French Revolution and 18th Century Society Notes

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, learners will be able to:

• Understand and describe the 18th century French society.
• Elaborate on the discontent in 18th century French society.
• Describe the causes of the outbreak of the revolution.
• Explain how France abolished monarchy to become a republic.
• Detail the beginning and end of the Reign of Terror.
• Discuss the impact of the revolution on women.
• Understand the events that led to the abolition of slavery in France.
• Explain the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Overview of 18th Century French Society

• Louis XVI's Ascension (1774):

  • Louis XVI, age 20, married to Marie Antoinette.
  • Inherits empty treasury due to wars.
  • Forced to increase taxes to maintain army and government.

• Division of Society:

  • First Estate: Clergy, exempt from taxes.
  • Second Estate: Nobility, inherited privileges.
  • Third Estate:
    • Big businessmen and affluent merchants.
    • Peasants and artisans with little money.
    • Landless peasants, laborers, and servants (poorest).
  • Only the Third Estate paid taxes, including the Church's tithe.

Causes of Discontent

• Food Scarcity:

  • Growing population led to shortages in food production.
  • Rising bread prices and poor wages.
  • Severe drought and hail worsened conditions (subsistence crisis).

• Emergence of the Middle Class:

  • Lawyers and educated individuals opposed birth privileges.
  • Influenced by philosophers like Rousseau and Montesquieu advocating for equality and rights.
  • Inspired by the American Constitution.

Outbreak of the Revolution

• Meeting of the Estates General (May 5, 1789):

  • Louis XVI proposed an increase in taxes.
  • Third Estate demanded voting by assembly as a whole.
  • Following rejection, the Third Estate walked out and formed a National Assembly.

• Declaration of a National Assembly (June 20, 1789):

  • Drafted a constitution.
  • Abolished feudal system on August 4, 1789.
  • Established a constitutional monarchy by 1791.

• Key Constitutional Elements:

  • Division of power among legislative, executive, and judiciary.
  • Right to life, freedom of speech, and equality before the law.

Abolition of Monarchy and Establishment of Republic

• War Against Austria and Prussia (1792):

  • National Assembly declared war before external intervention.
  • Revolutionary Wars caused economic difficulties.

• Formation of the Convention (September 21, 1792):

  • Abolished monarchy and declared France a republic.
  • Louis XVI executed January 21, 1793, followed by Marie Antoinette.

The Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

• Robespierre’s Rule:

  • Strict control and harsh punishments against perceived enemies.
  • Maximum ceilings on wages and prices.
  • Citizens forced to conform to "equality bread".

• Downfall of Robespierre:

  • His own policies led to backlash.
  • Arrested and executed in July 1794.

The Directory (Post-Jacobin Government)

• Power seized by wealthier middle class.
• Introduced a constitution limiting voting rights to property owners.
• Established two legislative councils and an executive committee (the Directory).

Women and the Revolution

• Women’s Role in the Revolution:

  • Actively participated but gained no significant rights.
  • Worked as laundresses, fruit sellers, and domestic servants.

• Activism and Rights:

  • Women formed clubs to demand voting rights and political office.
  • Improvements included compulsory education for girls and marriage contracts.
  • Full voting rights achieved in 1946 after a long struggle.

Abolition of Slavery

• Background:

  • Collapsed labor force in Caribbean plantations due to European unwillingness to work.
  • Slave trade supported economically by French ports.

• Legal Developments:

  • National Assembly discussed extending rights to colonial subjects.
  • Slavery abolished in 1794 but reintroduced by Napoleon.
  • Final abolition in all French colonies was in 1848.

Impact of the Revolution on Everyday Life

• Post-1789 Changes:

  • Laws passed to implement ideals of liberty and equality.
  • Abolition of censorship; freedom of speech and expression recognized.

• Napoleon’s Rule:

  • Crowned himself Emperor in 1804; modernizer of Europe.
  • Conquered and created kingdoms; seen initially as liberator but later viewed as invader.
  • Defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

Summary

• 18th century French society was divided into three estates.
• France faced a subsistence crisis.
• Constitutional monarchy established in 1791.
• Monarchy abolished and the Republic declared in 1792.
• The Reign of Terror (1793-1794) marked a period of extreme control.
• Women struggled for rights, finally gaining the vote in 1946.
• Slavery was abolished in 1794 and again in 1848 after reintroduction by Napoleon.