The French Revolution Flashcards
The First Estate was the…
clergy (the church)
What did the clergy own?
They owned 10% of the land and paid no taxes and they had a lot of money.
The Second Estate was the…
Nobility (nobles)
What was happening with the Second Estate?
They owned land but received little income and didn’t have as much money as the clergy.
Who had to pay all of the taxes?
The Third Estate
The Third Estate was…
EVERYONE ELSE! They made up the majority of the population.
What were the Third Estate assigned and what was the problem?
They had to pay taxes on everything and they were the poorest group.
What were the cahiers?
Cahiers are notebooks
What was written in the cahiers?
King Louis had them bring their cahiers with the things they weren’t happy about. Some topics written about were fairer taxes, meetings of the Estates- General.
Economic Problem in the 1780s and 1790s…
1) France was on the verge of bankruptcy- they borrowed too much money and they can’t pay it back.
2) There were bad weather conditions. There was not enough food and the price of food (inflation) had to go up and no one could afford it.
When was the Tennis Court Oath?
June 1789
What happened during the meeting of the Estates General?
People from each estate got together, but the 3rd Estate didn’t feel like they were heard.
Who would vote together and who would be left out?
The 1st and 2nd Estates would vote together and the 3rd Estate would be left out.
What is the background of the “Tennis Court Oath”?
The 3rd Estate was supposed to go to the meeting hall, but it was locked and they thought the King was trying to keep them out. So, they found a nearby tennis court and they would not leave until the king accepted the changes they wanted to make.
What happened at the Bastille prison?
-Opening scene of the French Revolution
- Attack against King Louis XVI
- It ended absolute monarchies
