French Revolution Flashcards
Who was in the first estate
The first estate was made up of the clergy, bishops and priests. They were paid a tax from peasants called the tithe
Who made up the second estate
The second estate was made up of the nobles who most of which were wealthy landowners or the Kings advisors
Who was in the third estate
The third estate was about 93% of the population and was made up of the commoners. They were poor farmers and peasants. There was also educated people in this estate as well such as doctors and businesses men who wanted a say in how France was governed
When did King Louis the XVI become king
1774
Why was Marie Antoinette not liked by the French
She was not liked as she was from Austria who were seen as an enemy to the state. She spent a lot of France’s money on luxuries and jewellery.
Give reasons why people wanted France to change
The enlightenment - this was when lots of writers wrote about problems in France they were very influential.
They wrote about :
- Kings power did not come from God.
- Opposed to absolute power of the King.
- The church was too powerful.
Name two enlightenment writers
Rousseau
Voltaire
Who paid tax in France
The church and the nobles did not pay any tax.
The third estate paid all of the tax.
What taxes did the third estate pay
The gabelle tax - tax on salt
Feudal dues- tax to the local Lord T
Tithe- tax to the church
Why did the price of bread rise
There were bad harvests in France and the cost of making bread became higher.
Explain the estates general
Sort of parliament made up of the representatives of each estate.
Why did the estates general meet after 175 years
Louis wanted to change the tax system and so he called an estates general. The third estate hopes to gain more political power after this meeting. Up until this point each estate had one bite and so the third estate was always outnumbered by 2:1. The third estate wanted a vote per person.
Explain the tennis court oath
In 1789 the third estate was locked out of their meeting place. They believed this was done deliberately by the other estates. Their demands for change in voting weren’t met. They went to a nearby tennis court to meet and took an oath.
The third estate then voted to become the National Assembly
Why did people storm the Bastille
The national guard was formed in Paris to defend the city from the Kings troops but they were in desperate need of gunpowder.
What were the causes of the French Revolution?
- Enlightenment
- Bankruptcy due to wars fought in the 1700s
- The absolute power of the King
- Poor harvest left ordinary people hungry
- Resistance of the nobles to tax reform
- The unfair tax system
