French Revolution

What was the Old Regime?

The unfair feudal social system that existed in France prior to the Revolution of 1789.

Identify the Three Estates of French society.

1. First Estate: Clergy (Church) who held power and paid almost no taxes. 2. Second Estate: Nobility (Rich landowners) who paid very little tax. 3. Third Estate: Common people (97\% of the population) who paid the majority of taxes.

What were the primary financial causes of the Revolution?

• Huge national debt from wars. - Excessive royal spending by King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. - Poor harvests leading to high bread prices and famine.

Name three Enlightenment thinkers who influenced the Revolution.

• Montesquieu - Voltaire - Rousseau

What is the motto of the French Revolution?

“Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity).

What was the Tennis Court Oath?

A pledge by the Third Estate in 1789 not to leave until they had drafted a constitution for France, leading to the creation of the National Assembly.

What occurred on July 14, 1789?

The Storming of the Bastille, where citizens attacked a prison and weapons store; it is now celebrated as Bastille Day.

What were the Cahiers de Doléances?

Lists of complaints where people demanded fair taxes, the end of feudal dues, and regular meetings of the Estates-General.

What was the Reign of Terror?

A period from 1793 to 1794 led by Maximilien Robespierre involving extreme violence and approximately 40,000 executions of perceived “enemies of the revolution.”

What is the significance of the Eiffel Tower in relation to the Revolution?

It was built in 1889 to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution.