THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION
When the early morning hours of 1789 arrived, Paris
was in a panic. There were rumours that the King
would start shooting at the people. As people began to
assemble, they broke into several government facilities
to find weapons.
The battle resulted in the death of the Bastille’s
commander, and the inmates were let free. Because the
Bastille symbolised the king’s autocratic rule, many
detested it. People demonstrated against bread’s
exorbitant price. The French King was put to death as a
result of a fresh set of circumstances.
French Society During the Late Eighteenth
Century
In 1774, Louis XVI became the next monarch of
France. France’s finances were severely damaged by
the war. The thirteen American colonies were assisted
by France, under Louis XVI, in gaining their freedom
from Great Britain. Taxes were raised to cover
ongoing costs, like those associated with operating
government buildings and colleges, the judiciary, and
the army. In the eighteenth century, France was split
up into three estates.
Throughout the mediaeval ages, the feudal system was
a component of the society’s estates. Peasants made up
90% of the population, although very few of them
owned the land they farmed. The Church, nobles, and
other wealthy third estate members owned sixty per
cent. Members of the top two estates, the clergy and
nobility, were born with particular privileges.
These member groups enjoyed feudal privileges and
were free from paying taxes. Every member of the
third estate was required to pay taxes to the state.
These taxes consisted of taille, a direct tax, and
several indirect levies, which were imposed on
common goods like tobacco and salt.
The Struggle to Survive
The need for food grains increased quickly as a result
of the population growth. Because of the inability of
grain production to meet demand, bread prices
increased quickly. The disparity between the rich and
the poor grew as a result of the low wages given to the
labourers. Every time a hailstorm or drought
decreased the yield, things became worse.
A Growing Middle Class Envisages an End to
Privileges
Peasants used to take part in uprisings against shortages
of food and taxation. The third estate group was now
well-off and had access to new ideas and knowledge.
The eighteenth century saw the emergence of new
socioeconomic classes known as the middle class, who
made their fortunes by making woollen and silk fabrics
that were either exported or purchased by the wealthier
segments of society.
They also expanded their abroad trade. Administrative
officials and lawyers were examples of the third estate.
A person’s merit determines their social standing.
All of these groups were well-educated and held the
view that no social group should be given advantages
just by birth. A person’s social standing must instead be
determined by his or her merit. Rousseau suggested a
-
new system of governance based on a social contract
between the people and their representatives.
In a similar, Montesquieu suggested allocating
authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial
branches of government. This kind of government was
implemented in the USA. To cover the costs, Louis
XVI intended to impose additional taxes.
The Outbreak of the Revolution
The monarch of France lacked the authority to levy
taxes. To approve plans for increased taxes, they had to
convene a meeting of the Estates-General, a political
assembly that the three estates sent delegates. On May
5, 1789, Louis XVI held a meeting to approve plans
for more taxes. There were members of the third estate
who were well-educated and rich, as well as
representatives from the first and second estates.
Every estate was entitled to one vote under the
premise. However, advocates of the third estate
insisted on one vote for each member. The third estate
protestors walked outside as the demand was denied.
They promised not to leave until a constitution
restricting the monarch’s powers was written for
France.
People had to wait in queue for hours and bread costs
increased as a result of the harsh winter. There were
rumours that the manor’s lords employed brigand bands
to destroy the ripe crops. Peasants began stealing stored
grain out of fear and set fire to paperwork that listed
manorial dues.
Nobility escaped their residences. Louis XVI
acknowledged the National Assembly and agreed that
a constitution would henceforth serve as a check on
his authority. On August 4, 1789, the Assembly
adopted a resolution ending the feudal system of
duties and taxes. The Church’s holdings were seized,
and tithes were eliminated.
France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy
The National Assembly finished drafting the
constitution in 1791, with the primary goal being to
curtail the monarch’s authority. These authorities were
now divided and delegated to the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches of government. France adopted a
monarchy with a constitution.
Unfortunately, not all citizens were able to exercise their
right to vote. Instead, voters selected a group of electors
who then selected the Assembly. Voting rights were
granted to men over 25 who paid taxes equivalent to at
least three days’ worth of labourer’s compensation.
The Declaration of Human and Citizen Rights opened
the Constitution. The term “natural and inalienable”
refers to the set of rights that are inherent to every
human being from birth and cannot be taken away. These
rights include the right to life, freedom of speech,
freedom of opinion, and equality before the law.
France Abolishes Monarchy and Becomes a Republic
The National Assembly decided to go to war with
Austria and Prussia in April 1792. France adopted
Marseillaise as its national anthem. Women took care of
their families while males were gone fighting in the war.
Since the Constitution of 1791 granted political rights
mainly to the wealthier segments of society, a sizable
portion of the populace requested that the revolution
continue.
There were founded political clubs, the most successful
of which were the Jacobins. Small business owners,
--
artisans including bakers, watchmakers, printers, and
shoemakers, as well as daily wage workers and slaves,
were all members of the Jacobin Club. Members of the
Jacobin movement began donning long, striped
trousers, like those worn by dockworkers.
The term “those without knee breeches” (sans-culottes)
was used to refer to these Jacobins. The King was
taken captive by Jacobins for several hours on August
10, 1792, after they seized the Palace of the Tuileries.
All men who were 21 years of age or older were
eligible to vote in the elections that were held. On
September 21, 1792, the monarchy was dissolved and
France was proclaimed a republic. A court sentenced
Louis XVI to death on treasonous charges.
The Reign of Terror
The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign of Terror.
People whom Robespierre saw as enemies of the republic were
arrested, imprisoned and then tried by a revolutionary tribunal. If they
were declared guilty by the court, then they were guillotined. The
guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a
person is beheaded, named after Dr Guillotin. Laws were issued to
place a maximum ceiling on wages and prices. Meat and bread were
rationed. Expensive white flour was forbidden to use. Equality was
practised through forms of speech and address. All French men and
women were addressed as Citoyen and Citoyenne (Citizen). In July
1794, he was convicted by a court, arrested and the next day sent to
the guillotine.
A Directory Rules France
The fall of the Jacobin government allowed the
wealthier middle classes to seize power. According to
the new constitution, non-propertied sections of society
were denied voting. It provided for two elected
legislative councils. The government appointed a
Directory consisting of executives made up of five
members. Political instability paved the way for a
military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Did Women Have a Revolution?
Since the beginning, women have been involved actively,
which has led to significant improvements in France. Third-
estate women had no access to school or job training and were
forced to work for a living. At a monastery, daughters of third-
estate nobles were permitted to pursue their education. Women
who held jobs also needed to take care of their families. Their
pay was less than that of men. Women also founded
newspapers and political clubs. Among the most well-known
women’s clubs was the Society of Revolutionary and
Republican Women.
They called for the ability to vote and run for political
office, as well as equal political rights with males. Laws
were implemented by the revolutionary administration
to better the lot of women. They were allowed to own
small companies, divorce became lawful, and education
became mandatory. The government shut down
women’s clubs and outlawed their political activity
during the Reign of Terror. In 1946, women in France
were granted the right to vote after great effort.
The Abolition of Slavery
The eradication of slavery in the French colonies was
the most significant social reform implemented by the
Jacobin regime. The slave trade started in the
seventeenth century. Local chieftains provided the
slaves, who were then branded, shackled, and
crammed aboard ships for the arduous three-month
journey over the Atlantic to the Caribbean.
The increasing demand for sugar, coffee, and indigo in
European markets was satisfied by slave labour. Slavery
in France received little criticism during the seventeenth
century. All slaves in French colonial possessions were
to be freed by law, according to a 1794 Convention.
After ten years, Napoleon instituted slavery. Slavery
was outlawed in the French colonies in 1848.
The Revolution and Everyday Life
France during 1789 saw changes in the lives of men,
women and children. The abolition of censorship
happened in the summer of 1789. Declaration of the
Rights of Man and Citizen proclaimed freedom of
speech and expression to be a natural right. Freedom of
the press meant opposing views of events could be
expressed. Plays, songs and festive processions
attracted large numbers of people.
Conclusion
Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of
France in 1804 and introduced many laws, such as the
protection of private property and a uniform system of
weights and measures provided by the decimal
-

system. Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the
most important legacy of the French Revolution.
Colonised peoples reworked the idea of freedom to
create a sovereign nation-state.