The Revolution Begins!

(1789)

In response to the economic and political crisis in France, Louis XVI decided to call a meeting of the

Three Estates to seek advice and, hopefully, assuage some of the

concerns of the people.

Who can identify the Three Estates?

Estate 1: Upper Clergy

Estate 2: Nobility

Estate 3: Everyone else (peasants, paid laborers, and the bourgeoisie)

May & June 1789: The Estates General Meeting

At the Estates General Meeting the Third Estate began to push for major changes to the voting system, including voting by head.

May & June 1789: The Estates General Meeting

May & June 1789: The Estates General MeetingAt the Estates General Meeting the Third Estate formed a new representative assembly “for the people” (rather than for the

estates) which they called the National Assembly.

Screw this!

I’m locking the Third Estate out and we

are voting by estate.

Stupid peasants!Stupid workers!

Stupid bourgeoisie!

I don’t have to listen to them! I’m King!

May & June 1789: The Estates General Meeting

I. The Estates General Meeting – May & June 1789

A. Louis XVI called a meeting to discuss the financial crisis

B. 3rd Estate wanted to change the voting system to allow for voting by head rather than by order (by estates)

1. formed the National Assembly to set up a representative government “for the people” not composed of the Estates like the Estates General

2. eventually locked out of the meeting in June

June 20, 1789: The Tennis Court OathDespite being locked out of the Estates General, the National

Assembly decided to meet anyway, and so they barricaded themselves inside a nearby tennis court and vowed to remain until

they had created a new constitution for the French people.

June 20, 1789: The Tennis Court Oath

I don’t like this at all!

I need to get some of my people inside

that meeting…

So, Louis XVI urged the nobles and the clergy to join the National Assembly, and some did. But, some of those members of the 1st and 2nd

Estate actually supported the Assembly.

Fearing a coup d'état Louis put the military on high alert and ordered them to prevent the

Assembly from meeting, but he was unsuccessful, and on July 9th was forced to

accept the authority of the Assembly.

II. The Tennis Court Oath – June 20, 1789

A. Despite being locked out, the new National Assembly met in a nearby tennis court and pledged to continue to meet until they wrote a new constitution for the French people

B. Louis XVI got nervous

1. urged nobles and clergy to join the National Assembly; some did, and some of those who did began to support the Assembly over Louis XVI

2. put troops on alert and tried to have them prevent the Assembly from meeting, but they failed

C. On July 9, Louis XVI was forced to acknowledge the authority of the National Assembly

July 14, 1789: The Storming of The Bastille

Following several weeks of general rebellion in

Paris and attempts by the royal guard to crack down

on these protestors, a group of 600-1000

protestors decided to attack a mainly empty old

prison (The Bastille) which was housing the guard’s ammunition,

including 30,000 pounds of gunpowder.

July 14, 1789: The Storming of The BastilleAs the rebels attacked the prison (which only housed seven inmates: four forgers, two “lunatics”, and one

“deviant aristocrat”), the Royal Guard fired at the crowd and 98 of the attackers were killed; nevertheless, the prisoners were liberated and the Bastille was taken.

July 14, 1789: The Storming of The BastilleAs news of the Storming of the Bastille spread, the French peasants began to revolt against the Nobles

July 14, 1789: The Storming of The BastilleThe prisoners were

insignificant, but the medieval prison itself was

a symbol of the monarchy…its fall marked

the flash point of the French Revolution!

III. Storming of The Bastille – July 14, 1789

A. Angry mob stormed old prison looking for gunpowder

1. Royal Guards opened fire on the mob – 98 die

2. crowd captured the Bastille – 7 prisoners freed

B. News of the revolt spread – peasants revolted against nobles

C. Event symbolized the beginning of the French Revolution

Aug. 27, 1789: Declaration of the Rights of Man

Meanwhile, the National Assembly had been

working hard to create a document which

guaranteed the freedoms, rights, and equality of all French people (except, of course, women & slaves).

That document was the Declaration of the Rights

of Man and of the Citizen.

IV. Declaration of the Rights of Man – August 27, 1789

A. Revolutionary ideals adopted by the National Assembly

B. Reflected ideas of freedom and equality for all French people (except women and slaves)

Oct. 5, 1789: The March on VersaillesThough the revolution was in full

force (Storming of the Bastille, Declaration of the Rights of Man,

etc.), many of the French peasants were still starving .

Oct. 5, 1789: The March on VersaillesSo, on October 5th, around 6,000 women took up arms and marched to Versailles to demand bread.

Oct. 5, 1789: The March on VersaillesWhen they arrived, they invaded the palace, killed guards and nobles, and

eventually reached the Queen’s bedroom. Contrary to the painting, she and her family had already escaped and barricaded themselves in the King’s bedroom.

Oct. 5, 1789: The March on VersaillesAs the crowd became more restless and agitated, they began to demand the queen appear and address them.

Marie Antoinette stepped out onto the balcony with her two children to address the crowd. The crowd, armed with muskets, demanded that the children be sent inside,

and they were. The queen stood stoically facing the crowd for

around 10 minutes. Though the crowd had settled, they still

demanded that the royal family depart for Paris and deal with the

political situation.

Oct. 5, 1789: The March on VersaillesLouis XVI, fearing for his family’s safety and believing that he could meet with the National Assembly and ease the tensions in France

and end the Revolution, made the decision to return to Paris.

V. March on Versailles – October 5, 1789

A. 6000 women marched from Paris to Versailles for bread

B. Women invaded the palace – killed guards and nobles

C. Marie Antoinette came to the balcony and calmed the crowd

D. Louis XVI was scared – returned to Paris to meet with the National Assembly hoping to ease the tension