The Rising Discontent

HWH UNIT 4CHAPTER 6.1

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

-Alexis de Tocqueville,French Historian,

1850s

The Three Estates

First Estate: The Clergy Second Estate: The Nobility

Nobility of the Robe Nobility of the Sword

Third Estate: Everyone Else Bourgeoisie Peasants Urban workers

French Society: The Old Regime

PEASANTS

≠ URBAN POOR!

A Quick Note…

The French Urban

Poor

The Three Estates Compared: Population

1% 2%

97%

First Es-tateSecond EstateThird Es-tate

Taxation in France,

1789

100%

First EstateSecond Es-tateThird Es-tate

Land Ownership in France,

1789

10%25%

65%

First Es-tateSecond EstateThird Es-tate

The Agenda of the 3rd

Estate3rd Estate

Urban Poor

Peasants

Bourgeoisie

DesireLower Bread PricesPolitical VoiceFair Taxes

End of Feudal ObligationsFair Taxes

Political PowerFair Taxes

Louis XVI (r. 1774-1792) and Marie

Antoinette

Inflation

1730-1780: Price increase 65%, wages increase 22%

The “Feudal Reaction” War Debt

½ of Royal budget went to interest on the debt Taxation system

Inefficient

Louis XVI’s Problems

Finance Minister

Exposed royal spending Proposed taxing all estates

Jacques Necker (1732-1804)

The Problem of the Estates

General“Voting by estate”

The First and Second Estate ALWAYS voted together

First Estate1 Vote

Second Estate1 Vote

Third Estate1 Vote

The “Doubling of the

Third”

Third Estate648

2nd Estate300

1st Estate300

Emmanuel Sieyes

What is the Third Estate?

Lists of complaints drawn up by each estate

Exposed problems in society and government

Cahiers de Doléances

The Turbulent Summer

of 1789

The Estates General meets

(May 5, 1789)

June 17, 1789: The Third Estate walks out; National Assembly

formed

June 20, 1789: Tennis Court

Oath

June 27, 1789: Members of the 1st and 2nd Estate join the National

Assembly

July 11, 1789: Necker is

dismissed

July 14, 1789: Parisians storm

the Bastille