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The French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars

LESSON 1: A CALL TO REVOLUTION

Guided Lecture Notes

VIDEO: Do you hear the people sing? - Les Miserables

What kind of emotions do you feel when listening to this song?

Big Idea: Human Rights

What are essential human rights that everybody should have?
Essential and Universal Rights of Humanity: Understanding the process of attaining
rights for all humanity allows us to better empathize with current battles for equality
and fairness.
Big Idea: Revolutions
What are the causes of civil unrest and revolutions?
Nature of Revolutions: Exploring the different causes of civil unrest (i.e. social,
economic, ideological) provides us with knowledge on how to identify early symptoms
of revolutions and the tools to remedy them.
Lesson Objectives
Students examine the _____________________________ of France by ______________________and
_____________________ the characteristics of the First, Second, and Third Estates.
Students analyze how the ____________________________ within the Three Estates
contributed to the French Revolution.
Warm-Up: Why Revolt?
Think-Write-Pair-Share
1. Whats happening in the picture?
2. What are the people holding?
3. What could make people angry enough to do that?
4. Why do people revolt? List and draw 3 reasons.
*Hint: Think back on our study of the American
Revolution.*
A.

B.

C.

Background: False Appearances

France was considered the most

advanced European in the 1700s:
1. Center of the ________________________________
2. Large population
3. Thriving foreign trade
4. French culture and fashion were praised
and emulated globally

However France was plagued by:

1. High prices of food
2. High taxes on the poor
3. General unrest due to __________________
___________________________________________

Why did the French Revolution Begin?

1.
2.
3.
4.

Ideological: Ideas of the Enlightenment, Influences of the American Revolution

Social: __________________________________________________________________________________
Economic: Debts, Unfair Taxation, High Prices of Bread
Political: Weak Leadership

What is social inequality? What does it look like?

Write your own definition of social inequality and illustrate
what it may look like.

Can you give some examples of social inequality?

How do we solve each of the examples?

Causes for Revolution: SOCIAL

Problems of the Old Regime
What is the Old Regime?
1. _________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. It shared key characteristics with feudalism
3. Under this form of government, the people of France were divided into three large
_________________________________________ known as the Three Estates.
The Three Estates
The Three Estates make up the structure of the French society
1. First Estate (_________________) and Second Estate (____________________) have privileges:
can hold high offices and are exempt from paying taxes
2. Third Estate (____________________, ____________________, and ____________________) cannot
hold high offices and have to pay taxes
Can you label each of the three figures with the appropriate estate?
A.
B.
C.

Social Inequality
Can you guess who is who in the picture?

How can you tell?

*Hint: One of them is King Louis XVI*

First Estate
What are some characteristics of the First Estate?
Clergy of the Roman Catholic Church

Second Estate
What are some characteristics of the Second Estate?
Rich Nobles and other Nobility

Third Estate
What are some characteristics of the Third Estate?
Further divided into three groups:
Middle class (bourgeoisie), workers, and peasants

The Third Estate is further divided into THREE main groups

1st Group: Bourgeoisie

Merchants and Artisans

2nd Group: Workers

Urban Middle Class
(Cooks, Servants)

3rd Group: Peasants

Peasants made up the largest
group within the Third
Estate (80% of the total
population)

Food For Thought

Rousseaus ideas inspired many leaders of the French Revolution!
*Suggestion: Read ALOUD for best results!*

The heart of the idea of the social contract may be stated simply: Each of us places
his person and authority under the supreme direction of the general will, and the
group receives each individual as an indivisible part of the whole
In order that the social contract may not be a mere empty formula, everyone must
understand that any individual who refuses to obey the general will must be forced
by his fellows to do so. This is a way of saying that it may be necessary to force a man
to be free; freedom in this case being obedience to the will of all.
- Jean Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract
Reflecting on Rousseaus quote, answer the following questions:
1. What is Rousseau trying to say?

2. What type of government would Rousseau most likely

suggest? Why?

3. Which of the Three Estates do you think would prefer Rousseaus suggestion? Why?

Food For Thought

How did the structure of the French society (Three Estates) contribute to the
buildup to revolution?
Using your notes and the chart below, list 3 reasons and explain how each contributed to
the French Revolution.
Reason #1
Explanation

Reason #2
Explanation

Reason #3
Explanation

VIDEO: Review The Three Estates

Jot down some key factors that contributed to the French Revolution.

Lesson Closure: Quick Write

Think-Write-Pair-Share
Do you think social inequality made the French Revolution inevitable?
a) If you think that a revolution was inevitable, which factors made it so?
b) If you think that it could be avoided, what could have been done?

Heres some bread for the angry women of the French Revolution!