The French Revolution

France was in huge amounts of debt. It borrowing from banks which lead to a financial crisis. The kings spent large amounts of money. France was heading in the wrong direction, which was war. The French Revolution was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a lasting impact on French history and more broadly throughout the world.

The Three Estates. The First Estate which was one percent of the population, was made up of the clergy. The Catholic Church owned about fifteen percent of all the land in France and collected vast amounts of money from rents, taxes, and fees. Much of the wealth was owned by the upper clergy who did not have to pay taxes. The Second Estate which was two percent of the population, was made up of the nobles. The enjoyed many privileges left over from the feudal age. They paid few if any taxes and collected dues from peasants, and held the highest positions in the army and government. The Third Estate which was ninety seven percent of the population, was made up of the rest of society. At the top of the third estate were the bourgeoisie. They included merchants, manufacturers, and professional people such as doctors and lawyers. The rest were peasants and the poor. They paid taxes on all sorts of things.

The Estates General. The meeting was a time for the Three Estates to meet. Louis the XVI tried to avoid this because of the fear he felt from the Third Estate. Each Estate had one vote in all matters, essentially leaving the Third Estate utterly powerless. The Three Estates always met separately so as to secure an advantage over the Third Estate. The rowdy Third Estate demanded an all inclusive meeting and a more representative vote. The king at first relented to their demands until the scent of revolution became overpowering in the air. The king locked the Third Estate out. In response to this slight from the king the Third Estate met in a nearby Tennis Court and declared itself the National Assembly. The date was May 5, 1789 and it was here that the newly founded National Assembly declared that they would not resign their meeting until a constitution was written for France. This became known as the Tennis Court Oath.

The spread of the Revolution. Louis the XVI was in for it now. He decided to hedge his bet and move troops into key areas in and around Paris. An angry mob soon turned revolutionary as they were led by an old friend of George Washington, The Marquis de Lafayette. The mob stormed the royal prison and gunnery known as the Bastille on July 14, 1789 and captured it from the Royal Troops who had little stomach to raise their arms against their fellow citizens. The mob then gave themselves the name the National Guard and a new flag was created, the now familiar French flag. As revolution spread throughout the countryside the "Great Fear" led many peasants to storm the manors and monasteries of the first two Estates. The peasants sought revenge for centuries