French revolution

Question 1

Describe The French Society during the late 18th Century

Answer 1

In 1774 Louis XVI ascended the throne. He was 20 years old and was married to Marie Antoinette. When he ascended the throne he found that the treasury was empty due to long years of war. Under him France helped 13 American colonies gain independence from Britan. The war added billions of livres (currency) to their debt. As a result The king was forced to increase tax. The society was divided into 3 estates and only the 3rd estate paid taxes. He imposed two types of taxes: Tithe and Taille

Question 2

Who was Louis XVI married to?

Answer 2

Marie Antoinette

Question 3

What were the 3 estates of France?

Answer 3

1st Estate - Clergy
2nd Estate - Noblemen
3rd Estate - Peasants and middle class (90% of population)

Question 4

Who ruled France before 1789?

Answer 4

The old regime

Question 5

Who were the clergy?

Answer 5

Group of people who invested with special functions in the church.

Question 6

What were the two kinds of tax?

Answer 6

1. Tithes - Tax levied by church, 1/10 of agricultural produce (Indirect tax)
2. Taille - Tax to be paid directly to state

Question 7

Why was it a struggle to survive

Answer 7

The population of Frace rose from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. This led to demand in food. The production of food could keep up and the price of bread increased. Workers were employed as laborer in workshops but the salary didn’t keep pace with the increasing price, widening the gap between the rich and the poor. This led to a subsistence crisis, something common during the rule of the old regime.

Question 8

How did the growing middleclass put an end to privileges?

Answer 8

The middle class became wealthier and emerged to power. They believed that nobody should be privileged by birth and a persons social class must depend on merit. These ideas were put forward by philosophers such as John Locke, Jean Jaques Rousseau and Montesquieu

Question 9

What did John Locke write?

Answer 9

He wrote the book two treatises of government. He wrote against the absolute right of the monarch

Question 10

What did jean Jaques Russeau write?

Answer 10

In the book the Social Contract, he proposed a for of government between the citizens and the representative.

Question 11

What did Montesquieu write?

Answer 11

In the spirit of laws he proposed a theory about division of power within the government. It is used today.

Question 12

How did the outbreak of the revolution occur?

Answer 12

To impose tax, the old regime had to call a meeting with the estates general (Body of representatives send by each estate).
On 5th May 1789 Louis XVI called a meeting with the estates general. The first and the second estate consisted of 300 members each, whereas the third estate consisted of 600 members.
Usually each estate would get a vote, but this time the third estate asked for one vote per person. Louis XVI rejected this request and as a act of protest the third estate representatives left.
On 20th June 1789 they assembled in the grounds of Versailles and declared themselves the national assembly. They wanted to create a constitution that would limit the powers of the monarch. The national assembly was led by Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes.
On August 4th Louis XVI accepted the constitution. This constitution abolished the feudal system. Members of the clergy were forced to give up their privileges. Tithes were abolished. Church land was confiscated.

Question 13

What was happening in the country side during the outbreak of the revolution

Answer 13

Rumors were spread that the lords of the manor were sending people to destroy ripe crops. As a result the peasants attacked the Chateaux (Kings house). Many nobles fled to neighboring countries.

Question 14

How did France become a constitutional monarchy?

Answer 14

The constitution was completely drafted in 1791. Power of the monarch was limited and spread into judiciary, executive and legislative. The citizens voted for electors who then voted for the national assembly. Only active citizens (Men above the age of 25 who paid taxes up to 3 days of average wage) were allowed to vote. The rest were considered passive citizens. To become an elector a person had to be in the highest bracket of tax payers. The constitution began with the declaration of rights and it was the states duty to protect these rights.

Question 15

How did France abolish monarchy and become a republic?

Answer 15

Louis the XIV entered into secret alliances with the kings of Prussia. As the national assembly got to know they declared war against Prussia and Austria. This was the war of people verses the kings and the aristocracies.
The national assembly sang Marseillaise (By Roget De L’Isle) while marching to Paris giving it its name, this song became the national anthem of France.
The constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to richer sections. Political clubs became and important rallying point for people who wished to discuss the government policies. Even women created clubs.
The Jacobin club rose to power. In 1792 They planned the insurrection of many Parisians. On August 10th they stormed into the palace, killed the guards and imprisoned the royal family.
Elections were now held and all men over 212 could vote. The newly elected assembly was called the convection. On 21st September 1792 they abolished monarch and declared France a republic
On 21st Jan 1793 Louis XVI was publicly executed at Place de la Concorde on the charge of treason. Queen Marie Antoinnette also met with the same fate.

Question 16

Who were the Jacobin Club?

Answer 16

The Jacobin club was a club that rose to power in 1793. Their members mainly belonged to the lesser prosperous sections of the society. Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre.
The members were long stripped trouser, similar to those of dock workers. They stopped the fashion of waring knee breaches (called sans-culottes).2

Question 17

What was the reign of terror?

Answer 17

1793 to 1794 is referred to as the reign of terror. Robespierre arrested all of his enemies. If they were found guilty they were guillotined. At this point they practiced equality. Instead of sir and madame people were called Citoyen and Citoyenne (Citizen). Robespierre was convicted in July 1794 and was sent to guillotine, bringing an end to the jacobin club.

Question 18

How did a directory come to lead france?

Answer 18

After the fall of the Jacobin club, the wealthier middle class came to power. They denied vote of non-propertied sections of society. They made two legislative councils, a directory and a executive made of five people. The directors often fought with the legislative who dismissed them. This political instability paved the way for a rise of a military dictator - Napolean Bonaparte.

Question 19

Describe the rise of women in the revolution

Answer 19

Women were always active members of society. Women in the third estate worked. Most of them didn’t have access to education or job training, only nobles or wealthy third estate daughters could study at convent.
Women started their own political clubs. One of the most famous ones is the Society Of Revolutionary and Republican Women. They demanded to have the same political rights as men. The early revolutionary government helped improve their lives. Due to state schools, schooling was made compulsory. Marriage was now contracted and had to marry freely, under civil law. Divorce was now legal for men and women. Struggles increased during the reign of terror and many prominent women were arrested and executed.
In 1946 women got the right to vote.

Question 20

The abolition of slavery during the revolution

Answer 20

The Jacobin regime abolished slavery in 1974 under the convection. After 10 years Napolean Bonaparte re-introduced slavery. Slavery was finally abolished in the French colonies in 1848.
Slave trade first began in the 17th century. Slaves were bought by plantation owners. They were originally bought by merchants, then send to their respective place to be bought by planation owners.

Question 21

What change in law led to the revolution?

Answer 21

They most important law during the revolution was the abolition of censorship. The new declaration proclaimed freedom of speed and expression to be natural rights. In the old regime all written material and cultural activities (plays) had to be approved by the censors of the king. This let philosophers and newspapers express their view playing a huge part in the revolution.

Question 22

How did the reign of Napolean Bonaparte come to end?

Answer 22

In 1804 he crowned himself the emperor of France. He introduced laws such as the protection of prvate property and a uniform system of weights and measurements under the decimal number system. He was orignally viewed as a person to provide freedom to the citizens. Later he was viewed as an invading force in Frace and Was finally deafeated in waterloo in 1815 but his ideas carried on.

Question 23

Examples of people who responded to ideas coming form revolutionary france

Answer 23

These people were Tipu Sultan and Rammohan Roy.

Question 24

What are the key takeaways from the revolution?

Answer 24

The most important legacy of the revolution was the idea of liberty and democratic rights. The feudal systems were abolished and colonized people reworked the idea of freedom of slaves into their movements to create a sovereign nation.