean-Paul Marat’s house?

That she had a fake list of traitors.

What weapon was used to kill Jean-Paul Marat?

A stiletto knife.

What did the people of France think of the murder of Jean Paul Marat

Some believed it was just, while others were afraid. to express a different politcial opinon now.