THE REFORMS IN CHURCH AND STATE 1789-91 Flashcards
Where were the deputies of the Constituent Assembly now meeting?
Paris
What were the series of reforms brought forward by the CA aimed at doing?
Removing the administrative chaos of the past
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS
- France divided into 83 depts for election and local govt
- depts divided into districts, cantons and communes run by elected councils
Why was more power devolved to local areas?
To prevent the monarchy regaining power
How many districts, cantons and communes?
547
4800
44,0000
POLITICAL REFORMS
- right to vote granted to active citizens
- passive citizens ineligible to vote
How many active and passive citizens?
4 million active
3 million passive
Who were eligible to be active citizens?
Men over 25 who paid equivalent of 3 days labour in local taxes
TAXATION REFORMS
- everyone paid tax
all paid land tax - active citizens paid tax on moveable goods eg grain
JUDICIAL REFORMS
- uniform system replaced previous courts
- Justice of Peace in each canton
- Trial by jury
- torture and mutilation abolished
- Justice free and equal to all
CHURCH REFORMS
- state would own church property
- abuses like pluralism abolished
- clergy paid by state not the tithe
- clergy not providing education or charity work suppressed
- protestants given full rights
What were many clergy particularly unhappy about?
Catholicism not being made the official religion of France
When was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy made?
12 July 1790
CIVIL CONSTITUTION OF THE CLERGY
- dioceses reorganised to fit in with the 83 new depts
- clerical posts other than bishops and parish priests abolished
- election to gain any clerical post
When was the Clerical Oath?
27 November 1790
THE CLERICAL OATH
- Deputies forced all clergy to take an oath to the Constitution
Did the Pope approve of the reforms? What did this mean?
No, meant that over half the clergy refused the oath and were removed from their posts
What were the clergy refusing the oath known as?
Non-juring / refractory
Why did the Clerical Oath make a significant number of people oppose the revolution?
Church significantly divided as the Pope approved those who were non-juring, but patriots viewed them as rejecting the revolution
Religion clashed with revolution t
ECONOMIC REFORM
- Deputies wanted laissez-faire
- internal customs barriers abolished
- guilds regulating the craft industries abolished
- assignats introduced to finance the government
What were assignats backed by?
The sale of church land
What did the sale of church land give?
Income for the government
people an interest in supporting revolution
clergy dependency upon the state for their salaries, must support
SOCIAL REFORM
- unions banned
- strikes made illegal
- duty of the poor now viewed as duty of the state
How many were begging?
2 million
Why were assignats needed?
The government lacked the finance to do anything like care for the poor
When was the law ending hereditary nobility?
June 1790
When were parlements abolished?
September 1790
