T R I A L S A N D T A B U L A T I O N S L E A D I N G T O T H E F R E N C H R E V O L U T I O N

VIVA LA REVOLUCION!

AN OUTLINE OF THE EARLY STAGES

Stages of the Revolution

• Liberal Revolution• Radical Revolution • Creation of a Republic • Constitution of ‘93• The Terror• The Great Terror

Legislative Bodies

• 5/89 Estates-General • 6/89 National

Assembly• 10/91 Legislative

Assembly• 8/92 National

Convention• 4/93 The Committee

of Public Safety

ORIGINS OF REVOLUTION

• Fiscal Crisis • Food Shortages • Increased political

awareness • Limited monarchial

powers

ATTEMPTS AT REFORM

Turgot Free Market

Experiments

Provincial assemblies

Church Regulation and

Protestants

Assembly of Notables

The most perilous moment for a bad government is one when it seeks to mend its ways

PRE-REVOLUTION FRANCE 97% 3rd Estate 1% 2nd. 2% 1st

1st & 2nd exempted from taxes

Seigniorial dues required

Divided government and laws

THE FRENCH ESTATES

1stEstate • Clergy • .5% of

population• 90% from 3rd

Estate • Exempt from

most taxes

2nd Estate

• Nobility • 1.5% of

population• Nobles of the

robe & sword• Exempt form

most taxes

3rd Estate

• Everyone else• 98% of

population• 8% bourgeois• 90% rural

peasantry• 25 million

people

CALLING THE ESTATES GENERAL

• Called to resolve countries fiscal crisis (5/89) first time sense 1614

• 3rd estate received 2x number of representatives

• Estates met separately, numbers mattered not

• Abee Sieyes called 3rd estate to meet as a National Assembly (5/28/29)

TENNIS COURT OATH

• 6/20/89• 3rd Estate locked out of

Assembly • Reconvene on local

tennis court • Vow "not to separate,

and to reassembly wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established"