French Revolution

1787: Bad harvests lead to food shortages in France, setting the stage for social unrest.
1789: National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.
July 14, 1789: The Bastille's storming marks the French Revolution's symbolic beginning.

The year 1789 witnessed major shifts: the emergence of a new U.S. and the onset of the French Revolution.
The French Revolution was characterized by its complexity, violence, and radicalism, aiming to create a new political order and social structure.

Social Inequality: Deep social divides and economic problems, particularly among the lower classes, fueled the revolution.
Various groups, including radicals, Catholic priests, nobles, and commoners, opposed the existing order.
Key Terms:
- Estate: Social orders in pre-revolutionary France.
- Bourgeoisie: Middle class, including merchants and professionals.
- Sans-Culottes: Working-class revolutionaries.

First Estate: Clergy (130,000 individuals, 10% of land)
- Tax exemptions, divided between higher clergy (wealthy, aristocratic) and parish priests (often poor).
Second Estate: Nobility (350,000 individuals, 25-30% of land)
- Held significant influence and privilege, also tax exemptions.
Third Estate: Commoners (over 27 million individuals)
- Constituted the majority of the population, divided into:
  - Peasants (75-80% of total population)
  - Urban workers (declining buying power)
  - Bourgeoisie (8% of population, owning 20-25% of land).

Economic downturn caused by bad harvests and increased commodity prices led to widespread discontent.
The French government faced financial collapse due to excessive spending and costly wars, particularly aiding the American revolutionaries.
Estates-General Meeting: Called by Louis XVI in May 1789 to address financial issues, with unequal representation favoring the First and Second Estates.

June 17, 1789: Third Estate declares itself the National Assembly, aiming for a constitutional government.
Tennis Court Oath: Third Estate vows to produce a constitution.

The fall of the Bastille signifies the removal of royal power and support for the National Assembly.
Peasant revolts and fear of foreign influence contributed to a period known as the Great Fear.

August 4, 1789: The National Assembly abolishes the rights of landlords and financial privileges of the clergy and nobility.

August 26, 1789: This document, influenced by American and Enlightenment ideals, outlines individual freedoms and equality.
Key rights include:
- Natural rights to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
- Provisions for equal access to public office and taxation.

Olympe de Gouges advocates for women's rights in her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen.
She argues for full equality, emphasizing the importance of women’s political and social rights.

Louis XVI attempts to resist revolutionary decrees but is confronted with demands for social justice from women and other social groups.
The National Assembly imposed reforms on the Catholic Church, leading to further discontent among clergy and devout Catholics.

Spring 1792: The Legislative Assembly faces pressure from political demonstrations, leading to radical shifts in governance.
Introduction of universal male suffrage with proposed mass voting experiences.

The French Revolution evolved from a desire for reform into a battle for rights and representation, laying the foundation for modern political thought.