The French Revolution Flashcards
What were some of the social factors during the time of the French Revolution?
-France was divided into three social classes called the Ancient Regime
-France had a monarchy system and King Louis XIV had ultimate power
What was the clergy (first estate)?
The clergy was at the top of the Estates System (below the king) and was composed of the Roman Catholic Church. The clergy was largely exempted from paying taxes
What was the nobility (second estate)?
Those in the nobility were a level below the clergy, but still very wealthy. They were also pretty much exempt from paying taxes, and lived in the nicer parts of France.
What were the common people (third estate)?
The third estate made up 96% of Frances population prior to the revolution. They paid the majority of their salaries in taxes and also did most of the farming and manual labor for France.
What was the tennis court oath?
An oath taken by all three estates after King Louis refused to hold a discussion about their desires for political change. They swore not to disband until France had a constitution. This sparked the beginning of the revolution.
What was the Storming of the Bastille?
When the royal prison was stormed to collect prisoners and weapons to fight back against the king after he refused to recognize the legitimacy of the three estates banding together.
Why were Marie Antoinette and her royal husband Louis tried and executed?
Both of them were tried and found guilty of treason by the new republic of France. In the end, both were publicly executed by the guillotine.
What was the Reign of Terror?
A period of time during the revolution where anyone who spoke out against it was executed. Up to 40,000 suspected enemies of the republic were arrested or executed.
Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?
A French nobleman and military leader who unified the French and brought order to the nation-state during the revolution.
What are some things that Napoleon is recognized for?
Strengthening national pride, modernizing government, and establishing a rule of law.
What did the Marianne stand for?
She stands for a symbol of the French Revolution and is the personification of liberty and reason.
What was Frances slogan post revolution?
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
Why was Frances slogan and its terms questioned?
Because of their discrimination against immigrants in the 19th and 20th century. Muslims and African Americans were wrongfully blamed for threatening French identity.
True or false: the native people of France created new laws on who could and couldn’t become citizens after feeling threatened by immigrants.
True
When did the Paris riots take place? Why?
2005, 2007 & 2023. They were fighting against discrimination.
What is a historical factor of the French Revolution?
The storming of the Bastille. It is believed that King Louis held prisoners who spoke out against him, so the rest of France had to fight back. This is ultimately where the revolution began.
What was a political factor of the French Revolution?
The National Assembly (all three estates) creating a new French constituion that declared new rights for citizens and took ultimate power away from the church.
What is a republican government?
A government where the people elect or choose their leaders who go on to represent the citizen body.
What is a democratic government?
A government that depends on the will of the people, and their say in how the government is run.
Who was Marquis de Lafayette?
A french nobleman who helped write the Declaration of Rights for Citizens & Man in France, participating in the first major step towards a constitution, and reconstructed government.
