Political and Economic Causes
- Before separating the details into their headings, it is important to know the definitions and how to distinguish between the two categories.
- Read the definitions below and refer to our class discussion and notes.
Charting the Revolution
Estates General
Crisis Stage: Events of 1789
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Politics
Radical Leaders
Jean-Paul Marat
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Jacques Danton
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Maximilien Robespierre
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Handout for Notes: |
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Reactions to radicalism...
"Death Every Afternoon" -Tumbrels, carrying “traitors” of the French Revolution, would go up and down the streets everyday. These traitors could be anyone including, men, women, and children. Their “crimes” ranged from crying over a relative killed by the guillotine, someone chopping down a tree that was “planted in honor of the revolution”, anyone who discussed their dislike of the revolution, or anyone who would use the wrong terminology—using “monsieur” or “madame” instead of citizen and citizeness. All these acts could be punishable by death under the Law of Suspects—more than 40,000 citizens would be murdered.
(adapted from Core Knowledge National Conference, Is Freedom Really Free?)
(adapted from Core Knowledge National Conference, Is Freedom Really Free?)
The Jacobins, Committee of Public Safety, & Revolutionary Wars
When the French citizens decide to take action against its monarch in 1789, many people in Europe and America supported their efforts and were very excited. Then, the foreign supporters changed their minds. They could not believe the chaos and the heartlessness of the revolutionaries; they decided to wage war against France. What the foreigners did not know was that things were about to get even uglier.
The Jacobins were members of the Bourgeois and were very much in favor of violence. They were the ones who insisted on killing the king and queen and waging war on Austria. However, there were people (especially in the countryside) who did not agree with the tactics of the Jacobins—and made sure they knew it. Unfortunately, the Jacobins were able to take control of the government causing the country to spiral totally out of control. The foreign wars were taking their toll on France, civil war was breaking out in many places and people who did not support the Jacobins were allowing foreign troops to stay in their homes, food was becoming scarce and prices were still rising, and everybody was suspicious about each other—something had to be done. So a committee was created—The Committee of Public Safety—and a man, a very violent man was put in charge.
(adapted from Core Knowledge National Conference, Is Freedom Really Free?)
The Jacobins were members of the Bourgeois and were very much in favor of violence. They were the ones who insisted on killing the king and queen and waging war on Austria. However, there were people (especially in the countryside) who did not agree with the tactics of the Jacobins—and made sure they knew it. Unfortunately, the Jacobins were able to take control of the government causing the country to spiral totally out of control. The foreign wars were taking their toll on France, civil war was breaking out in many places and people who did not support the Jacobins were allowing foreign troops to stay in their homes, food was becoming scarce and prices were still rising, and everybody was suspicious about each other—something had to be done. So a committee was created—The Committee of Public Safety—and a man, a very violent man was put in charge.
(adapted from Core Knowledge National Conference, Is Freedom Really Free?)
Executions
The End of King Louis XVI:
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The Fate of the Queen:
The queen faced the same fate as her husband—she was put on trial, found guilty, and sentenced to death by the guillotine. On October 16, 1793 Marie Antoinette was taken to the guillotine. She no longer looked like the beautiful queen that everyone knew, instead she looked like a tired old women, dressed in a simple white dress and black stockings. She too faced her execution with her head held high. The story goes that as she was walking up the steps to the guillotine, she stepped on the foot of the man that was going to be putting her to death; these were her final words, “I beg your pardon, I did not do it on purpose.” Then the blade fell, and Marie Antoinette’s existence faded away. (adapted from Core Knowledge National Conference, Is Freedom Really Free?) |
The Final Stages
- Do you think the citizens of France lost sight of their purpose—to gain more freedom? Who do you think lost the most? Why?
- What was considered characteristic behaviour and actions during the Reign of Terror?
- How did the Reign of Terror come to an end?
- Outline and describe the shifts in leadership and power throughout the Revolution.
- How did the slogan “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” sum up the goals of the Revolution? How successful was the Revolution?
- Was the Revolution really revolutionary?