French Revolution

Estates

The three social classes in France before the Revolution:

1. First Estate – Clergy

2. Second Estate – Nobility

3. Third Estate – Commoners (about 97% of the population)

National Assembly

A representative body formed by members of the Third Estate who claimed the right to make laws for France.

Tennis Court Oath

A pledge made by members of the National Assembly in 1789, promising not to disband until France had a constitution.

Bastille

A prison in Paris that symbolized royal power. Its storming on July 14, 1789, became a symbol of the Revolution.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

A document that proclaimed liberty, equality, and natural rights for French citizens.

Reign of Terror

A period from 1793–1794 when thousands of people were executed as enemies of the Revolution.

Guillotine

A machine used for executions during the French Revolution.

Republic

A government in which citizens elect representatives instead of being ruled by a monarch.

Coup d’état

The sudden overthrow of a government by force.

Louis XVI

Louis XVI was the king of France when the Revolution began. He was eventually executed during the Revolution.

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette was the queen of France and wife of Louis XVI. She became a symbol of royal excess and was executed in 1793.

Maximilien Robespierre

Maximilien Robespierre was a leader of the Reign of Terror who believed harsh measures were necessary to protect the Revolution.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power after the Revolution and eventually became Emperor of France.

End Absolute Monarchy

• Limit or remove the king’s power.

• Create a government that represented the people.

Achieve Equality

• End special privileges of the clergy and nobility.

• Ensure equal treatment under the law.

Protect Individual Rights

• Guarantee freedoms such as liberty, speech, and property rights.

Create a Fairer Tax System

• Require all citizens, including nobles, to pay taxes.

Financial Crisis (1780s)

France was deeply in debt from wars and government spending. Heavy taxes fell mainly on the Third Estate.

Meeting of the Estates-General (1789)

King Louis XVI called a meeting to address financial problems, but disagreements led the Third Estate to break away.

Tennis Court Oath (June 1789)

Members of the Third Estate formed the National Assembly and vowed to create a constitution.

 Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789)

Citizens attacked the Bastille prison, marking the start of widespread revolution.

Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)

The National Assembly established principles of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty.

Constitutional Monarchy (1791)

France adopted a constitution that limited the king’s power.

Execution of Louis XVI (1793)

The monarchy was abolished, and the king was executed.

Reign of Terror (1793–1794)

Robespierre and revolutionary leaders used violence against suspected enemies of the Revolution.

Rise of Napoleon (1799)

Napoleon seized power through a coup and ended the Revolution.

Political Outcomes

• Ended absolute monarchy in France.

• Spread ideas of democracy and citizenship.

• Inspired future revolutions around the world.

Social Outcomes

• Eliminated many feudal privileges.

• Increased legal equality among citizens.

• Weakened the power of the nobility.

Economic Outcomes

• Church lands were confiscated.

• Tax reforms were introduced.

Long-Term Effects

• Nationalism grew stronger.

• Revolutionary ideas spread across Europe and Latin America.

• Napoleon carried many revolutionary reforms throughout Europe.

Social Causes

• Unequal estate system.

• Privileges for clergy and nobles.

Economic Causes

• Government debt.

• High taxes on commoners.

• Rising food prices and famine.

Political Causes

• Weak leadership by Louis XVI.

• Lack of representation for the Third Estate.

Intellectual Causes

• Enlightenment ideas from thinkers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Montesquieu encouraged people to question absolute monarchy.