American and French Revolutions

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American and French Revolutions

• Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

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Quick American Revolution

• Based on Enlightenment beliefs, Rousseau, Lock,
  Montesquieu
• Colonies resented paying taxes without a
  representative in Parliament
• British imposed higher taxes after the French and
  Indian (Seven Years) War
• British also restricted colonial movement west as
  a result

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Colonies Revolts

• 1776, Declaration of Independence, Thomas
  Jefferson (based on John Locke), Life, Liberty,
  and Pursuit of Happiness
• With aid of French, the Americans are successful
  by 1781
• Articles of Confederation too weak
• 1789 New Constitution by James Madison checks
  and balances and separation of powers (based on
  Baron de Montesquieu)
• Bill of Rights added individual freedoms

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French Revolution1789
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Causes

• Political
• Absolute monarch
• Ministers selected by favoritism
• Censorship
• Imprisoned enemies without trial, charges, bail,
  jury
• People no say in government

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Social Economic Causes

• Social
• Three distinct classes (Estates)
• First Estate Clergy
• Second Estate Nobility
• Third Estate Everybody else (bourgeoisie,
  workers, peasants)
• First and Second estates
• 3 of population, owned most of land
• Exempted from most taxes
• Special treatment from law
• Third estate bore almost entire tax burden

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Influence of English and American Revolutions

• English
• Two countries geographically close
• Many English had taken refuge in France
• French Enlightenment philosophers praised the
  English Parliamentary system
• American
• French fought for Americans
• Brought back Revolutionary ideas

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King Louis XVI

• 1774-1792
• No charisma, small minded
• Queen Marie Antoinette very unpopular, vain,
  frivolous, and a foreigner from Austria

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Immediate Causes

• Louis XVI bankrupted France by court extravagance
  and war
• Summoned the Estates-General (French Legislature)
• Hadnt been summoned in 175 years (because he
  summoned them it made him seem weak)
• Each estate was represented and got 1 vote each,
  the First and Second estates always outvoted the
  Third

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Revolution Begins

• Third Estate demanded the Estates General be
  turned into a National Assembly with each member
  having one vote (1st 300, 2nd 300, 3rd 600)
• King Rejected idea
• Third Estate
• Declares itself the National Assembly
• Tennis Court Oath pledged to provide France with
  a constitution

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Storming of the BastilleJuly 14, 1789

• Rumor that king sent troops to disband National
  Assembly
• Paris mob stormed Bastille, prison holding
  political prisoners and symbol of Old Regime
• Actually released no political prisoners, but 154
  Mental patients
• Anniversary is French Independence Day

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Work of the National Assembly1789-1791

• Abolition of special privileges by 1st and 2nd
  estate
• Declaration of the Rights of Man
• Liberty, property, resistance to oppression
• All citizens should have a voice in government
• All equal before law
• Freedom of speech, press, religion
• Based on Declaration of Independence
• Church lands broken up and sold to ease financial
  problems
• Took power from Catholic Church
• Constitution of 1791
• Limited monarchs power, made a Legislative
  Assembly

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Limited Monarch 1791-1792Favored by bourgeoisie
and peasants

• Favoring a Republic
• Girondists moderate bourgeoisie, wanted Republic
  similar to US
• Jacobins Radical city workers, paid no taxes
  therefore had no voice in government
• Wanted republic run by poor
• Opposed king and bourgeoisie

• Favoring the Old Regime
• Louis XVI
• Devout Catholics
• French Nobles
• Foreign Monarchs feared that their own people
  would revolt

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National Convention (1792-1795)

• French Legislature deposed king and set up a new
  Government called the National Convention
• National Convention proclaims France a republic
  First French Republic
• National Convention tried Louis XVI for treason
  and sentenced him to beheading by the guillotine

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Reign of Terror

• Jacobins seize control of the National
  Convention set up Committee of Public Safety led
  by Robespierre
• Reign of Terror instituted to protect revolution
  from domestic enemies
• Arrested everyone suspected of treason
• Sentenced thousands to death by guillotine, no
  matter how small or far-fetched the evidence
• Eventually people ridded themselves of the
  Committee for Public Safety and Robespierre was
  killed on the guillotine

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Democratic Ideals of the Revolution

• Liberte freedom for all and a voice in
  government
• Egalite equal treatment before law, society, and
  business
• Fraternite brotherhood of all persons

"Unity, indivisibility of the Republic liberty,
equality or death".
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New Revolution-y Stuff

• New weights and measures based on Enlightenment
  ideas
• Ace becomes high card (poor over king)
• New calendar
• Each month was divided into three weeks of ten
  days known as a decade with a day of rest at
  the end. They we numbered numerically with
  holidays being replaced with names of fruits,
  veggies, animals, or farm equipment
• 1st National anthem
• Robespierre makes a new civic religion Cult of
  the Supreme Being
• Left and Right political terms based on
  seating in General Assembly

The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months The Names of the Months
Vendémiaire Brumaire Frimaire Nivôse Pluviôse Ventôse Germinal Floréal Prairial Messidor Thermidor Fructidor
Vintage Oct. Mist Nov. Frost Dec. Snow Jan. Rain Feb. Wind Mar. Seed Apr. Blossom May Meadow June Harvest July Heat Aug. Fruit Sept.
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Results

• Emphasis on Nationalism
• Influenced people throughout the world
• Western Europe
• Latin America
• Asia
• Africa

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Dailies French Rev. Dailies

1. Who was in the three estates in France?
2. How did the English and American Revolutions
   inspire the French (3)?
3. Why was Louis XVI broke?
4. What is the Seven Years War known as in US
   History?
5. Why was the voting system of the Estates General
   unfair?