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What is a Monarchy?
Monarchy is a form of government in which one person leads and rules through lineage rather than election
Which estate made up 98% of the population and paid all of the taxes?
Third Estate
What was the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen"?
A list of human rights.
What was the "National Convention"?
The radical government that replaced the National Assembly.
Identify ONE country France went to war with during the Revolutionary wars.
Austria, Prussia, England, Spain and Sardinia.
What is feudalism?
When a landowner (lord) allowed someone to use their land in exchange for rent or military services.
Who was the King of France's wife in 1789?
Marie Antionette
On what date did the storming of the Bastille occur?
14 July 1789
Why did a crowd of women march to Versailles in 1789?
They marched in protest of worsening conditions and because they felt the king was resisting changes.
Who was Napoleon Bonaparte, and what was his role at the end of the revolution?
Napoleon was an army officer who crushed protests for the Directory before organising a coup in 1799 to crown himself Emperor.
What is the Estates General and how many years had passed since they last met?
The Estates General was the French parliament consisting of elected representatives; it had not met for 175 years.
Identify the three "Estates" of French society and who belonged to each.
The First Estate was the clergy, the Second Estate was the nobility, and the Third Estate consisted of commoners (the bourgeoisie and peasants).
What was the "Tennis Court Oath," and why was it called that?
It was a vow by the National Assembly to continue working until they had a constitution; it was named so because they were forced to meet on an indoor tennis court.
Who initially led the Committee of Public Safety in France?
Maximilian Robespierre
What is "abdication"?
When a king/queen gives up all privileges and the right to rule.
Who was the King of France in 1789, and how is his leadership style described?
The King was Louis XVI; he was described as an indecisive, unpopular, and "absent" leader who lived in seclusion at Versailles.
Name three specific taxes paid by the Third Estate.
Taxes included the Taille (land/income tax), the Gabelle (salt tax), and the Tithe (money paid to the church).
What happened to bread prices in Paris by July 1789?
Bread prices rose so high that Parisians were spending 75% of their wages just to buy bread.
What was the "Reign of Terror," and approximately how many people were executed?
It was a period of planning and terror used to unite the nation; over 40,000 people were executed.
Who made up the National Assembly and how did they convince the First and Second Estate to join the Revolution?
The National Assembly was made up of the Third Estate to take over control of France. They forced the First and Second Estate to join the Revolution.
How did the American War of Independence influence the French Revolution?
French soldiers returned home inspired by American democratic ideas, and the war's success showed that a monarchy could be replaced by a constitution.
What did Enlightenment philosophers believe in instead of the "Divine Rule" of kings?
Philosophers believed in Enlightenment principles, asserting that all people were equal before the law (liberty, equality, fraternity) rather than ruled by divine right.
Who was Olympe de Gouges, and what document did she produce?
She was a revolutionary female leader who produced the Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen in 1791.
Explain how the tax burden was distributed among the estates and why this led to social unrest.
The First and Second Estates (clergy and nobles) owned the majority of land but were exempt from taxes, while the Third Estate (including the desperately poor) paid for everything, leading to deep resentment and the feeling that their labour supported an unfair system.
Discuss how peasants, the middle class, and women each played a distinct role in driving the revolution forward.
Peasants destroyed tax records; the middle class took over town administrations; and women drove political action through events like the March to Versailles and advocacy for gender equality.