Three Estates
In prerevolutionary France, which group of people made up the First Estate?
Clergy
A famous story told about Marie Antoinette has her saying which of the following?
"Then let them eat cake"
What meeting was called to help the French monarchy solve the problem of debt?
The Estates-General
What happened at the Bastille on July 14, 1789?
The sans culottes stormed the building and killed the leader of its defenders.
What group of people were in the Second Estate?
Nobility
What was Marie Antoinette's most famous hair-do?
Boat Hair
How did the Estates-General vote on matters?
One vote per Estate, 2/3 majority wins. The First and Second outvoted the Third Estate to protect their own interests
What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man?
the French Bill of Rights
The Third Estate held what percent of the French population?
98%
Under Louis XIV, what was life like at Versailles?
uncomfortable. Small, cold rooms. Overcrowded and difficult for courtiers trying
work. Filled with a putrid smell from waste and litter from frequent parties
What change did the Third Estate wish to make on the voting system in France?
one vote per person, no matter which Estate he belonged to
Who helped write both the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Rights of Man?
Thomas Jefferson
What group of people were known as the "middle class," the wealthiest group of the Third Estate?
Bourgeoise
Who was known as the Sun King?
Louis XIV
In the French Revolution, where did the deputies of the Third Estate take their oath not to separate until they had written a constitution?
the tennis court at Versailles
What happened to Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV after they tried to escape?
They were recognized, brought back to France, sentenced to death by guillotine
Who were the "sans culottes?"
Poor urban workers who could not afford high end stockings
Why did many people disapprove of Marie Antoinette?
She was Austrian
She was accused of interfering with political decisions that her husband was expected to make.
She built a make-believe peasant village at Le Petit Trianon.
What was the new governing body made by the Third Estate called?
National Assembly
Why is the summer of 1789 known as the "time of the Great Fear" in France?
Aristocrats were being murdered on the guillotine.