Fuel for the Revolutionary Fire Danger! The Estate System Estate= orders/classes of society First estate= Those who prayed (clergy) Second estate= Those who fought (nobles) Third estate= Everyone else Which one best represents the French people? Why the Estates Matter % of population % of land Rights and privileges Royals.525 -Absolute power! Clergy110 -Received tithes -Lived well Nobles225 -Govt positions Bourgeoisie / Peasants Few political rights -No voice in govt What might each group be upset about in the late 1700s? Percentage of Population Percentage of Land An Economic Crisis Spending on foreign affairs and elaborate court life No taxes were being collected from the First and Second estates Banks refuse to lend Louis XVI $ Crop failure and bread shortages Response (May 1789): Summon the Estates General! Conflicts Between the Estates Each estate gets 1 vote in the Estates General 3 rd Estate thinks this is unfairwants to meet jointly and have each delegate vote individually How will this alter the potential outcome? Louis XVI opposes this idea and the 3 rd estate gets locked out. Creation of the National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath The Tennis Court Oath (please refer to your handout) Why are these people gathered? How does the oath define legislature? What are their goals? Which do you think is the most important? How does the oath regard monarchy? July 14, 1789 The Bastille (in Paris) was a prison where the monarchy held prisoners (both justly and unjustly) Stormed by a mob trying to steal weapons for the National Assemblys defense (rememberthe king had been gathering Versailles) The Great Fear begins Outcomes? Reforms of the National Assembly (please refer to your handout) Who benefits from these reforms? Who does not? Based on the shifting power, what do you think is going to happen next in this story? Power Bourgeoisie Philosophes Businessmen Commoners Workers Monarch Church/clergy Nobility