French Revolution Midterm Exam

Fundamental Laws of the Realm

*the king expected to uphold these laws Salic law governed succession to the throne This was a made-up law to keep women off the throne Inalienability of the Royal Domain states that the king ruled the French nation in trust for future generations Stated a king could not sell or give up the territory, however, they could gain and obtain property The king must be catholic When King Henry IV was protestant, which prolonged the religious wars Eventually converted to Catholicism in order to pacify his people 80%-90% of the French population was catholic King is bound by custom to practice specific religion

Louis XV

1715, reigns at 13 years of age, most gain this at 14 1726- Announced wanted to rule w/o the chief minister Desire decounced and Abbe Hercule deFleurt was assigned to him Avoids most war—war of polish succession-one war deals with sector of Catholicism

Hobereaux:

A lord of a village of peasants who was NOT wealthy and who oversaw the collection of their taxes and production of crops These were the most hated among the land because they clung so tightly to their rights (due to their lack of wealth) Highest power was the ability to enforce or dictate the laws and fees placed on peasants

Estates General (1302):

Also had power over the king Representative of generals from each Estate Each Estate got one vote The king called upon the Estates General when he needed support Provided legislation, support, and could take over if necessary

Third Estate:

Anyone who is not a member of the clergy (First Estate) or the nobility (Second Estate) in France 98% of the population Included urban wage-laborers and rural peasants as well as serfs First and Second Estates relied upon the labor of the Third Estate Demanded a doubling of their representatives and a vote by head at the Estates General Hoped that the members from the First and Second Estates would vote for the interest of the country Members of the Third Estate do have some privileges Viewed themselves as the voice of the nation No single person emerged as a leader of the Third Estate Estate representatives were elected and moved onto the next level of elections before being selected to serve as an official representative at the Estates General Angered by the ancient traditional ceremonies of the National Assembly, which tried to exert inferiority on them Their list of grievances (Cahiers of Doléances) differed from the cahiers of the other Estates Paid the taxes of the country

Parish Priests:

Appointed by the bishop to be in charge of the congregation of the parish entrusted to him Exercises the pastoral care of the community

Cochin-Furet Model of Politicization:

Argued that clubs, literary societies and academics were places ppl came together as equals, and developed models of operation which differed from the hierarchical society Offered as alternative to absolutism Modalities of voluntary associations undercut the ideas of absolutism This made interactions more democratic Argument surfaced that the decisions made in these clubs were made on the basis of consensus versus votes, which means that the "general will" was missing, leaving no room for dissent Argued that ppl voted in the same manners as their friends Furet argued that this would bring on the Terror

Abbé Sieyès, What is the Third Estate?:

Argued that the Third Estate does everything and gets nothing in return Claimed that society could exist without the nobility but not without the Third Estate Separation of other estates is harmful to the Third Estate First and Second Estate are an isolated people with unfair rights and privileges Sieyès' essay rallies the Third Estate and claims that classes are illegitimate because they are a part of the Third Estate Identifies the three classes within the Third Estate and considers everyone else to be a parasite living off of the production of others *Important rally document Sieyès is elected to the Third Estate Third Estate demand a doubling of their representatives Promised to continue to meet with each other until the changes were made

Gros Farmers:

Around 1 million ppl Large, capitalist farmers Rented land out to other tenants Might have improved Frenhc agriculture were it not for seigneurial restoration Suffered most under the misley attitudes of nobility Despised throughout twn because of their wealth

Metayers

Around 10 million ppl Sharecroppers Owed a percentage of their harvest to their landlord After taxes, they were close to paying ¾ of their harvest to their landlord

Revisionism:

Attacks the class division Views it as being divided into the elite and non-elite Argues that the nobility was unified Wanted to create a hierarchy based off of merit (just like the bourgeoisie) "If it's not the bourgeoisie that creates the Revolution, the Revolution creates the bourgeoisie" This theory earned the support of the poor by claiming to take on the nobility and construe their fight as talent against privilege Follow Lefebvre's model of the 4 revolutions (Aristocratic, Bourgeois, Popular, and Peasant)

Charles Alexander de Calonne:

Becomes comptroller general and appeases the king and poses no threats to venal offices Basically placed in charge of finances Promoted ambitious building projects which cost a lot of money These new construction projects made him more popular among the court In 1786 the Vingtiéme taxes are due to expire and Calonne realizes that the budget failed to mention that the deficit was far greater than the surplus He spent way too much money considering how deep into debt the nation was Realized that reform was needed Turned to the Assembly of Notables for support because they had the most money and would likely give moral and financial support Wanted to institute a proportional tax on all of the land in France which would tax ALL people and get around inflation The Notables studied the proposal and then rejected the reforms Public opinion of financiers became even more poor than it already was The king dismissed Calonne and his men and began to attempt to meet the fiscal crisis with force

Guilds:

Believed to maintain order b/w skilled and unskilled laborers Ability to practice trade in certain distinct monopoly--keeps other ppl out to assure the quality Given certain rights and privileges Possessed policing aspect (ex. Mentra fined for having unregistered companion) Economies not like guilds and corporations Believed to have Limited trade and corporations Turgot abolished guilds in 1776 but restored shortly after 1791 abolished for good

Seigneurial Rights:

Chatelain/Seigneur- king/ lord of the territory 80%-85% lived in villages, small, social divisions of a/b 2,00 ppl Chatelain usually noble, but not always rich Local nobleman not always rich -- Hobereaux - more downward nobility than upward Hated b/c they clung to keep their privileges Highest power included enforcing or dictating the laws and fees on the placed on the taxes

Great Fear (Summer of 1789):

Combination of fears of beggars/brigands and hunger created the Great Fear Led people to contemplate the fissures between the well fed nobility and the starving beggars People were angry because they believed that noblemen might be hoarding grain All hope was placed in the meeting of the Estates General People believed that the king had called the Estate General to end their starvation Peasants were convinced that the Second Estate wanted to halt political reform Conspiracy theories emerged regarding the vagrant brigands and their roles as bringing the peasants back under control Peasants took their anger out through the Storming of the Bastille in 1789

General Farm:

Control the trade of tobacco Anything they extra they kept; Allowed farm owners to squeeze money out of peasants Poor people turned to the underground in order to supplement their income Rise interest in Virginian tobacco led to emergence of an underground market selling the product Led to a rise in gangs Gangs were willing to go after General Farm Officials

Eden Treaty of 1786:

Created horrible press on textiles and put many people out of work War outside of the country also prevented the import of luxuries Increase in begging and a call for charity There was little sympathy for beggars because people were struggling to feed themselves

"Low Enlightenment":

Different view on the Enlightenment harbored by the peasant writers who did not have the same opportunities as noble philosophes Mesmerism claimed that people's poles needed to be realigned in order to overcome their obstacles Mermer opened up salons for people to bathe in order to realign their poles This was a pseudoscience which was NOT real!!!!!!

Huguenot Diaspora:

Edict of Nantes (1598; gave Huguenots the right to practice their religion and guaranteed them safety and protection within the French state) caused Protestants to rid France of the monarch Many Hugneuts immigrated to other Protestant-sympathetic countries: England, USA, Holland Dutch republic publications indicated the resentment and bombarded FRance with political criticisms Served as a threat to absolutism and influenced the debates leading up to the Revolution Gazette de Leyde: influential in publishing in for attacking the monarchy, published issues emphasizing religious tolerance

Privileges of the Nobility:

Exempt from the taille (personal tax paid for simply existing) Nobleman got to go directly to the parlement if they needed to go to court Allowed to wear certain things from which other were prohibited Allowed to carry a sword Permitted to be executed by decapitation rather than hanging (if convicted of a capital crime) Origins Early feudal system Warriors pledged to the king, provide military service to not be taxed

Pére Duchesne:

Extremely radical newspaper during the French Revolution Provided one of the most detailed and provocative images of the queen Edited by Jacques Hѐrbert Provided a negative image of women Argued that any regime involving women was corrupt Claimed that the riddance of Marie Antionette was one way to fix the issues of the Old Regime They believed that Marie Antoinette taught the king to dissimulate and be deceptive Claimed that the nation was ruled by the rich Criticized the sans-culottes

Cens

Fee that is owned by the peasants b/c they live in a certain area Paid in cash Additional to rent

Kant- Habermas Model of Politicization:

Focused more on a new public sphere area in which ppl could discuss new ideas and express opinions Public sphere

Robe Nobility:

French aristocrats whose power came from holding positions in judicial and government offices Purchases these governmental positions through venal offices Nobility of the robe typically hereditary b/c of the hereditary passing-down of venal offices to the next generation Believed that they better represented France and therefore clashed with the king Members of parliament sought to preserve their prestige b/c they were considered inferior by the Sword Nobility Lines b/w the Sword and Robe nobleman was blurred in the 18th century due to internmarrage and the crossing of the two Worked alongside the Sword nobleman to resist the king

Assembly of Notables (1787):

Group of high-ranking nobles hand-picked by the king who could control the monarchy The monarchy needed to summon them, which they tended to not do because they felt that it threatened their absolute power

Corvee

Hated the MOST by the peasants Forced labor they could not escape Government used this

Grub Street:

Home of the writers who did not become as successful as the philosophes Experienced the "Low Enlightenment" Took their anger towards the monarchy out through the publication of the Libelles which slandered the court and higher class citizens Police inspectors collected names and descriptions of these writers because they were speaking ill of the monarchy These inspectors viewed the Grub Street writers as sketchy because they came from a low background Nearly impossible for low-life writers to rise out of Grub Street because it was extremely difficult to make a living off of writing Low-lifes resented the system for denying them of their rights Very supportive of the Revolution

Salons:

Hosted in somebody's house, usually by a woman, at a set time (for example: two times a month) Hostesses worked hard to facilitate discussions and maintain civility with differing opinions This provided women with a way to participate in the intellectual part of society Intellectual gatherings in which members of society could discuss political matters out of earshot of the monarchy

Political Culture:

How people feel a/b politics/ political system and how involved in politics ppl are Fusion of the people and events: ppl more empowered by new ideas lead to politicatixation,leading to more interaction=> shocks change politics Symbols shaping opinion of political culture In france, a new political culture shaped through the Enlightenment, developing by 18th century Politics discussed in new/different ways Ppl felt empowered to bring this political change New ideas led way to political culture--allowed the environment to change Gatherings, at salons and bars, politicized those involved Two models of politicalization

John Law

John Law was a Scotsman who was believed to know a lot about money He was brought on by the Duke of Orleans as the general comptroller of France He causes a long period of distrust of paper money in France, which lasted into the 19th century Paper money was used rather than gold His plans was to liquidate public debt System put the economy into worse shape, revolution occurred in 1739 Constant wars placed the economy in bad shape France greatly in debt Came into position, system based on confidence people lost confidence, pressure the people into supporting, ironically pressures the people on despotism French finances—fought 50 years of wars, causing much debt, system mess Fiscal issues, many deaths, high increase rates—failures to pay debt=interest rates high Believed the king create confidence in ppl, absolutism does this correctly Authorized to set bank up, oxidant company, attract ppl to invest in exploiting resources in North America French system collapses—revert to the system prior to Law

Absolutism

King above the law, limitless amounts of control Decision final, had the last say in a political agreement; counsels are blamed not the king Justinian's Corpus Juris Civilis stated the kings will has the force of the law Sovereignty must be divided It could not effectively act in a state Absolutism was brought about by the religious wars and the desire to place all of the power in the hands of the king Often seemed like the king protected people from the nobility After bringing the religious wars to an end, King Henri IV was able to practice strict absolutism and really united France after the strife

Cahiers of Doléances:

List of grievances Drafted by each Estate throughout the nation The cahiers of the different Estates addressed different topics, however there were some commonalities: Better economic system Abolition of absolute monarch Written constitution Legislative body Guarantees of individual liberties National unity (uniform weights/barriers, end of tariffs)

Marie Antoinette

Louis AVI's Austrian wife Married in 1770 People predisposed against queen's-foreign Became the symbol of everything that was wrong with the Old Regime Led to the argument that any regime involving women was corrupt Extremely negative view of women Riddance viewed as a way to fix the issues of the Old Regime Some believed that she taught the king how to disseminate and be deceptive Many venomous attacks on Marie Antionette took place Especially in the Libelles Diamond necklace affair—not her fault, swindle the Cardinand -damaged her reputation Accused her of cheating on husband—no evidence; pornography against her Unpopular towards people and courts --- gave stipends to friends Calling for transparency Corruption she might be inflicting People find easier to hate the queen versus king Encouraging the king not to give into the pleas of the people Accused of feminizing the men of France Women at court, mistress, demonizes the monarch, masculate -shove women out Overturning the political sphere, letting women know they have no rule in the government

Maupeou Parlement (1771):

Louis XV's hand-picked parlement Disbanded the old parlment to put people who would agree with him and his decisions in those positions Exiled all magistrates of the parlement and put Louis XV's men into the offices This was the monarchy's attempt of the reform to make the system more rational Louis XVI then gets rid of all of the people brought in by Louis XV and tries to bring in his own reformers who he thought would be politically liberal

Versailles

Louis wanted to build up the Frenhc culture so he built Versailles as an extremely elaborate symbol of the nation's prestige Everything in Louis XIV's life was a public event Versailles became the permanent home of the king and the center of the French government in 1682 Louis XIV used Versailles to occupy the nobility and entertain them to prevent them from revolting against him

Artisans:

Mentetra Gens de Metier Intellectual arts considered creative/uplifting Higher than labor b/c required degree of education/intellect Skilled labor conferred honor/status Diderot argued artisans more valuable than intellects b/c produced art Those who worked w/ hands considered to be lower status than intellectual artists Considered degrading Surgeons worked w/ hands, different social class despite degree

Parlements

Most prestigious court; supreme court 13 in France, 12 in Provincial, 1 in Paris Magistrates (most power) of these courts controlled the towns Staffed by venal offices Held the power to approve or reject laws written by the king Right to remonstrate- complaint, appeal and negotiate Louis XIV revoked the right of Parlement to remonstrate (this right returned in 1815) Returned in 1715 by Louis XVI needs approval for regent King weak= Parlement-power; King strong=not allowed traditional remonstrates Check for other king, many battles between the two bodies Defender of the people Activity served as the influential situation of resistance of the king

The Enlightenment:

Movement suggested we move away from religion and focus more on reason, science, and knowledge Popularized the idea that one should use one's own mind for the benefit of humankind Big stress on humanitarian deeds Brought human rights to all people (except women, protestant, jews, and slaves) Emphasis on rationalism Enlightenment thinkers believed in the physical world as well as the spiritual world Kept ideas open to interpretation Encouraged analysis and a focus on practicality People are skeptical of the emotionless quality of the philosophes Worried that they focused more on emotion than the physical world Influenced by the scientific Revolution Philosophes were focused on the physical world and how it worked Suggested the enormity of the universe and caused the question of the roles of humans and where they fit into the universe Influenced by religion Questioned God's role in the universe Many philosophers followed Deism, which was the notion of God as clockmakers Some became atheists; many became deist

Nobility of the Sword:

Oldest classes of nobility in France Dated from the Middle Ages Arguably in existence by descent Originally knightly class who provided military service to the king in exchange for feudal land and protection Ability to carry sword Often viewed with higher prestige Put in charge of provinces and had roles at Versailles Traditionally had more power than the Robe Nobility Lines between the sword and robe nobility was blurred in the 18th century due to intermarriage and the crossing of the two Worked alongside the Robe nobleman to resist the king

Louis Mandarian:

One of the most renowned smugglers from Dauphine Participated in the underground Virginian tobacco trade Resented tax collectors and made a personal vow to seek revenge upon them Executed on the wheel in 1755 for evasion of tax collectors Actions and resentments towards taxes sparked the most common form of revolt in late 18th century rural france Peasants not view these revolts as illegal, but rather morally justified- they are allowed to defend their rights

Compagnonnages

Organized to provide journeyman wit rights and protection Viewed as a threat in the eyes of the masters Organized strikes Forbade members from working for masters who did not provide certain privileges Attacked the immediate causes of oppression: food, money, housing Each member was given a special name Flourished among the journeymen on their Tour de France Lived in homes known as meres Professional union

Communal Rights:

Peasants do not want to own private properties because they did not want to relinquish these rights Established communal grazing--wood, and pastures Make good use of the land, benefited the people Right to glean-- pick out the fields where pieces weren't swept out Allowed the peasants to pick out pieces of the harvest to feed family Established a common schedule for agricultural work One must plant, grow, and harvest their lands at the same lands at the same time as everyone else in the community Farmers worked together to help each other

Bourgeoisie:

People who enjoyed the privileges of towns civil rights and land Different towns had their own set of laws These were not unified laws throughout the country, but militate against uniformation of the country Step above peasantry, but still in the lowest rank of society Wanted nobility and a hierarchy based on merit, wealth, and hard work, NOT birth (which is how the nobility gained their status) Frustrated by the aristocracy's tendency to exclude them Believed that they were working for the good of humanity, not for their own interest Believed in the progress of mankind and social mobility

Alexis de Tocqueville:

Political figure from Normandy Notable gentlemen, married an Englishwoman (which explains why he references England a lot in his book) Searched through archives in order to determine how the king worked Wrote the revision of the French Revolution before the social approach was established Wrote Democracy in America after visiting the US in the 1830s INterpretation of American democracy and his thoughts on how it succeeds in America Favorable towards democracy and the participation of all men in government Lived through the Revolution AND Napoleon III seizing power Views democracy as a facade and a groundwork for dictatorships His views shifted because of the different political climates through which he lived Wrote The Old Regime and the French Revolution to try to understand the Revolution and why it occurred the way in which it did Believed that the Revolution could have only happened in France because of the cultural shift in the mentality of the French There was an increasing desire for equality which led to the abolition of feudalism Philosophes also contributed to the changing mentalities Administrative centralization demonstrated continuity of the Old Regime into the Revolutionary France Argued that the French were not really doing something that new Stressed the weight of the past and sees the Revolution as having less of an impact than historians typically indicate Felt that the monarchy was the reason behind the exclusion of people in French politics Viewed philosophes as the leading politicians, yet they never took any initiative to make reforms Claimed that revolution broke out into old values against universalistic values Argued that Louis XVI had the most successful reign because of the growth of the economy and discontent As things started getting better, people became more unhappy because they wanted it to happen faster Claimed that peasants were doing better than ever at the start of the Revolution The Revolution resulted in a highly centralized power which was similar to that of the Old Regime Equality and liberty were at war with each other People forgot about their liberty and turned themselves over to Napoleon Stated that the institutional changes were taking place, but the Revolution merely completed the job of the Old Regime Argued that revoking the aristocracy led to a centralized power The French did not participate in government because they were so focused on their privileges Philosophes could come in and take roles of nobility, but they had no experience Fails to address the lower class and class conflicts, therefore glorifying nobility As the nobility lost power, the bureaucrats of the Third Estate gained power Exaggerated in order to find support for his thesis Possesses negative views on centralization Increasing centralization removed the buffers between the people and the government Classical, liberal horror of centralized government Viewed the Revolution as a culmination of the discontent of the people Interested in the violence and ideology of the Revolution

Venal Offices

Positions in towns and parlement are sold to [people who buy the office and take on a name of nobility Owners not exempt from paying their bills Purchase office, become office, passed down through the 1604 tax "The Paulette" Paulette (1604) created a system in which a yearly tax allowed the office to be hereditary Made money when he sold venal offices and then more when he collected the annual tax Many venal offices, king receives a lot of money and the people have many doing the same job King appoints officers above the venal officers who are in control (intendants to the venal officers) Intendants were assigned to the different provinces in order to carry out the king's duties throughout the entire land King had control over the government—keeps creating layers of the offices, nominated to undertake other officers under them Challenge to absolutism

Jean-Jacques Rousseau:

Provided inspiration for the Revolution Raised in Geneva, Switzerland (keep house on the border) Supports a social contract and equality for all Blamed for the Reign of Terror More emotional than rational Refused to accept progress and the notion that the world was getting better Believed society corrupted people from natural and more moral states Inspired a cult of breastfeeding Argued women had duty to breastfeed children themselves, should not hire wetnurses Argued that men and women were good, but society had corrupted mankind Well-known for autobiography, Confessions Raised calvinist, so he harbored a lot of guilt Did not fit in with other Parisian writers His book Emile was about his most popular work The General Will was common good of the community Argued that Frenchmen needed to act out of the common good for mankind The will of the people as a whole Offered a virtuous self-image Argued that virtue was the main moral of the Frenhc Revolution Believed that democracy conveyed virtue Hung out among the common folk

Montesquieu:

Provincial philosophe ho did most of his work in the countryside Liked the idea of checks and balances Believed that that robe nobility could keep the tyranny in check Wrote Persian Letter as a young boy Centered around tow Persian nobleman who journey through France L'Espirit des Lois argued that no one branch could control the rest of the gov't Judicial review was important to halt the tyranny Believed less in the virtue of ppl and more in checks and balances More political and conservative Wanted to reform society, not overturn it

Agents

Ran/ kept an eye on the home and villages of seigneurs who were out of town or living elsewhere Sole goal was to increase the land income Landlords claimed to make improvements to raise the rent and increase income Any capital improvements of farmers went straight into the pockets of the landlords This pushed peasants to not go above and beyond in their farming A lot of income was drawn out of agriculture and put into the cities

Jansenism:

Religious sect of catholicism causing problems within France Parlement not support the king, instead sympathetic towards the Jansenists Many members of parlement were Jansenists Mixed political and religious matters Some worried they posed a threat to absolutism and the law Louis XIV order the paper bill Unigenitus (1713) condemned Jansenists Many members of parlement saw Unigentus as infringement of the FAllican (Protestant) church o legality of the state Unigenitus was decreed the Law of the Land in 1730 This made it illegal for Jansenists to accept communion, which condemned them to hell

Champart

Required peasants to give the landlord a percentage of their crop yield and the money they make from their harvest Inflation made the value of the crops less valuable to being with, so when they had to hand more over to their landlords, it left the peasants with little

Bonalities

Required peasants to use all the belongings of the landlord (mill, etc) Peasants then needed to pay equipment fees

"Linguistic Model of Revolution:"

Revolution is created through discourse Created through ideas, language chosen, and took place independently of the class issues which were continuing Many historians agree with this model Baker debated the language ideas and concepts to shape the representation of the constitution and National Assembly Argument over the language of the constitution and the discussion of keeping the old one or drafting a new one Debating the meaning and nature of the Constitution

Anticlericalism:

Revolutionaries believed that the church played a leading role in the perceived systems of oppression which led to the Revolution People began to take their anger out on the members of the clergy, killing many of them Revolutionary governments made priests state employees in an attempt to control them

Physiocrats

Rid the "Vampire system" Not approve of the direct taxation of peasants Peasants tended to be conservative b/c they liked the king; however, they also supported the REvolution b/c they really hated their seigneurs Peasants = both conservative and revolutionary force Keep conservative views while shaking themselves free of taxation and near poverty

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (August 1789):

Rights opened up to the middle classes Later became the preamble to the French Constitution Similar to the American Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights Title leaves "citizens open to interpretation Slavery is abolished in French-possessed Caribbean islands #6 claims that the law is the expression of the general will Possesses the best interest of the people States that no single person can rule and that authority is determined by the nation This questioned the authority of the king's role Property was upheld by the Declaration (#17) Provides religious freedom

Public Sphere:

Salons, journals, any place where public discussion takes place w/o the power of court Allowed ppl to criticize gov't w/o penalization Develops emergence of idea of public opinion w/o censorship Previously only the king could express opinion Men criticized Old Regime's feminism Argued women had too much power in salons Argued that mistresses possessed too much power over kings "Public sphere" only applicable to those who could read Beliefs emerge that the public opinion is consistent throughout Argued that everyone felt the same way, which was NOT true

Voltaire:

Served as a symbol of enlightened thought Pinnacle of philosophes; they wanted this to be the symbol essayist , historian, and philosophe Sent into exile many times b/c satirical works judging the monarchy Created a group of ppl who turned against the monarchy Involved in many lawsuits Calas affair Voltaire's pamphlets get the Calas family exonerated after the father was convicted of a crime Chevalier de la Barre is executed so Voltaire sheds light on his death and gets ppl fired up a/b torture and executions Gets ppl on board w/ reforming the gov't systems Social, involved w/ the court Diest, but strongly ant-christian and anti-clerical Viewed institutions as places of evil Wrote "Ecrasez l'infame" which advocates the destruction of CAtholic churches Not a fan of aristocracy and wished for a king who could control the rest of the gov't Enlightened despotism (not much confidence in common man, best to have educated king) ; deist, not atheist, against catholicism

Anne- Roberts-Jacques Turgot:

Served as an intendant of Limonge and wanted to bring ore free market policy to France Influenced by the enlightenment; economically liberal, influenced by free trade In 1774, names comptroller general of finances in France Wanted to get rid of the system and the barriers of trade Wished to transform France to an eager, forward-looking country Encouraged people to become involved in new industries Coal, china, etc. Turgot faced resistance from both the nobility and the lower class people because it would harm the nation's production Attempted to abolish guilds (and did in 1776) and replace the corvee with a tax that was placed on ALL French people In trying to raise taxes, Turogt lost great respect He could only institute his desired reforms if head the support of Parlement Eventually fired in 1776 Guilds restored

Social Interpretation of the French Revolution:

Shift from feudalism to capitalism; birthed the bourgeois revolution Marxist view Relies on dialectical materialism Moving through history by a means of classes/economic systems Each system has a thesis, which gives rise to an antithesis (conflict), which gives rise to a synthesis (new thesis) Class conflict comes to an end with communism because there are no conflicts Workers try to take over the bourgeoisie but then Napoleon rolled in Class frustration was aggravated by agricultural failure and a weakened economy Class frustration fuels the Revolution Peasants initially ally with the bourgeoisie against the nobility, but when they take over, the bourgeoisie do not repay the peasants Historians reject the Marxist interpretation Georges Lefebvre wrote an analysis focusing on class/class conflict of the Revolution Does not come under attack until the 1970s Revisionists take on Lefebvre's model Argued that 4 revolutions took place: Aristocratic Revolution Bourgeois Revolution Popular Revolution Peasant Revolution

Louis XVI (16th)

Takes the throne in 1774 Managed an irrational financial system o Refused to establish a National Bank that would rationalize funding o Implemented insane tax collection systems This took away any incentives to make agricultural improvements o Got rid of all the magistrates of the Parlement brought in by Louis XV to bring in his own reformers who he believed would be politically liberal Continued to go through financial ministers between 1774-1789 Made major changes to the government every 2-3 years The changes did not help either the political system of the government Spent the first few years of his reign attempting to reform the government and abolish serfdom, the Taille, and the corvee Wished to increase tolerance of Catholics and abolish the death penalty for deserters Members of the nobly responded with hostility and frustration Indecisiveness led to him hated by members of society and even harmed the image of a monarchy as a whole Involved the French in the American Revolutionary War They sought revenge on the British Left the French in great debt because they paid to help the Americans with borrowed money

Oath of the Tennis Court (1789):

The Third Estate had renamed themselves the National Assembly in the six week waiting period (six week war of nerves) between the calling of the General Estate and the meeting on May 4 The king did not want to hold meetings for the Third Estate because they were getting out of hand On June 20, the Third Estate was asked to go home after coming to Versailles to meet Instead of going home, they went into an old tennis court and made the Tennis Court Oath Promised to continue to meet until they gained liberty The Bourgeoisie gained unification of the National Assembly Won on a head count vote, unification, meeting at Versailles King established soldiers in Paris and rumors spread that the king was going to dissolve the Estate General

Lettre de Cachet:

The king-administered letter which allowed families to have family members locked up for bad behavior This was a secret license from the king and was therefore viewed as despotic Hénin wanted to have Ménétra locked up in Journal of my Life Extended family play a closer role in his younger age, but he mainly focused on the people directly around him

Justice

The right to have court The fees system come from the medieval ages when the lord would provide protection Seigneurs not provide protection, which ceased peasants to resent this system

The Global Financial Origins of 1789

The size of the deficit in the country caused an inability to pay the interest on the debt. This resembled the failures of efforts to rationalize and equalize taxation and the limitation of financial administration. This also showed the reluctance of the king's government to become accountable to the public. Since the country had so many loans many companies wouldn't give them anymore unless they had a high interest rate.

National Assembly:

Third Estate renamed themselves the National Assembly before the meeting of the Estate General Believed that they best represented the entire population and therefore should have a name which represented the nation Bourgeoisie gained unification of the National Assembly Meetings were open to the public People feared that factions would develop within the Assembly This would defy unified mentality

Loménie de Brienne, Archbishop of Toulouse:

Took over after Calonne resigned and immediately ordered economy throughout the government Calonne's greatest opponent in the Assembly of Notables Tried to find ways to pay off public funds Made a budget possible Everyone who benefitted from the old system was opposed Instituted a paper money to pay off debts Public outcry caused Brienne to resign

Damiens Affair (1754):

Tried to assassinate Louis XV, led to discussion on mauvials discours (seditious lang.0 Questioned the ppl's censorship; whether or not ppl be tortured/killed for speaking against the king

Libelles:

Writers of Grub Street published Libelles to demonstrate the deviancy of the upper class These publications associate the aristocratic failure to represent itself in the army and other required forces Exposed the monarchy and members of the nobility Writers turned to pornography (which always sells) in order to make a living Marie Antoinette was a common target of these pornographic publications Spread hatred of the system which Grub Street writers claimed to be sexually and morally corrupt This gave them someone to blame rather than discussing issues within lower classes Nobody was willing to accept the reforms in the 1780s and 1790s because Grub Street merely blamed all of the issues on the elite They refused to believe that the elite was actually trying to help them Also attacked the church Accused the church of hypocrisy for lacking sympathy for the poor people People were still religious, but religiosity existed side-by-side with hostility Especially hostility with the church and upper clergy Hostility towards the church's tendency to aide the nobility more than any other group All of these ideas questioned the social and political system which suggested that people were looking for other options The publications were grouped together with the writings of the Enlightenment Mesmerism rejected the scientific qualities of the elite

L'Encyclopedie (1751):

Written by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert Effort to bring together all of the ideas and beliefs of the Enlightenment Prescribe and describe new information by the Enlightenment More than simple factual entries; footnoted => often editors hide ideas here Hoped to inform and advance knowledge Contained hidden attacks on religion and authority Served as a symbol of enlightened thought and skepticism Contributions from Rousseau, Montesquiei\u, and other philosophes Attracted the attention of royal censorship and empathizers of the king Relied upon subscription Expensive to run, thy could only print mor if people prescribed to the publication Enlightenment ideas had spread to the provinces by the time Voltaire came to France in 1788 By the 1780s, ideas are mainstream; by 790s -domesticated

Jacques Necker:

Wrote the Compte Rendu au Roi (1781; Counts of the King) which laid out all of the finances Skilled outsider, protestant (embodied virtues of capital) Showed that the debt that the French incurred from war was viewed by the people as the king's debt because the king did not have representatives People believed that they should not have to pay debts if they are not represented in Parlement The king turned to Necker for a financial minister Necker wanted to implement pragmation He was seen as a skilled outsider who embodied the regalities of Protestant bankers Used foreign loans to pay off debts rather than raising taxes Dealt with the debts from the American Revolution Hoped to rationalize the administration (which is also what Turgot, who had this position before him, wanted to do) Made some important reforms Abolished over 500 venal offices, which angered a lot of people Went after tax farmers and converts a number of tax farms to tax collectors This meant that collectors could only keep a percentage of taxes, which decreased their profit but benefitted the government Established the first public budget which made it seem that he had the finances under control Did not include the loans which they had withdrawn on the public budget Necker's willingness to submit public budget got the king on his opposing side, leading him to refuse to give him a seat on his council Necker resigned Later, when Parlement was at war with the monarchy, Necker was asked to come back amidst an economic crisis Provincial protests argued against the banishment of local legislative bodies (Provincial Estates) Protests against the central government were often led by noblemen who saw this as a way to seize the initiative from the central government People throughout France were calling for a meeting of the Estates General

Kwass Essay

discuss the new system of production emerged in Britain w/o nation's expansion into New World, Africa, and Asia show the effects of economic globalization penetrated the metropolitan pre-revolutionary tensions, ideas, and debates Globalizing 18th century illuminates how several vectors of development --overseas trade, state formation, popular politics, and enlightenment culture---intersected to produce some of the principal preconditions of the Revolution

Tax Farming

enal offices had the power to place taxes on the crop yield of the peasant framers Positions held by members of the bourgeoisie Angered the peasants because they were being taxes by the people who brought their way into power

"Seigneurial Reaction:"

was the best way for landlords to determine how to raise more taxes from pleasants through looking through the archives for history to see how they collected money