FRENCH REVOLUTION

ARE WE HEADING THERE TODAY?

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• For more than 100 years, France had been most powerful nation in Europe, ruled by a monarch who claimed absolute power. This all changes within months in 1789. Before 1789: Old Regime

First Estate: Clergy of the Roman Catholic Church (less than 1% of the population). Most powerful

• Own 15% of all land in France (Collected rents, taxes, and fees)

• Held by higher clergy (Bishops, Archbishops, and abbots) (Do not pay taxes)

• Lower Clergy: performed spiritual duties (Parish priests, little pay)

Second Estate: Nobility, less than 2 % of population

• Paid few if any taxes, collected dues from peasants. Highest positions in army and government.

• Eldest sons had right to inherit titles and lands.

THIRD ESTATE• 97 percent of population

• Bourgeoisie: Urban middle class

• Merchants, Manufacturers, Doctors, and Attorneys (Educated and wealthy).

• Very poor: City workers, artisans, rural peasants

• Paid heavy taxes as well as rent for land they worked

• Paid Tithe: 1/10 of their income to the church.

• Could not change laws

• Under control of landlords and kings.

• Bourgeoisie started the fire

GROWING DISCONTENT1. Growth of French population: Families had more children to support and they

needed more food and money.

a) What are examples of what we do in today’s society?

2. Higher rents, food prices rose, wages were not raising at same rate. What would you do in this situation?

a) Poor blame king for allowing prices to get so high.

3. Bourgeoisie What do they want? Why doe they deserve this?

a) wanted political power to go with their economic strength

b) Paid taxes when clergy and nobles did not

c) Wanted their sons to have important positions in church, government, and army.

4. Bourgeoisie and peasants spoke of:

a) “Liberty and equality of natural rights.”

FINANCIAL CRISIS1. 59 year reign of Louis XV was one of the longest. 20 years of peace, but debts

were inherited from Louis XIV continued to grow, creating an economic crisis.

2. Louis XV expensive habits

a) which turned the people against him. Why? Think about greater population size

3. Debits must always=CREDIT meaning what?

a) Taxes do not cover=King borrows from banks until he runs them dry.

4. “It will survive for my time. After me, the deluge.”

5. Louis XVI marries Marie-Antoinette of Austria Why?

a) Begin to resent Marie-Antoinette and involvement in French politics

b) Debts grow b/c of assistance to United Stated during AR

c) Tries to tax first two estates (No cooperation). Why does that happen?

d) Banks would not lend anymore money

e) Financial disaster

f) King called for meeting of Estates General for new taxes approval.

TENNIS COURT OATH

JULY 14, 1789-STORMING OF THE BASTILLE

MEETING OF ESTATES GENERAL

• Past, three estates would meet separately and each estate had cast one vote. Why is this not a fair system? Think about the Electoral College.

• First two estates would outvote the Third Estate

• Third Estate wanted representatives to vote as individuals

• Louis XVI instructed delegates to follow old custom of meeting separately and voting as one body. Third Estate refuses (represented French people, not the three classes).

• Louis XVI does not respond (Third Estate/National Assembly/Tennis Court Oath

• Louis XVI allowed estates to meet together

• During meeting, Louis XVI moved troops into Paris and Versailles/Why would he move his troops there?

• July 14th, 1789, they capture Bastille prison (royal oppression) which gave them weapons then destroyed it.

• General Lafayette: new government formed with army formed by people “National Guard.” A new flag of red, white, and blue replaced the old flag.

• “Great Fear”: rumors and fear spread, peasants attacked houses/ monastaries.

End of Old Regime: National Assembly thought they could stop violence with reforms: Assembly outlawed tithe, canceled all feudal dues and services owned by peasants and removed privileges the First and Second estates had enjoyed. (No Feudalism)

Declaration of Rights of Man: 1. men are born equal and remain equal before law.

2. Freedom of speech, press, and religion. 3. Equal hold in office (Government).

4. Right to fair trial. “Liberty, equality, fraternity.” DID NOT APPLY TO WOMEN

Emigres: emigrants that fled to GB, Switz, and Germany which they plotted constantly to overthrow Revolution. Sided with Louis XVI in favor of a return to the Old Regime.

Reforms in Governement 1789-1791: National Assembly passes laws to correct past abuses and set up a new government.

5. Divided country into 83 districts (Departments). Called for election of local officials. What do these sound like in US Government today?

6. Seized lands owned by the Catholic Church. Property SOLD to peasants. What is the problem with this?

7. Civil Constitution of Clergy: people of parishes elected own clergy.

a) No approval from pope, most obeyed him, and more opposed French Revolution.

CONSTITUTION OF 17911. King could no longer: make or block laws.

2. Tax-paying male voters elected members to new legislative (Legislative Assembly)

3. National Assembly dissolved and no NA member could run for LA. Wealthy men still held most power

• Louis XVI agreed to limited power, but met with emigrants to overthrow govt. Tries to flee France to find help from alliances, but is caught. This leads to discussion of creating a Republic.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AND WAR• New government outlined Constitution 1791, but lasted less than a year.

• Set up a weak executive branch and a powerful legislature elected by a minority of population. Not all supported the Revolution (Catholic priests, nobles, poorest members)

• Legislative Assembly split into three groups:

1. Conservatives: Revolution had gone far enough.

2. Radicals: wanted more drastic changes than those proposed by National Assembly. Wanted to get rid of king, set up republic, and make broad reforms.

3. Moderates: no extreme views

• Deadlock on domestic issues, but united when faced against other European powers who wanted the monarchy.

• Declaration of Pillnitz: (Emperor of Leopold II of Austria and Frederick William I of Prussia) Took Kings Side

• Legislative Assembly declares war on Austria.

END OF MONARCHY• Failures in war+economic shortages at home+massive uprisings= radicals seized

control of the Commune, Paris’s city government.

• Prussians vowed to destroy Paris if royal family was harmed.

• Commune demands that Legislative Assembly abolish Monarchy

• Louis XVI accused of plotting foreign powers to overthrow the Constitution of 1791. Troops defended Paris against invading armies. King and family put in prison.

• Commune ruled Paris and LA tried to run France.

• Legislative Assembly voted out of existence.

NATIONAL CONVENTION• Universal Manhood Suffrage: every adult male could vote with or without

property.

• Three groups: 1. Girondins: republicans that feared domination of France

2. Jacobins: republicans who favored domination (Robespierre and Danton)

3. Some Jacobins extreme radicals and wanted reforms to benefit all classes.

4. Moderates: Later would favor the Jacobins

• National Convention: Governed France for 3 years

• 1st act: end monarchy, start republic

• Write a new constitution

• Louis XVI trial (plotting against security of nation)

• Guilty and executed (Monarch shock)

• United States was even disturbed by radical methods

JANUARY 21, 1793

Death of Marat-Extreme Radical in the Jacobin Party in France-Writer for the Paris paper-Murdered by Charlotte Corday because she wanted the executions in France to come to an end

AMERICANS SPLIT OVER FRENCH REVOLUTION• Remember “liberty, fraternity, and equality”

• Not fraternity or brotherhood but to a prolonged period of violence (Reign of Terror)

Federalists: opposed it, democratic revolution gone wrong

Jefferson’s Supporters: extension of American Revolution

• Applauded rejection of government by kings

• Acceptance of Republican government

• “Would rather see half the Earth ruined

Than see the French Revolution fail

CITIZEN GENET• Edmond Genet: arrived in South Carolina to win American support for France.

• France at war with Great Britain

• Tried to convince Americans to serve as soldiers and privateers against the British (MISTAKE) Why?

• Washington asked France to recall him

• Political power changed in France. Bad for Genet?

• Marries a governors daughter and became

a citizen.

AMERICAN NEUTRALITYWhich side should we take in the war between Britain and France?

• Britain: Navy dominated the oceans

• France: Helped Americans during War for Independence

• Neutral: not take either side

• Washington issued Proclamation of Neutrality

• Difficult not to get involved but how does he work

Around this? Who did they just behead?

• Britain: began to seize neutral U.S. trading ships

Headed for the French West Indies.

• British support for Indians in Northwest Territory

• John Jay sent to London to negotiate an agreeement with British

• Prevent war if justice can be obtained

Jay’s Treaty:

1. Britain agreed to leave forts it occupied in Northwest Territory

2. Aim to expand trade between two nations

3. Could not convince British to stop seizing American ships on high seas and searching them for British subjects.

a) Critics complain: No protection

for American shipping

b) Betrayal of Revolutionary ideals

by selling out to Britain

4. Congress still ratify treaty in 1795