Pre-Revolution
Name the monarch in power of France at this time.
Who is King Louis XVI
What type of Monarch did King Louis XVI want to be?
An absolute monarch.
This individual is often referenced as being short in stature, but was actually average height for the time period.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Who supposedly uttered the famous phrase - "let them eat cake." ?
Marie Antoinette. Though historians believe she did not actually say this.
During this time, anyone who was believed to be an enemy of the nation became a victim of the guillotine. Over 40,000 individuals were put to death. What was this time period known as?
The Reign of Terror
What was the role of the first estate and who was a part of it?
First Estate - Clergy (Church). Charged a tithe (tax) on the third estate to fund the church. Ruled people's religious lives.
_________ was created to give the Third Estate a larger voice.
The National Assembly.
Why did the women march to Versailles?
To protest the price of bread, and they wanted the Queen's head.
What penalty did the Girondin want for the king? What did the Jacobin want?
The Girondin wanted to spare King Louis XVI's life. The Jacobin wanted to execute him.
What was the Estates-General?
The Estates General was an advisory committee to the King made up by representatives from each of the three Estates.
What was the role of the third estate and who was part of it?
Third Estate - Everybody else (peasants) - paid taxes to the church and a significant amount to the government. Worked jobs for low wages and little to no rights, kept the country running.
What was the Tennis Court Oath?
The Third Estate and some members of the First/Second estate were locked out of their meeting and met in secret at the King's indoor tennis court. They promised to keep meeting until a new constitution was written that said political authority should come from the people, not the monarchy.
What event started the tradition of hoisting the heads of the enemies of the Revolution on a pike (stick)?
The storming of the Bastille.
This individual believed that without terror there can be no virtue.
Maximilien Robespierre.
The guillotine was also known as the...?
The National Razor.
What was the role of the second estate and who was part of it?
The second estate (nobility). Special privileges, exempt from paying taxes. In the good graces of the king and usually in government positions.
Explain what Feudalism is.
Feudalism is a hierarchical society where people are born into a permanent position or role in society.
In 1791, a constitution was finished. It established freedom of religion and made France a ____________ _________________.
Constitutional Monarchy
This man's mismanagement of the economy was one of the reasons the people of France revolted.
King Louis XVI
The Napoleonic Code stressed equality among all citizens, yet ironically, also had laws that did not support this. What were they?
Women could not have any political rights, buy or sell property, no bank accounts in their name, or sign contracts.
List the 6 key reasons why France rose against the ruling elite in one of the most influential revolutions in world history.
1. Lost the seven years war
2. Involvement in American Revolution bankrupt France.
3. King Louis XVI's mismanagement of the economy.
4. Growing population led to food shortages.
5. Inequality gap between the three estates (largely wealth and rights).
6. The Enlightenment (new age of thinking)
What were the key points of the Declaration of the Rights of Man?
The key points of the Declaration stated that the government’s right to rule came from the people, not from the Crown. It gave everyone freedom of speech and the right to share in the government. It also adopted equality rights and individual freedoms.
Explain what caused the bread riots and what happened to people suspected of hoarding bread?
There was an extremely harsh winter that led to a poor harvest, and this led to the rise of bread prices because flour was harder to find. (Food shortages) Anyone suspected of hoarding bread was hung.
This man was assassinated in his bathtub during the Revolution; but after his death people began to worship him as a new religious figure.
Jean Paul Marat
Which group created France's flag as we know it today?
The French Republic