CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: DOCUMENT ANALYSIS

Learning Target: Why were

the causes of the French

Revolution historically

significant?

Do-Now: Take out your

homework and grab a

handout.

Homework: None!

ANALYZING DOCUMENTS:

FRANCE IN 1789Directions: Answer the questions below

based on the political cartoon and your

knowledge of social studies.

• Label all 4 figures in this political

cartoon according to which Estate they

belonged to.

• Why are the figures arranged in this

manner? What is the author of this

cartoon trying to say?

• Based on this political cartoon and your

notes about the 3 Estates, predict what

will happen next in France.

A

B

C

D

THE TENNIS COURT OATH AND BEGINNINGS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Directions: Answer the questions below based on the reading.

• Define the following terms:

• National Assembly:

• Tennis Court Oath:

• Bastille:

• Storming of the Bastille:

• Why did many French people storm the Bastille? Do you think that their choice was

justified?

BASTILLE DAY

• On July 14, rioters stormed the Bastille fortress in an attempt to secure gunpowder and

weapons; many consider this event as the start of the French Revolution.

• Today it is celebrated as Bastille Day in France, a national holiday similar to the 4th of July.

• The wave of revolution and widespread hysteria quickly swept the country. Peasants

looted and burned the homes of tax collectors, landlords and the elite.

• This time period became known as the Great Fear and caused an exodus (exit) of nobles

from the country.

• The National Constituent Assembly abolished feudalism on August 4, 1789, signing what

has been called by historians the “death certificate of the old order.”

“Revolution is not a disease which comes upon a victim government and kills it in one day. A government dead of revolution had, unknown to itself, been dying for years.”

-Anonymous

After reading the quote, answer the questions below.

1. Explain the quote in your own words.

2. Do you agree or disagree with the quote? Explain.

SOCIAL INEQUALITY

“Because you are a great lord, you think you are a

great genius! . . . Nobility, wealth, rank, position . . .

they all make you feel so proud! What have you done

to deserve so much? You went to the trouble of being

born—nothing more! As for the rest—a rather

ordinary man!”

Source: Pierre–Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais

• Describe Pierre-Augustin’s point of view

perspective towards Louis XVI. Explain using

claims from the document.

• Which estate do you think Pierre-Augustin

was from? Explain the reasoning behind

your answer by specifically referencing

evidence the document.

• Based on your knowledge of social studies

and the document, why is social inequality

historically significant leading up to the

French Revolution?

TAXES

This excerpt is adapted from Travels in France by Arthur Young, an English

agriculturalist and writer who traveled through France from 1787 to 1789.

In the south of France there is a taille [tax on the land and its produce]. There

is an injustice in levying the amount each person must pay. Lands held by the

nobility are taxed very little. Lands held by commoners are taxed heavily…

September 5, 1788: The poor people seem very poor indeed. The children

are terribly ragged.

June 10, 1789: The lack of bread is terrible. Stories arrive every moment

from the provinces of riots and disturbances, and calling in the military, to

preserve the peace of the markets….The price of bread has risen above

people’s ability to pay. This causes great misery.

July 1789: ….I was joined by a poor woman who complained of the hard

times. “The tailles and feudal dues [rents owed the lords] are crushing us,”

she said.

• Summarize the findings of Arthur Young in

his book, Travels in France.

• Based on what you know about the source of

this document, explain how

credible/reliable you think the source is.

• Based on your knowledge of social studies

and the document, why were high taxes

historically significant leading up to the

French Revolution?

ENLIGHTENMENT

• Create a title for this document based on the

events taking place.

• Using your knowledge of social studies,

explain how the Enlightenment is

considered one of the causes of the French

Revolution.

• Based on your knowledge of social studies

and the document, why were the ideas of the

Enlightenment historically significant

leading up to the French Revolution?

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

This document is from the Lectures on the French

Revolution by Sir John Dalberg-Acton (1834-1902), an

English historian, politician, and writer

The condition of France alone did not bring about the

overthrow of the monarchy… for the suffering of the

people was not greater than they had been before. The

ideas of the philosophs were not directly responsible

for the outbreak…[but] the spark that changed thought

into action was supplied by the Declaration of

American Independence… The American example

caused the Revolution to break out…”

• According to Sir John Dahlberg-Acton,

what was the cause of the French

Revolution? Explain the reasoning

behind his claim and whether or not

you agree with him.

• Based on your knowledge of social

studies and the document, why was

the American Revolution historically

significant leading up to the French

Revolution?

KING LOUIS XVI AND MARIE ANTOINETTE

• Based on the images, explain how King Louis XVI

and his wife Marie Antoinette helped cause the

French Revolution.

• Explain whether or not you think that the French

monarchy was to blame for the Revolution.

• Based on your knowledge of social studies and

the document, why were King Louis XVI and

Marie Antoinette historically significant leading

up to the French Revolution?

FAMINE

• Explain how increasing bread

costs led to the French Revolution.

Do you think this problem could

have been fixed before going too

far? If so, by whom and how?

• Based on your knowledge of social

studies and the document, why was

famine historically significant

leading up to the French

Revolution?

“Revolution is not a disease which comes upon a victim government and kills it in one day. A government dead of revolution had, unknown to itself, been dying for years.”

-Anonymous

After analyzing the causes of the French Revolution, do you think the French

government was dying? Explain.

LEARNING TARGET NOTEBOOK

Thursday, October 3rd

Learning Target:

Why were the causes of the French Revolution historically

significant?

Please pass your notebooks to the front of each row

and neatly place them in the bin, thank you!