P.S: Title colors are in order of French Flag colors

Vocab words used: Estates, Estates General, Absolute monarchy, Louis XVI, Palace of Versailles, Taxation, Bastille, Robespierre, National Assembly, Reign of Terror, Directory, Jacobins, Tennis Court Oath, National Convention, Constitution, 1789, Napoleon

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Before I tell you all about the French Revolution, you have to know what France was like before the Revolution.

(Map of France in 1667)

Before The Revolution

France's society was divided into three layers (called estates). At the very top was the king, Louis XVI. He had absolute power to make laws. This is called absolute monarchy The First Estate included the entire clergy, who were people, including priests, who ran both the Catholic church and some aspects of the country. In 1789, it numbered around 0.5% of the population.

(Accurate historical drawing of what members of the First Estate looked like)

Before The Revolution

The Second Estate consisted of the nobility of France, including members of the royal family, except for the King. Members of the Second Estate did not have to pay any taxes. They were also awarded special priviliges, such as wearing a sword and hunting. The Second Estate constituted approximately 1.5% of France’s population

The Third Estate was made up of everyone else, from peasant farmers to the bourgeoisie – the wealthy business class. While the Second Estate was only 1% of the total population of France, the Third Estate was 98%, and had none of the rights and priviliges of the other two estates. However, taxation inequality was even more severe. Members of the Third Estate were required to pay a range of taxes while the First and Second Estate were not.

French Revolution Starts

The Meeting of the Estates General:

On May 5th 1789 Louis XVI called the Estates General to find a solution to France's financial problems. The Estates-General went on for several weeks in May-June. On June 17th the Third Estate declared themselves as the National Assembly, an assembly not for the estates but for the people.They invited the other orders to join them, but made it clear that they intended to conduct the nation’s affairs with or without them. This event marked the beginning of the French Revolution.

Were leaving you're either with us or against us!!!!!

Tennis Court Oath

On 20 June 1789, the members of the French Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath. After finding themselves locked out of their usual meeting hall at Versailles on June 20 and thinking that the king was forcing them to disband, they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court. There they took an oath never to separate until a written constitution had been established for France.