The French Revolution was caused by social inequalities, unfair taxation that burdened the poor, and new Enlightenment ideas that inspired the people to seek change. The Revolution began in 1789 when the Third Estate formed the National Assembly and took the Tennis Court Oath to write a constitution. This led to unrest, the storming of the Bastille prison, and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. However, revolutionary violence increased in the following years as the monarchy was overthrown and King Louis XVI was executed. Maximilien Robespierre then rose to power and instituted the Reign of Terror from 1793-1794, executing over 40,000 people with the guillotine before he too was over

1. 1
The French
revolution1
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2. 2
Causes of the French
Revolution
What were the key causes of the French
Revolution?
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3. Background Information

4.  France was going bankrupt after participating in
SEVERAL wars over the past century (including the
American Revolution)

5. Louis XVI (the King of
France) was an absolute
monarch who was not a
strong leader and didn’t
understand finances.
He was more concerned with
his own interests than those
of the people.

6. Social Structure In France Prior
to the Revolution
CAUSE #1

7.  French society was divided
 into “estates” (social classes)

8. Estates were based on social classes.
The First Estate was clergy.
The Second Estate was the nobles.
The Third Estate was the bourgeoisie and
peasants (98% of the population!!!)

9. The First Estate estate had all of the political
power and they were wealthy.
The Second Estate was wealthy but did not
have that much political power (they did not
like this)
The Third Estate was terribly poor and had no
political power at all.

10. Unfair Tax Structure In France
Prior to the Revolution
CAUSE #2

11. Tax Structure in 18th Century France

12. The Third Estate was being treated unfairly by
the other Estates and the king was charging
them HIGH taxes while basically not taxing
anyone else.
There was a series of bad harvests and many
members of the Third Estate were starving
while the king continued to raise their taxes.

13.  Overall, the French economy was in trouble
due to unemployment, inequality in the tax
structure, and bad harvests which caused a
food shortage. The people were starving.

14. Progressive ideas from the
enlightenment inspired the
French people to make change
CAUSE #3

15.  The philosophies of the
Enlightenment thinkers helped
convince French citizens that
they should have the right to
decide what kind of
government France should
have.

16. The success of the United States in the
American Revolution showed the French
people that they could make changes if they
came together and revolted.
The independence movements against Spain in
Latin America also inspired the French people.
The American
Revolution
French Revolution
INSPIRED THE…

17. Mind Map of the
Causes of the French Revolution

18. Events leading up to the start of
the revolution

19. In 1789, King Louis XVI called a meeting of the
Estates-General to discuss the financial
situation in France.
Members of all 3 Estates were present, but
the Third Estate wasn’t treated fairly
May 5th, 1789

20.  500+ members of the Third Estate were locked
out of the Estates-General meeting and decided
to have their own meeting at a nearby tennis
court in town.
 They called themselves the
 “National Assembly.”
 They signed a document called the
 “Tennis Court Oath.”
 The Tennis Court Oath was a promise that the
National Assembly would continue meeting until
they had written and passed a constitution for
France.
June 20th, 1789

21. Quick-Write
1. Against what are people protesting here?
2. How much do you think your
parents/guardians make per year?
3. With the amount of money that your
parents/guardians make, do you think you are
in the bottom 80% or the top 20%?
4. Look at your answer to question 3…what
conclusions can you draw about your future
life opportunities/struggles from this?

22. Revolutionary violence begins

23. Jacobin = the name given to the political
group that was in favor of the revolution

24. July 14th, 1789
Louis XVI threatened to arrest the leaders of
the National Assembly.
Crowds of people stormed a fortress and
prison called Bastille. This is considered to be
the official start of the French Revolution.

25. August 1789
The National Assembly writes
“the Declarations of the rights
of Man and the Citizen” in
1789.
Proclaimed natural rights,
freedom of speech, all men are
equal before the law, no group
should be exempt from taxation
and social status should be
based on merit, not
birth/wealth
The King was forced to accept
it.

26. October 1789 – The royal palace in Versailles
(small town outside of Paris) is stormed
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (the Queen)
flee and are not captured

27. For the next few years, there is continued
unrests and people rioting in the streets
The National Convention (the new name for the
National Assembly) arrests and kills noblemen

28. 1791 – King Louis XVI accepts the constitution
proposed by the National Convention and his
power is somewhat limited
1792 – National Convention declares war on
Austria and Prussia because Austria/Prussia are
against the revolution
1792 – the guillotine is officially declared as the
method of execution in France

29. The Guillotine

30. 1792 – Louis XVI and his family are arrested
January 1793 – Louis XVI is executed by guillotine
1793 – Committee of Public Safety is formed and
becomes the new executive government of
France

31. 1793 – Maximilien Robespierre is elected as the
leader of the Committee of Public Safety
1793-1794 – Robespierre suppresses any and all
resistance to the revolution by executing (by
guillotine) about 40,000 people
This period (1793-1794) is known as the
“REIGN OF TERROR”

32. 1794 – Robespierre
is overthrown and
executed with the
guillotine
He is executed
face up

33. Key Points
1789
 May 5th – Estates-General meets
 June 20 – Tennis Court Oath takes place
 July 14 – National Assembly storms the Bastille
 August 26 – Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is
passed by the National Assembly

34. Key Points
 1791
 Louis XVI accepts
constitution
 Riots and the fights
between the peoples
continue
 1792
 Louis XVI and Marie
Antoinette are
captured
 Louis XVI is executed
by guillotine
 1793
 Committee on Public
Safety is formed
 Robespierre becomes
leader of France
 Reign of Terror begins
 1794
 Robespierre is
overthrown and
executed by guillotine