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"