Causes of the French

Revolution
Miss Bass
 What causes a revolution?
• Politics?
• Who has power to do what?
• Social Issues?
• Who can do what? Who is
limited in society?
• Economy?
• Who has the money? Who
doesn’t have money?
France in the late 1700’s
• Enlightenment
• Thinkers who questioned establishments (Monarchy, the church,
etc…)
• King Louis 16th
• Young and inexperienced
• Seven Years War
• Lost the war to England
• Lost money to the war effort
• Population Growth
• More people to feed
 What do you believe
caused the French
Revolution?
Turn to a partner and discuss what conditions in France may
have been pushing the country to revolution.
Three Estates
• First Estate
• The Clergy
• Second Estate
• Nobility
• Third Estate
• Commoners
First Estate
• The Clergy ~1%
• People who work for the
church
• Higher (noble) and
Lower (common) Clergy
• Did not pay taxes
• Owned 10% of the land
in France
Second Estate
• Nobles of France
• Titles passed down
through family
• Owned land
• Did not have to pay
taxes
Who is the Third Estate?
• Everyone else… 98% of Population
• The Bourgeoisie
• Rich merchants and Middle class people
• Professionals
• Doctors, lawyers, and skilled workers
• Peasants
• ~80% of the Third Estate
• Tenet Farmers (worked someone else’s land)
• Day laborers (unskilled workers)
Who had the most to gain
from Revolution?
Turn to a partner and discuss who would gain what during the
revolution. Think about who was limited before the Revolution.
Estates General: Beginning of the
End
• King Louis 16th needed more money
• Best way is to raise taxes
• Everyone meets for the Estates General
• Each estate has 1 vote COLLECTIVELY (all together)
• First and Second Estate vote to raise taxes on the Third Estate.
• Third Estate disagrees and were locked out of the discussion
• Third Estate responds by meeting in a Tennis Court and
vow to create a Constitution to end their suffering. Also
known as the “Tennis Court Oath”
3…2…1 Activity
On your own think and write down your ideas. Then turn to your partner and tell
them:
1. Three things you learned
2. Two questions you still have
3. One thing you liked