The Estate system
What was the name of the old French social structure that divided society into three estates?
The Ancien Régime.
What was the significance of the Tennis Court Oath?
It showed the Third Estate’s determination to create a new constitution.
Who was the king of France at the start of the revolution?
King Louis XVI.
What did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy do?
It placed the Church under state control.
What was the Reign of Terror?
A period of mass executions to eliminate enemies of the revolution.
Which estate paid the most taxes in pre-revolutionary France?
The Third Estate.
On what date did the Storming of the Bastille occur, and why was it significant?
July 14, 1789; it symbolized the collapse of royal authority.
Which revolutionary leader played a significant role during the Reign of Terror?
Maximilien Robespierre.
What were the main principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen?
Liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Which group led the Reign of Terror?
The Committee of Public Safety.
Who made up the First Estate, and what privileges did they have?
The clergy; they were exempt from taxes and owned land.
What document was written by the National Assembly in August 1789 to outline basic rights?
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
Who helped draft the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen?
Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson.
What was the purpose of the Constitution of 1791?
To establish a constitutional monarchy.
What method of execution became a symbol of the Reign of Terror?
The guillotine.
What were the main grievances of the Third Estate in 1789?
High taxes, no political power, and food shortages.
Why was King Louis XVI executed in 1793?
He was found guilty of treason for conspiring with foreign powers.
What happened to Robespierre after the Reign of Terror?
He was arrested and executed in 1794.
How did the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen affect feudal privileges?
It ended them, granting equality to all men.
What event marked the end of the Reign of Terror?
The arrest and execution of Robespierre in 1794.
What major event forced the Estates-General to reconvene in 1789?
France’s financial crisis caused by debt and poor harvests.
What was the result of the abolition of the monarchy in 1792?
France became a republic.
Who urged the people to storm the Bastille in 1789?
Camille Desmoulins.
Which reformer proposed equal taxation but failed to implement it?
Turgot
What was Robespierre’s goal during the Reign of Terror?
To protect the revolution and establish a Republic of Virtue.