French Revolution Flashcards
State the amount of people in each estate
Clergy - 135,000 Nobility - 400,000 Middle classes - 1,000,000 Non agricultural workers - 2,000,000 Peasants - 22,000,000
What was the number of delegates in each estate for the states general
First estate -300
Second estate -291
Third estate -610
Total -1201
What made up the monarchy
Marie Anotoinette and Louis XVI positions hereditary Extravagant wealth Divine right of kings Palaces : Versailles and twilleires
What made up the upper clergy
Bishops and Abbots Wealthy Worldly Many privileges Often second sons of nobility Paid by 3rd estate and monarchy Catholic Church
What made up the lower clergy
Parish preasts Tiny salaries Rely on charity Not privileged like upper clergy From 3rd estate
What is the nobility divided into
Nobles of the court
Nobles of the gown
Seigneurs
What did the nobles of court consist of
Often lived at the palace Had influence over the monarchy Privileged Constantly available to the king Rewarded with money (Royal pensions ) and invitations to Festivities
What did the seigneurs consist of
French for "lord" Landowners Employed peasants to work land Often had another residence in the town Did not alway take care of land
What did the nobles of the gown consist of
Judges , administrators
Gown = academic gown
Positions could be bought for large sums of money
What did the bourgeoise consist of
Middle class Bankers , lawyers , traders , craftsman Wealthy , lived in towns or cities Educated and ambitious Pay high taxes , no say in politcs Can't rise to the second estate ( usually)
What did the peasants and serfs consist of
Worked on nobles land
Very poor - subsistence farming (live off what you grow)
Pay taxes to their nobles or worked without pay
Very difficult to survive
Some had to move to town to get another job to survive (low paid work)
What is tithe tax
10% of salary goes to Catholic Church
What is polltax
Paying tax for family member
Salt tax
Paying for salt
Colvee tax
Paying tax through work
Feudal taxes
Peasants pay nobles to work their land
How old was Louis when he ascended the French throne
19 years old
What did Louis youth then mean
He was an immature and indicisive leader
Who was Louis married to
An Austrian princess - Marie Antoinette
Where did Louis live
The palace of Versailles
What was Louis “state”
Absolute monarchy with despotic power
What is the feudal system
People believed he was there by divine right and that the king would only answer to God . People had no real say
What is the Kings strongest expression , and what does it mean
“Lattre de catchet” anyone could by arrested without trial
What was argued about Louis and Marie
They were isolated to the needs of the people , Louis had a weak character not fit for leadership .
What were Louis and Marie described as
Louis - pious and sincere man
Marie - struggled to understand French people
Who was Louis controller general
Charles Alexandre de Cannone
What happened that caused estates general
Financial reform that privileged classes would have to pay land tax
Second estate not happy ,to prevent second estate revolt king summoned estates general
What is an estates general
Assembly with clergy , nobility and middle class for first time since 1614
When was the estates general scheduled for
May 5 1789
What would be on the first estate list of grieviences
Not receiving all due tax
Restraint 3rd estate
Tax is to low
Defend all privileges
What would the nobles have on their list of grieviences
Greater power / say ( nobles of the land)
Clergy pays tax
Less tax
More land
What would the peasants have on their list of grieviences
Equality Remove most taxes Rights More political power Democracy
What was the tennis court oath
3rd estate was angry because Louis said classes would meet seperately . 3rd estate then formed a group called National Assembly . They made a new constitution for France .
Why did Louis agree everyone would meet with the NA
He was scared they would revolt
What percent did the member of the third estate now represent
98 percent
What did Louis decide at the tennis court oath
That classes would meet and vote seperately
Why was the third estate angry that estates were voting seperately
They wanted first and second estate to agree with the,
What response did members of the third estate do when Louis divided the classes
They formed a group called the National Assembly
What did the National Assembly do
They decided to make a new constitution for France
What is a constitution
Guidelines
Foundation principles that country believes
No law can conflict
Why is it called the tennis court oath
It happened in a tennis court
When was the National Assembly made
12 June
When was the first time Louis gave into the third estate
He agreed for everyone to meet with the NA as he was scared of a revolt
What was the first victory of the third estate
National Assembly - they could now implement reforms they desired
Why do people think the tennis court oath was the start of the revolution
It was a large scale impact , involving people that made a significant difference
Why did many people move from the French countryside to Paris
Because of crop failures - 1787,1788
Why did many people roam the streets in 1787 and 1788
The factories in Paris could not absorb the incoming rural population of unemployed people
Which people could become angry and why
The people that roamed the streets , as they had hunger plus rage and they were jobless
What did the people that roamed the streets believe
That the king , the first estate and the second estate were trying to stop any real changes that the NA made
Who and when encouraged the Paris mob to march to the Bastille
On July 14 the journalists and orators
What is an orator
Public speaker
What is the Bastille and what does it accommodate
State prison that accommodated political prisoners ( political bellies ) and criminals
What was Bastille a symbol of
Inequalities in France and the power of the kings imprisonments without trial
What did the Paris mob do to the Bastille
It was seized and demolished . The governer and most of the members of garrison were killed . Only 7 prisoners found
What were the results and significance of the fall of the Bastille
Tangible destruction of old order
Bastille day - 14 July celebrated every year
National Assembly given power by King to reorganize France
When and what is the tricolor flag
The revolutionary flag made after the fall of the Bastille- red , blue and white
What did the fall of the Bastille encourage the third estate in the countryside to do
Revolt .
Explain the great terror
The third estate revolt
20 July
Chateaux and abbeys were burnt and many landlords killed
Nobles fled France
What happened at st bartholomews night of property
NA assembly convinced 2nd and 1st estate that their unfair privileges made third estate angry . Evening of 4 August 1789 1st and 2nd estate gave up privileges Legally equal to third estate All classes pay taxes End of feudal system
What is a preamble
Introduction of constitution
Main principles constitution based on
What did the NA name the preamble
Decoration of the rights of man and citizen
Name 3 philosophers
Voltaire
Rousseau
Montesquieu
What caused march on Versailles
France suffering from food - crop failures
King having huge banquets
What happened in October 1789
Women took action
What did the women chant as they marched
“The baker , the bakers wife and the bakers son “
Who accompanied the women
Lafayette and the national guard
What did the women mob do
Murdered royal body guard
Demanded bread from King
Threatened to kill queen
What did Lafayette and the national guard do at the March of Versailles
Accompanied women
Saved the king and persuaded him to listen to women
What happened after the king relented to the women
Royal family travelled to Paris Capital city - Tuileries (empty palace for more then a century) Became prisoners of the mob Wagons filled with wheat and flour Women cheered and sang to Paris
What would the National Assembly do after the March of Versailles
Changes to social , economic and political systems
How did the National Assembly know the king would agree after the March of Versailles
He was in Paris and feared for his life
What was France traditionally divided up into
Clergy - first estate
Nobility - second estate
Everyone else - third estate
