Overview of French Revolution

People  King Louis XVI  Maximilien Robespierre  George Danton  Marie Antoinette  Napoleon Bonaparte

Causes  Treasury drained from supporting the American Revolution  Unequal taxation

Immediate Effects  Wanted to make their own laws  Saw that Revolution had worked in America so why not France

Overview of French Revolution: The French Revolution lasted from 1789 to 1799. The people of France had suffered under the rule of an uncaring king for a long time. After hearing about the successful American Revolution it began to give them an idea and the inspiration to do something about it. France had been an enemy of Britian for a long time. When the British began to fight against the Americans, France joined forces American forces in the American fight for independence. This effort drained the French treasury. In order to repay the treasury the King raised taxes on the citizens of the 3rd Estate. There were three Estates of people: 1st Estate included the church clergy, 2nd Estate included all the nobility and the 3rd Estate that included the peasants and bourgeoises. The people in the 1st and 2nd estate lived very privileged lives and did not have to pay taxes at all. In June 1789 the Third Estate broke away and created a National Assembly and claimed the right to make laws. This enraged the king and sent soldiers into Paris. The citizen realized they needed more than just shovels and rakes to fight the soldiers. They decided to seal the weapons need to defend themselves. On July 14, 1789 an enraged crowd attacked a royal fortress to steal muskets. They were sick of paying the huge taxes demanded by King Louis XVI and his advisors. The rebels wanted the Bastille’s store of gunpowder to protect themselves from the King’s troops. The governor refused to hand over the gunpowder and the angry crowd grew. Later in the day the crowd broke into the outer courtyard and Guards stationed high on ramparts began to fire on the crowd. Soldiers showed up and instead of protecting the King fired cannons at the inner gates of the fortress. At this point the governor gave up and had the doors opened.

August 4, 1789, the nobles, clergymen and commoners meet in an Assembly and agreed to bury their differences. They got ride of hundreds of old taxes and services that the peasants had to pay their landlords for centuries. Now everyone would pay their fair share of taxes, with no special exceptions. In 1791 the National Assembly adopted a new constitution for France. The king could remain on the throne, but an elected assembly would make the laws. The king publicly agreeded, but asked other countries to invade France and overthrow the revolutionaries. June 21, 1791, a coach left the Palace at midnight. Inside someone dressed in a plain coat and wig. It was the King. Two days later on June 23, 1791 arrived at Varennes are stopped and taken back to Paris where their fate would be decided.

January 17, 1793 he was put on trial and found guilty of crimes against France and sentenced to death. This was the beginning of other problems. The government’s new Committee of Public Safety including Maximilien Robespierre, and George Danton, they had the jails full of people for the slightest reasons. Citizens can even accuse their neighbors of treachery and have them arrested. Even Marie Antoinette, widow of Louis XVI was beheaded with 22 deputies of parliament. Nobles all over the city are being arrested and their property was seized by the Committee. In March 1794 George Danton spoke out in favor of lessening the Terror and was arrested. May 1794 all the leaders of the Revolution were rounded up and sent to the guillotine. Arrests were so high that military barracks, hospitals and even convents have been turned into jails. July 1794 Robespierre himself has been arrested and will stand trial. On July 28, 1794 Robespierre is climbs the guillotine and the terror is brought to an end. Various people and groups still argued about how the country should be run. In 1799, a group of leaders turned to the army for support and a young general Napoleon Bonaparte was called and seized control in November 1799 and brought an end to the revolution. His most important action was to write the Napoleonic Code. This code guaranteed some of the freedoms people had fought for in the revolution.

Long lasting Effects / Impacts on the Modern world -  France law is still based on it today.  It changed the rest of Europe, the people were no longer willing to accept the supreme right of a king to rule absolutely.  It also touched off slave uprisings in the Caribbean. On St. Domingue, the free people of color becan a rebellion when French planters would not grant them citizenship a revolution that lasted 13years.