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Origins of the Revolution

Aristocratic revolt, 1787–89.

• Events of 1789
• The new regime
• Counterrevolution, regicide, and the Reign of Terror
• The Directory and revolutionary expansion

What was the French Revolution?

Why did the french revolution happen, why did the french revolution lead to war with other nations.

• Who was Maximilien Robespierre?
• How did Maximilien Robespierre come to power?

French Revolution

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• Table Of Contents

The French Revolution was a period of major social upheaval that began in 1787 and ended in 1799. It sought to completely change the relationship between the rulers and those they governed and to redefine the nature of political power. It proceeded in a back-and-forth process between revolutionary and reactionary forces.

There were many reasons. The bourgeoisie —merchants, manufacturers, professionals—had gained financial power but were excluded from political power. Those who were socially beneath them had very few rights, and most were also increasingly impoverished. The monarchy was no longer viewed as divinely ordained. When the king sought to increase the tax burden on the poor and expand it to classes that had previously been exempt, revolution became all but inevitable.

King Louis XVI of France yielded to the idea of a new constitution and to the sovereignty of the people but at the same time sent emissaries to the rulers of neighbouring countries seeking their help in restoring his power. Many revolutionaries, especially the Girondins , believed that the revolution needed to spread throughout Europe to succeed. An Austro-Prussian army invaded France, and French revolutionary forces pushed outward.

How did the French Revolution succeed?

In some respects, the French Revolution did not succeed. But the ideas of representational democracy and basic property rights took hold, and it sowed the seeds of the later revolutions of 1830 and 1848 . 

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French Revolution , revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789—hence the conventional term “Revolution of 1789,” denoting the end of the ancien régime in France and serving also to distinguish that event from the later French revolutions of 1830 and 1848 .

The French Revolution had general causes common to all the revolutions of the West at the end of the 18th century and particular causes that explain why it was by far the most violent and the most universally significant of these revolutions. The first of the general causes was the social structure of the West. The feudal regime had been weakened step-by-step and had already disappeared in parts of Europe . The increasingly numerous and prosperous elite of wealthy commoners—merchants, manufacturers, and professionals, often called the bourgeoisie —aspired to political power in those countries where it did not already possess it. The peasants , many of whom owned land, had attained an improved standard of living and education and wanted to get rid of the last vestiges of feudalism so as to acquire the full rights of landowners and to be free to increase their holdings. Furthermore, from about 1730, higher standards of living had reduced the mortality rate among adults considerably. This, together with other factors, had led to an increase in the population of Europe unprecedented for several centuries: it doubled between 1715 and 1800. For France, which with 26 million inhabitants in 1789 was the most populated country of Europe, the problem was most acute .

A larger population created a greater demand for food and consumer goods. The discovery of new gold mines in Brazil had led to a general rise in prices throughout the West from about 1730, indicating a prosperous economic situation. From about 1770, this trend slackened, and economic crises, provoking alarm and even revolt, became frequent. Arguments for social reform began to be advanced. The philosophes —intellectuals whose writings inspired these arguments—were certainly influenced by 17th-century theorists such as René Descartes , Benedict de Spinoza and John Locke , but they came to very different conclusions about political, social, and economic matters. A revolution seemed necessary to apply the ideas of Montesquieu , Voltaire , or Jean-Jacques Rousseau . This Enlightenment was spread among the educated classes by the many “societies of thought” that were founded at that time: masonic lodges, agricultural societies, and reading rooms.

It is uncertain, however, whether revolution would have come without the added presence of a political crisis. Faced with the heavy expenditure that the wars of the 18th century entailed, the rulers of Europe sought to raise money by taxing the nobles and clergy, who in most countries had hitherto been exempt, To justify this, the rulers likewise invoked the arguments of advanced thinkers by adopting the role of “ enlightened despots .” This provoked reaction throughout Europe from the privileged bodies, diets. and estates. In North America this backlash caused the American Revolution , which began with the refusal to pay a tax imposed by the king of Great Britain. Monarchs tried to stop this reaction of the aristocracy , and both rulers and the privileged classes sought allies among the nonprivileged bourgeois and the peasants.

Although scholarly debate continues about the exact causes of the Revolution, the following reasons are commonly adduced: (1) the bourgeoisie resented its exclusion from political power and positions of honour; (2) the peasants were acutely aware of their situation and were less and less willing to support the anachronistic and burdensome feudal system; (3) the philosophes had been read more widely in France than anywhere else; (4) French participation in the American Revolution had driven the government to the brink of bankruptcy ; (5) France was the most populous country in Europe, and crop failures in much of the country in 1788, coming on top of a long period of economic difficulties, compounded existing restlessness; and (6) the French monarchy , no longer seen as divinely ordained , was unable to adapt to the political and societal pressures that were being exerted on it.

The Revolution took shape in France when the controller general of finances, Charles-Alexandre de Calonne , arranged the summoning of an assembly of “notables” (prelates, great noblemen, and a few representatives of the bourgeoisie) in February 1787 to propose reforms designed to eliminate the budget deficit by increasing the taxation of the privileged classes. The assembly refused to take responsibility for the reforms and suggested the calling of the Estates-General , which represented the clergy , the aristocracy , and the Third Estate (the commoners) and which had not met since 1614. The efforts made by Calonne’s successors to enforce fiscal reforms in spite of resistance by the privileged classes led to the so-called revolt of the “aristocratic bodies,” notably that of the parlements (the most important courts of justice), whose powers were curtailed by the edict of May 1788.

During the spring and summer of 1788, there was unrest among the populace in Paris , Grenoble , Dijon , Toulouse , Pau , and Rennes . The king, Louis XVI , had to yield. He reappointed reform-minded Jacques Necker as the finance minister and promised to convene the Estates-General on May 5, 1789. He also, in practice, granted freedom of the press, and France was flooded with pamphlets addressing the reconstruction of the state. The elections to the Estates-General, held between January and April 1789, coincided with further disturbances, as the harvest of 1788 had been a bad one. There were practically no exclusions from the voting; and the electors drew up cahiers de doléances , which listed their grievances and hopes. They elected 600 deputies for the Third Estate, 300 for the nobility, and 300 for the clergy.

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Home > Social Studies Worksheets > The French Revolution

Since the dawn of the Middle Ages France was set under a class system where regardless of your efforts what you were born into is what you were. No one dared question this system until the eighteenth century when a group of French philosophers started questioning the concept of equality for citizens. People saw the Revolution that happened in the American Colonies and were inspired to take their own freedom as well.

The worksheets below examine the causes for the French Revolution, symbols, the reign of terror, and the storming of Bastille.

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Print the french revolution worksheets, click the buttons to print each worksheet and associated answer key., the french revolution reading passage.

The revolution lasted for 10 years. Prior to the revolution, there were three general social classes in France.

The French Revolution - Multiple Choice Questions

The French Revolution ended both monarchy and feudalism in France, and reduced the political power of the Catholic church.

What Caused It?

One of these issues was that France was in a state of financial crisis.

What Caused It? - Short Answer Questions

What was the social class made up of the common man, to which mot of the people in the country belonged?

The Tricolor Cockade was a red, white, and blue circle that people pinned to their outer garments to show their support for the revolution.

QUESTIONS: Symbols

Two French symbols still in use today are the French Flag and "La Marseillaise."

The Estates General and the National Assembly

The first issue discussed at this 1789 meeting was how voting would work.

QUESTIONS: The Estates General and the National Assembly

What was the first issue discussed when the Estates General convened in 1789?

The Reign of Terror

The Reign of Terror was the most violent period of the French Revolution.

QUESTIONS: The Reign of Terror

About 17,000 people were executed in France during the Reign of Terror, most by guillotine, a large machine designed to execute people quickly and efficiently by chopping off their heads.

The Bastille Reading Passage

The Bastille was primarily used by King Louis XVI as a prison.

QUESTIONS: The Bastille

Why was the storming of the Bastille significant?

The Women's March on Versailles

One morning, the people in a marketplace in Paris were so frustrated at not being able to get bread for their families at fair price that they began to march through the city.

QUESTIONS: The Women's March on Versailles

It took them six hours to reach the palace. There, they demanded to see the King, who met with several of the women and agreed to give them food from the palace storage.

The French Directory Reading Worksheet

The Directory was the government of France during the final stages of the French Revolution.

The French Directory - Short Answer Questions

Which part of The Directory handled the day-to-day functions of the government?

The Jacobins

The Jacobins were an influential club of radical revolutionaries during the revolution.

The Jacobins - Multiple Choice Questions

At this time, the country was being attacked by foreign enemies, and civil wars were also beginning to break out.

French Revolutionaries

The revolutionary Charlotte Corday sided with the more moderate members of the Jacobin club called the Girondists.

French Revolutionaries - Short Answer

George Danton, often credited with leading the overthrow of Louis XVI, was president of another club, the Cordeliers.

The Ultimate 10-Day Plan for Teaching the French Revolution: Causes, Stages, and Impact

Hello, fellow social studies teachers! I’m excited to share with you my 10-day plan for teaching the French Revolution. There are a few units in world history that are really hard to teach in a short period of time. The French Revolution is definitely one of those units. As you know, it can easily be a full semester course (maybe you took it in college). 

In New York, this unit is taught in the fall semester of 10th grade. In a perfect world 9th grade teachers would get to it as the last unit but that almost never happens. My pacing guide for sophomore year starts with a review of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment Era and that leads us into the French Revolution. 

Grab a copy of my global history pacing guide. It’s free!

In this plan, I’ll cover all the essential topics and include a review and assessment in two weeks’ time. This is meant to be a guide that – of course – you can change to fit your teaching style and students’ needs. 

Most teachers have a framework for their lessons. Here’s mine:

Do Now: 5-minute activity that reviews old content or introduces the new. (I like to offer 2 questions and student choose which to answer)

Mini-Lecture: This is when I get to talk. I use a few slides, and sometimes a short video, to explain the historical background of the day’s content

Activity: This is independent, pair/share or group work where students engage with the content and work on their skills (reading, writing, document analysis, maps, etc)

Conclusion: This is the culminating question or class discussion that sums up the lesson and checks for understanding.

Let’s get started!

Day 1: Causes of the Revolution (Scaffolded Group Work)

On the first day, I  use scaffolded group work to help students understand the various factors that led to the French Revolution. Students will work in groups of 4, each analyzing a different document about a cause of the revolution. 

The students take turns sharing their documents and discuss how the event or topic could lead to a revolution. They use the discussion to fill out their graphic organizer. 

The lesson concludes with students using what they learned to write a paragraph describing the historical background of the revolution.

Day 2: Stages of the Revolution (Timeline) 

On the second day, we will create a timeline of the key events of the French Revolution . This will help students understand the chronology of the revolution. 

This lesson is more teacher-driven than most. Slides and a lecture describe the various stages of the revolution. Many students really need the teacher to explain events concisely and simply (even though some admin I’ve worked with does not agree).

I can still remember learning about the French Revolution and being confused:

“The French had a revolution to end absolute rule. But then Napoleon comes along and crowns himself king. Does that mean the revolution failed? When exactly did it start? And when did it end?”

 Sometimes a teacher’s gotta teach.

After students fill in their timeline the questions check for understanding.

Day 3: Revolution Begins (Political Cartoon Analysis) 

On the third day, we will analyze political cartoons to understand the mood of the people and their grievances. We begin by discussing the first couple of cartoons together. This is the age-old paradigm: I do, we do, you do.

After I model the document analysis students work in pairs to complete 2 on their own.

This is the only day I assign homework most of the time. I give them a reading about the Tennis COurt Oath and Storming the Bastille with questions as a reinforcement of the content.

Day 4: Declaration of the Rights of Man & Reign of Terror (Comparison) 

By now kids have an understanding of the background – what caused the revolution – an overview of the stages and the actual start of the revolution. 

On the fourth day, we will compare and contrast the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Reign of Terror. This will help students understand the significance of these two important events in the revolution. 

Students will work in pairs to assess which liberties delineated in the Declaration of the Rights of Man are violated during the Reign of Terror .

Day 5: Napoleon (Map Work, Primary Source) 

On the fifth day, we focus on Napoleon. After my introduction, students read a passage about his exploits and label a map to reflect Napoleon’s allies and conquests. 

Most students struggle with any kind of map work, so I try to incorporate maps whenever possible.

After that, my kiddos use a chart of laws before and after the Napoleonic code to assess various groups that were affected and how .

This lesson is a quick overview of Napoleon. You could easily break it into several days. But, if I’ve learned one thing in over 20 years of teaching history it’s that you have to ruthlessly cut lots of content. Napoleon is one area I do that; sorry Bonaparte!

Day 6: Congress of Vienna (Group Work) 

The Do Now for Day 6 is a short letter from Napoleon to Josephine, his wife. I think this makes him more real, showing his softer side. He was quite the romantic!

Today we will focus on the Congress of Vienna. Students use group work to understand the goals and outcomes of the Congress. 

Each student reads a passage about the goals of one of the big players: Great Britain, Prussia, Russia and Austria. After sharing with the group they discuss and record who achieved their goals and who didn’t.

Day 7: Long-term Impact on the Church and Secularism in France (Group Work Debate) 

On the seventh day, we bring history into the present day. Students will watch a short video and read about the various bans on religious symbols and clothing in 21st-century France. 

Groups will discuss and debate the pros and cons of such a secular society. They are asked to create their own policy that ensures both freedom and societal cohesiveness.

Day 8: Review (Close Read) 

We did it: covered the key points of the French Revolution, woohoo! Now it’s time for a review.

I really like to gamify reviews most of the time. You can check out a whole list of them here . 

For the French Revolution, however, I think it’s important to revisit the key concepts and events that were covered in the first seven days. l use close-reading activities to help students understand the text and the events of the revolution. 

If you’re not familiar with the term “close read” it simply refers to assigning activities that encourage students to read carefully (rather than skimming) and to reread a passage.

You can download the reading passage here .

Students will work in pairs to read the overview and complete the activities on their handouts.

Day 9 and 10: Exam (DBQ documents and essay) 

On the last two days of the 10-day plan, we will have an exam that includes a Document-Based questions (DBQ) and an essay. 

The DBQ includes six primary and secondary sources related to the French Revolution. Each document has one short response question which scaffolds for them the causes of the revolution.

Students use the documents to write a 5-paragraph essay. I allow 2 days for this assessment.

I’ve tried giving students 1 day in class and asking them to finish as homework. You may be able to save a day by doing this. For my student population, it just doesn’t work. The kids who most need essay-writing practice are the ones who don’t do it. And it kills their grade point average.

So I take up 2 class days for this exam. It also allows me to walk around and guide and encourage struggling students (and wake up any nappers!).

It’s a Wrap for the French Revolution; onto Latin American Revolutions!

This 10-day plan for teaching the French Revolution covers all the essential topics and uses a variety of teaching modalities to help students understand the context and significance of the revolution. 

By the end of the 10 days, students should have a solid understanding of the causes, stages, and impact of the French Revolution.

But we’re not finished with revolutions, we’ve got to cover political (Latin American) and nonpolitical (industrial) revolutions next! 

“Vive la Révolution!”

Teach and Thrive

A Bronx, NY veteran high school social studies teacher who has learned most of what she has learned through trial and error and error and error.... and wants to save others that pain.

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French Revolution

By: History.com Editors

Updated: October 12, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

The French Revolution was a watershed event in world history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens radically altered their political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as the monarchy and the feudal system. The upheaval was caused by disgust with the French aristocracy and the economic policies of King Louis XVI, who met his death by guillotine, as did his wife Marie Antoinette. Though it degenerated into a bloodbath during the Reign of Terror, the French Revolution helped to shape modern democracies by showing the power inherent in the will of the people.

Causes of the French Revolution

As the 18th century drew to a close, France’s costly involvement in the American Revolution , combined with extravagant spending by King Louis XVI , had left France on the brink of bankruptcy.

Not only were the royal coffers depleted, but several years of poor harvests, drought, cattle disease and skyrocketing bread prices had kindled unrest among peasants and the urban poor. Many expressed their desperation and resentment toward a regime that imposed heavy taxes—yet failed to provide any relief—by rioting, looting and striking.

In the fall of 1786, Louis XVI’s controller general, Charles Alexandre de Calonne, proposed a financial reform package that included a universal land tax from which the aristocratic classes would no longer be exempt.

Estates General

To garner support for these measures and forestall a growing aristocratic revolt, the king summoned the Estates General ( les états généraux ) – an assembly representing France’s clergy, nobility and middle class – for the first time since 1614.

The meeting was scheduled for May 5, 1789; in the meantime, delegates of the three estates from each locality would compile lists of grievances ( cahiers de doléances ) to present to the king.

Rise of the Third Estate

France’s population, of course, had changed considerably since 1614. The non-aristocratic, middle-class members of the Third Estate now represented 98 percent of the people but could still be outvoted by the other two bodies.

In the lead-up to the May 5 meeting, the Third Estate began to mobilize support for equal representation and the abolishment of the noble veto—in other words, they wanted voting by head and not by status.

While all of the orders shared a common desire for fiscal and judicial reform as well as a more representative form of government, the nobles in particular were loath to give up the privileges they had long enjoyed under the traditional system.

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The Notre Dame Cathedral Was Nearly Destroyed By French Revolutionary Mobs

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Tennis Court Oath

By the time the Estates General convened at Versailles , the highly public debate over its voting process had erupted into open hostility between the three orders, eclipsing the original purpose of the meeting and the authority of the man who had convened it — the king himself.

On June 17, with talks over procedure stalled, the Third Estate met alone and formally adopted the title of National Assembly; three days later, they met in a nearby indoor tennis court and took the so-called Tennis Court Oath (serment du jeu de paume), vowing not to disperse until constitutional reform had been achieved.

Within a week, most of the clerical deputies and 47 liberal nobles had joined them, and on June 27 Louis XVI grudgingly absorbed all three orders into the new National Assembly.

The Bastille 

On June 12, as the National Assembly (known as the National Constituent Assembly during its work on a constitution) continued to meet at Versailles, fear and violence consumed the capital.

Though enthusiastic about the recent breakdown of royal power, Parisians grew panicked as rumors of an impending military coup began to circulate. A popular insurgency culminated on July 14 when rioters stormed the Bastille fortress in an attempt to secure gunpowder and weapons; many consider this event, now commemorated in France as a national holiday, as the start of the French Revolution.

The wave of revolutionary fervor and widespread hysteria quickly swept the entire country. Revolting against years of exploitation, peasants looted and burned the homes of tax collectors, landlords and the aristocratic elite.

Known as the Great Fear ( la Grande peur ), the agrarian insurrection hastened the growing exodus of nobles from France and inspired the National Constituent Assembly to abolish feudalism on August 4, 1789, signing what historian Georges Lefebvre later called the “death certificate of the old order.”

How Bread Shortages Helped Ignite the French Revolution

When Parisians stormed the Bastille in 1789 they weren't only looking for arms, they were on the hunt for more grain—to make bread.

How a Scandal Over a Diamond Necklace Cost Marie Antoinette Her Head

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How Versailles’ Over‑the‑Top Opulence Drove the French to Revolt

The palace with more than 2,000 rooms featured elaborate gardens, fountains, a private zoo, roman‑style baths and even 18th‑century elevators.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

IIn late August, the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen ( Déclaration des droits de l ’homme et du citoyen ), a statement of democratic principles grounded in the philosophical and political ideas of Enlightenment thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau .

The document proclaimed the Assembly’s commitment to replace the ancien régime with a system based on equal opportunity, freedom of speech, popular sovereignty and representative government.

Drafting a formal constitution proved much more of a challenge for the National Constituent Assembly, which had the added burden of functioning as a legislature during harsh economic times.

For months, its members wrestled with fundamental questions about the shape and expanse of France’s new political landscape. For instance, who would be responsible for electing delegates? Would the clergy owe allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church or the French government? Perhaps most importantly, how much authority would the king, his public image further weakened after a failed attempt to flee the country in June 1791, retain?

Adopted on September 3, 1791, France’s first written constitution echoed the more moderate voices in the Assembly, establishing a constitutional monarchy in which the king enjoyed royal veto power and the ability to appoint ministers. This compromise did not sit well with influential radicals like Maximilien de Robespierre , Camille Desmoulins and Georges Danton, who began drumming up popular support for a more republican form of government and for the trial of Louis XVI.

French Revolution Turns Radical

In April 1792, the newly elected Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria and Prussia, where it believed that French émigrés were building counterrevolutionary alliances; it also hoped to spread its revolutionary ideals across Europe through warfare.

On the domestic front, meanwhile, the political crisis took a radical turn when a group of insurgents led by the extremist Jacobins attacked the royal residence in Paris and arrested the king on August 10, 1792.

The following month, amid a wave of violence in which Parisian insurrectionists massacred hundreds of accused counterrevolutionaries, the Legislative Assembly was replaced by the National Convention, which proclaimed the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the French republic.

On January 21, 1793, it sent King Louis XVI, condemned to death for high treason and crimes against the state, to the guillotine ; his wife Marie-Antoinette suffered the same fate nine months later.

Reign of Terror

Following the king’s execution, war with various European powers and intense divisions within the National Convention brought the French Revolution to its most violent and turbulent phase.

In June 1793, the Jacobins seized control of the National Convention from the more moderate Girondins and instituted a series of radical measures, including the establishment of a new calendar and the eradication of Christianity .

They also unleashed the bloody Reign of Terror (la Terreur), a 10-month period in which suspected enemies of the revolution were guillotined by the thousands. Many of the killings were carried out under orders from Robespierre, who dominated the draconian Committee of Public Safety until his own execution on July 28, 1794.

Did you know? Over 17,000 people were officially tried and executed during the Reign of Terror, and an unknown number of others died in prison or without trial.

Thermidorian Reaction

The death of Robespierre marked the beginning of the Thermidorian Reaction, a moderate phase in which the French people revolted against the Reign of Terror’s excesses.

On August 22, 1795, the National Convention, composed largely of Girondins who had survived the Reign of Terror, approved a new constitution that created France’s first bicameral legislature.

Executive power would lie in the hands of a five-member Directory ( Directoire ) appointed by parliament. Royalists and Jacobins protested the new regime but were swiftly silenced by the army, now led by a young and successful general named Napoleon Bonaparte .

French Revolution Ends: Napoleon’s Rise

The Directory’s four years in power were riddled with financial crises, popular discontent, inefficiency and, above all, political corruption. By the late 1790s, the directors relied almost entirely on the military to maintain their authority and had ceded much of their power to the generals in the field.

On November 9, 1799, as frustration with their leadership reached a fever pitch, Napoleon Bonaparte staged a coup d’état, abolishing the Directory and appointing himself France’s “ first consul .” The event marked the end of the French Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic era, during which France would come to dominate much of continental Europe.

Photo Gallery 

French Revolution. The National Archives (U.K.) The United States and the French Revolution, 1789–1799. Office of the Historian. U.S. Department of State . Versailles, from the French Revolution to the Interwar Period. Chateau de Versailles . French Revolution. Monticello.org . Individuals, institutions, and innovation in the debates of the French Revolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 

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• The French Revolution

Introduction

How a revolution that began with the lofty purposes of the Declaration of Rights and Man and Citizen, a statement of universal individual rights, so rapidly devolved into a Reign of Terror is one of the most vexing questions about the French Revolution. Teachers who have but two or three days (a best-case scenario) to lecture on the French Revolution are often forced to rely on the largely discredited theory that the French Revolution was a creation of the French bourgeoisie and the Terror was a reaction to a proto-socialist worker's movement.

This lesson plan focuses on two competing interpretations of the Terror: one political and the other ideological. The political interpretation claims that the first-generation revolutionaries enshrined individual liberties only to have their aspirations crushed by an escalating set of political crises—the foreign war, the outbreak of civil war in western France, and the political maneuvering of a monarch who became increasingly hostile to the French Revolution. The Terror was, therefore, a political reaction to political and diplomatic circumstances by a revolutionary government under siege.

The ideological interpretation argues that the seeds of the Reign of Terror were already planted in 1789. Rather than creating the individual rights of the citizen, the revolutionaries of 1789, with no political experience on which to draw, drew upon the only political model available, the absolute monarchy. This claim holds that unity of the "nation" was far more important than the rights of the citizen. Onto this, the Revolution grafted the republican ideology of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose concept of a unanimous and infallible "general will" was a comfortable but abstract replacement for the absolute monarchy. However, the abstraction of the nation was a poor substitute for a flesh-and-blood king and thus generated hostility to the Revolution. The foreign and civil wars along with the Reign of Terror, therefore, were symptomatic of the failure to achieve national unity, not the cause of the excesses of the Terror government.

The focus on the debate between individual rights versus the unified nation and the related debate about the origins of the Reign of Terror presented here offers students the opportunity to analyze primary documents, both visual and printed. It also offers a good case study for the interrelationship between ideology and politics. Finally, by focusing on these issues specifically, this lesson should help prepare students for the study of the politics and ideologies of the nineteenth century, especially liberalism, conservatism, and socialism, all of which have connections to the political philosophy of the French Revolution.

To explain the collapse of absolutism in France and the consequences of the political vacuum created by its downfall for the course of the Revolution.

To be able to describe and contrast the two competing ideologies by which French revolutionaries reconstituted France as a nation, rather than a kingdom, and individuals as citizens instead of subjects.

To comprehend and analyze interpretations of the causes of the Reign of Terror as either the creation of specific political circumstances or as the logical consequence of the ideologies of the early Revolution.

To be able to interpret products of revolutionary political culture, such as written and visual political propaganda, as tools in understanding political ideology.

I. The Pre-Revolution Period

While it will be important to explain the various aspects of the pre-Revolution period, such as the financial crisis of the monarchy and the division of French society into distinct orders of clergy, nobility, and commoners, this lesson plan relies heavily on an understanding of Enlightenment philosophy.

The eighteenth-century philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment challenged both the social order and absolute monarchy by questioning the assumptions on which these institutions were based. Rather than accepting tradition as a basis for rule, reason dictated what was best for society and government. Thus, the philosophes of the Enlightenment began to speak of the social contract as a basis for governance and of individual rights.

John Locke, the English philosopher who was influential in France, argued that humans had "inalienable liberties" as individuals. In France, philosophes such as Voltaire promoted the ideology of individual liberty, but Voltaire was far from becoming a democrat. He believed in "enlightened absolutism" as the surest defender of individual liberty. Nevertheless, many of the philosophes of the later Enlightenment, the last two decades prior to the Revolution, such as the Marquis de Condorcet, would support both republicanism and the rights of the individual.

The focus on individual rights, however, was by no means the only voice of the Enlightenment concerning the social contract. The political philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau similarly dealt with the basis of a just form of government and the rights of citizens within that ideal state. However, unlike Locke, who believed that the rights of the individual could never be lost, Rousseau claimed that in the perfect form of government, citizens willingly alienated their rights in the name of the "general will"—that is, the unanimous consent of the citizenry who acted out of civic virtue rather than individual self-interest. The text of Rousseau's Social Contract can be found at the Enlightenment and Human Rights section of George Mason University's website Exploring the French Revolution .

II. The Revolution Begins

A. the meeting of the estates-general.

Prior to the meeting of the Estates-General, the issue of voting procedures became the dominant political theme, overshadowing specific grievances and reform proposals drawn up by each estate, known as Cahiers de doleances . Tradition mandated that each estate meet separately and vote as an estate, that is, one vote for the clergy, one for the nobility, and one for the commoners.

The Third Estate protested that because they represented the vast majority of the French population, voting should be by head, one vote per delegate. The crown turned the matter over to the Parlement of Paris, who decided that voting initially must be done in the traditional format, but did not forbid the possibility that the format could be amended by the Estates-General itself.

One argument, which certainly contemporaries believed, was that the Parlement's decision was part of an aristocratic reaction to prevent the Third Estate from having a legitimate voice. Abbé Sieyes's pamphlet "What Is the Third Estate?" is one of the more hostile responses to the Parlement's decision.

Once convened at Versailles, the Estates-General became bogged down in a debate over voting. The Third Estate hoped to debate the issue with the other two groups, but the crown provided no clear instruction on how to proceed, other than that the edict of the Paris court should be followed. The impasse led to the breakdown of the Estates-General and the Third Estate's declaration that they alone represented the French nation as the "National Assembly."

This was the beginning of the French Revolution. The defection of members of the First Estate, mostly parish clergy, and a handful of liberal members of the Second Estate to the National Assembly forced the crown to recognize the National Assembly as legitimate.

One approach to the opening of the Estates-General is to examine various images that represented the three orders of France. Some, such as the "The Joyous Accord" and Jacques-Louis David's "The Tennis Court Oath," emphasize the Estates-General and the creation of the National Assembly as a unifying experience. Others, such as "The Third Estate Awakens," stress the divisions between the orders. These images are available on the Exploring the French Revolution website. Search by title.

Activity: Reenacting the Estates-General

Divide the class into three “estates.” The numbers should be roughly divided so that half the class is divided into the First and Second Estates and the remaining half into the Third Estate—this is how the breakdown actually occurred in 1789.

Without the support of some members of the First or Second Estates, even "voting by head" was no guarantee of political victory for the Third Estate. Any proposals by the Third Estate must therefore appeal to some of the other two groups. Some students can be identified as impoverished priests or "enlightened" aristocrats. Have students "fix" the crown's financial crisis.

Students may very well ask how to proceed with their debate, much as did the Estates-General itself. Acting as the crown, the instructor should in fact give little indication of procedure. Hopefully, students will find the only way to agree as to procedure will be through uniting the three separate estates into one group.

Assignment: Document Analysis

Have students write an essay analyzing Sieyes's "What Is the Third Estate?" Is the primary ideological basis for Sieyes Voltaire's individual liberties or Rousseau's general will? Does this foreshadow what would actually transpire in 1789?

B. Popular Reaction and Creating a Constitutional Response

The "people" of France became a force in the Revolution through the taking of the Bastille in Paris on July 14, 1789, and the anti-aristocratic "Great Fear" of the peasantry during the entire summer. These are both important events in the course of the Revolution; however, for the purpose of this lesson plan, they form the backdrop against which the National Assembly was forced to create a new constitution for France.

A response to the Great Fear was the abolition of feudalism on August 5, 1789. This may be viewed as an immediate political response to the Great Fear or as part of the logic of creating a nation that was founded on the general will and therefore unified. The same analysis can be made with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of August 26, 1789. This text and the decree abolishing feudalism are also available on the Exploring the French Revolution website.

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy of 1791 was more complicated. Rather than drawing on the American model, which prohibited the establishment of a state church, the Assembly made the Catholic Church an organ of the State, and members of the clergy paid civil servants.

Papal condemnation of the Civil Constitution polarized French society into groups of "good Catholics" versus "good Revolutionaries." However, it is possible to argue that the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was necessary not only because the new government needed to gain control over Church income but also because ideologically, like feudalism, a "separate" corps of clergy prevented true national unity. Therefore, even priests and monks needed to become incorporated into the general will. See, for example, the image "Monks Learning to Exercise" on the Exploring the French Revolution site.

Divide students into groups representing "individual liberties" versus the "general will." Have them debate the merits and failings of specific aspects of the Abolition of Feudalism, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. Is there ideological consistency in these documents and/or images?

III. The Revolution Radicalizes

The radical phase of the French Revolution, or the Reign of Terror, is currently analyzed as either a reaction to specific events, such as foreign wars and internal counterrevolution, or as the logical consequence of the ideologies of 1789. Historians who view the guiding political ideology of the early Revolution as one dedicated to protecting the individual liberties of "citizens" interpret the stripping away of those liberties as an unfortunate response to the crises created by foreign and civil war. However, many other historians view the Terror as a completion of the ideology of the general will—that in order to create a nation, the rights of the citizen became subordinate to the rights of the nation. War and counterrevolution thus were the symptoms, not the cause, of the failure to achieve unity, and the Terror was the attempt to enshrine the unified general will by force.

There is no question that the Reign of Terror was a complicated and confusing phenomenon. To account for details of the foreign and civil wars, the political struggles between the Jacobins and Girondins, the economic crisis, and urban unrest could take almost an entire course itself. One way to approach the Reign of Terror is by using the trial of Louis XVI as a case study. Royal recalcitrance toward the Revolutionary government, which accelerated following his failed attempt to flee France in 1791, eventually led to his arrest, trial as a traitor, and execution.

Analysis of the numerous documents in the Exploring the French Revolution database (search: "trial King") exposes both interpretations of the Reign of Terror. Having the monarch become an enemy of the Revolution certainly created a political crisis to which the Reign of Terror may well have been a response. However, many of the documents also demonstrate that the king was no more exempt from the dictates of the general will and therefore no more or less a part of the greater nation than any other individual.

Activity: The King's Trial

Assign roles to individual students and recreate the trial of Louis XVI (or Citizen Capet, as the charge formally read). Students without specific parts serve as the Constituent Assembly (formerly the National Assembly) and the jury. Those on the side of the prosecution can be further divided into advocates for the general will and those who support the trial because of political necessity. Similarly, the defense can be divided into two groups: one of "absolutists" who might argue that the king by definition can never be a traitor, and another of "individual rights" supporters who might claim that although the monarch was no different than any other citizen, his trial was a violation of his individual rights in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.

Assignment: The Constitutions of 1789 and 1793

A second approach to the Reign of Terror is through a document analysis of the Declaration of Rights within the French constitutions of 1789 and 1793. Again, the theory of circumstance will see the rights outlined in 1789 to be basic and individual while those of 1793 to be radically different. The alternate interpretation would view the rights outlined in 1793 as only an intensification of the same political ideology present in the Declaration of 1789. Ask students to write an essay comparing and contrasting the two views.

IV. The Rise of Napoleon

In many ways, the downfall of Robespierre and the collapse of the Terror government set the stage for the Napoleonic dictatorship, just as 1789 perhaps set the stage for the Terror. Over the course of the Directory, the government hoped to avoid the excesses of the radical revolution by maintaining a "middle ground" between Jacobinism and the resurgent aristocratic and monarchical movement that returned to France after the Thermidorian Reaction.

In order to preserve moderate politics, the Directory interfered with elections for the Council of 500 (the lower house of the post-Terror government) by nullifying election results that leaned either too far to the left or the right. Hence, the Directory increasingly invalidated its own constitution, was ineffective in governing, and made the 1799 Brumaire Coup of Napoleon, Abbé Sieyes, and Roger Ducos possible.

Napoleon is, of course, as controversial as the Terror. Having claimed, "The revolution is over!" upon his seizure of power during the Brumaire Coup, he portrayed himself as the savior of the Revolution, bringing it to a successful completion. Indeed, his Civil Code, although harsh, was perhaps no worse than the laws passed by the Terror government. And with the Code, France was truly unified under a single code of law, with a political leader who possessed the power to enforce it.

However, Napoleon also restored the aristocracy, although his nobility was open to men of talent, not birthright, and he plunged France into a war of empire. In the end, Napoleon did not look much different than the absolute monarchs of the pre-Revolution period.

Additional Resources

Baker, Keith Michael. Inventing the French Revolution: Essays on French Political Culture in the Eighteenth Century . New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990. This is one of the best studies of the impact of Rousseau's political philosophy on the French Revolution.

de Tocqueville, Alexis. The Old Regime and the French Revolution . Translated by Stuart Gilbert. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1955. This nineteenth-century classic originated the interpretation that the Terror originated in 1789.

Doyle, William. The Origins of the French Revolution . Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1982. See part 1 of this book for an excellent overview of the various interpretations of the French Revolution, including strengths and weaknesses of each.

Doyle, William. The Oxford History of the French Revolution . New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. This study favors the interpretation of individual rights and the circumstantial origins of the Reign of Terror, stressing the role of the foreign war.

Furet, Francois. "The Revolution Is Over." In Interpreting the French Revolution . Edited by Francois Furet. Translated by Elborg Forster. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1981. This essay focuses on the relationship between the events of 1789 and Old Regime absolutism leading to the Reign of Terror.

Hunt, Lynn. Politics, Culture, and Class in the French Revolution . Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984. An excellent study of revolutionary imagery, offers a compelling synthesis between the individual rights and circumstantial interpretations of the origins of the Terror.

Sutherland, Donald M. G. France, 1789-1815: Revolution and Counterrevolution . London: Fontana Press/Collins, 1985. This falls into the circumstantial origins of the Terror interpretation and emphasizes internal social divide and conflict.

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The French Revolution

This WebQuest is designed to help a student learn about the French Revolution and the events leading up to it.  This was a crucial time in European history and also led the way for representative governments in most of Western Europe.  Upon completion of this this WebQuest, students will have a firm understanding on what led the people of France to revolt against the Crown.  Students are expected to analyze sources and gather information based on these sources, gain an understanding into the context of a written work during a time period, and use relevant and proper academic language when expressing themselves.  This WebQuest will meet the following Common Core Learning Standards:

RH 11-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

RH 11-12.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

RH 11-12.7: Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

WHST 11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, specific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.

WHST 11-12.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

WHST 11-12.9: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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The French Revolution

Introduction

Pre-class preparation, lesson plan  , shifts in power, french nationalism.

• About the French Revolution

Just before the French Revolution, the economic situation was so bad that a loaf of bread would cost a peasant a week’s worth of wages! The poor population of France was starving to death while the nobility continued to live a life of luxury. These atrocities snowballed into the French Revolution. Let us learn about it.

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Introduction to french revolution.

In the year 1789, French Revolution started leading to a series of the events started by the middle class. The people had revolted against the cruel regime of the monarchy . This revolution had put forth the ideas of liberty, fraternity as well as equality .

The start of the revolution took place on the morning of 14 th July 1789 in the state of Paris with the storming of the Bastille which is a fortress prison. The Bastille stood for the repressive power of the king due to which it was hated by all. The revolt became so strong that the fortress was eventually demolished.

Causes of French Revolution

Although there were innumerable causes and reasons for the French Revolution a few have been found to be the main culprits. These causes can be divided accordingly

Social Cause

As over the old regime, the French society and institution are described much before 1789 wherein the society was divided into three estates–the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners.

The first state included the group of people who were involved in the church matters known as clergy. The second estate includes people who are highly ranked in state administration known as nobility. The first two estates enjoy all the privileges right from the birth and are even exempted from any kind of taxes to the state . The third estate comprises of big businessmen, court, lawyers, officials, artisans, peasants, servants and even landless laborer. This estate usually were the ones who must bear the taxes.

Economic Cause

The population of France had risen between 1715 and 1789 from about 23 million to 28 million. This, in turn, leads to surplus demand for food grains, further leading to lack of pace in the production cycle as relative to demand – ultimately leading to rice in price for the food grains.

Majority of the laborers who worked in the workshops didn’t see any increase in their wages. And the taxes were not lowered. This had eventually lead to a worst-case crisis leading to food grain scarcity or also known as Subsistence Crisis that occurred frequently during the old regime.

Political Cause

The long years of war had turned France into a dry land with almost no financial resources. During the year 1774, Louis XVI came into power and found nothing. In his reign, France helped the 13 American colonies to gain independence from Britain, who was their common enemy.

The state during this time was forced to increase the taxes as they had to meet the regular expense that included the cost of upholding an army, running government offices or universities and running governments.

The Legacy of French Revolution

The most important legacy of the French Revolution were its ideas of Liberty and Democratic rights which spread progressively in the 19 th century from France to the rest of Europe where the feudal system was abolished. These ideas were later adopted by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Tipu Sultan, the famous Indian revolutionary strugglers.

Solved Question for You

Question: Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world during the 19 th and the 20 th centuries?

Ans: The legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world during the 19 th and the 20 th centuries are as followed –

• The spread of ideas of equality, as well as democratic, brought about a huge difference from France to other European Countries. The feudalism was abolished.
• The ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity was adopted.
• The declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens allowed them the freedom of speech, equality before law and right to life.
• Women were also given rights including where they couldn’t be forced to get married against will, divorce was made legal and right to education was made compulsory to train for their jobs.

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French Revolution

Our French Revolution lesson plan teaches students about the French Revolution, including its causes and effects, its major conflicts, and its lasting impact. Students also learn relevant vocabulary and about some key figures involved in the conflict.

Included with this lesson are some adjustments or additions that you can make if you’d like, found in the “Options for Lesson” section of the Classroom Procedure page. One of the optional additions to this lesson is to invite a historian to speak to the class about the French Revolution.

Description

Additional information, what our french revolution lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: French Revolution is an overview of the French Revolution and does not include an in-depth study or investigation of the revolution. A summary of the important people and events of the revolution is included. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain the causes of the French Revolution and identify some of the major people and events of the war. This lesson is for students in 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the orange box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand.

Options for Lesson

Included with this lesson is an “Options for Lesson” section that lists a number of suggestions for activities to add to the lesson or substitutions for the ones already in the lesson. One optional  addition to the lesson is to a ssign each student a historical revolution to research and present to the class. You could invite a historian to speak to the class about the French Revolution. You could also have your students create a timeline of the revolution. For a group activity, you can have your students meet and discuss the causes of the French Revolution and how (or if) it could have been avoided. Finally, using the resources in the lesson, you can show your students a video to give them additional information about the French Revolution.

Teacher Notes

The teacher notes page includes a paragraph with additional guidelines and things to think about as you begin to plan your lesson. This page also includes lines that you can use to add your own notes as you’re preparing for this lesson.

FRENCH REVOLUTION LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

The French Revolution lesson plan includes four content pages. The lesson begins by stating that, throughout history, people have taken over their governments using different strategies and methods. When a group of people forcibly taken over their government and want to replace it with a new system, we call it a revolution.

Revolutions have happened throughout the world. The American Revolution, or Revolutionary War, took place in America! There were many things that caused the American Revolution. In 1776, this revolution led to America’s independence from the British.

Some other historic revolutions include the Haitian Revolution, a slave rebellion, in 1791; the Iranian Revolution in 1978, where they overthrew a monarchy; and the Cuban Revolution in 1952, when Fidel Castro overthrew the president of Cuba and took over, establishing a communist government.

All revolutions stem from turmoil. They often include battles, wars, death, and destruction. They are not peaceful. One of the longest and most famous revolutions of all time is the French Revolution, which took place from 1789 to 1799.

Before diving into the French Revolution, it’s important to understand what a monarchy is. A monarchy is a form of government that has one single ruler, a king or queen, who rules for life. A family member replaces them when they die. The monarch, or leader, has absolute power. This means that no one can overrule them.

In 1789, France had a monarch named Louis XVI. He ruled with his wife, Marie Antoinette. The people of France were very unhappy and wanted to overthrow the monarchy. The French Revolution went on for ten years. It started on July 14, 1789, when revolutionaries stormed the Bastille, a famous prison. This prison was holding many French people whose only crime was speaking out against the French government.

An Overview of the Revolution

They founded France, a country in Europe, in the year 943. Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Britain, and Luxembourg all border France. Its current capital is Paris.

There were several different reasons for the French Revolution. First of all, the government was overtaxing the poor people in the country, also called the peasants. The monarchy took advantages of the lower classes. The harvests weren’t producing enough food and the prices of food were very high. Next, the monarchy had overspent and the government went bankrupt. The people thought the king was weak. Finally, a writer named Rousseau wrote that it was wrong for the king to have absolute power. This idea became very popular amongst the French people.

The king called the Estates General, which was basically a kind of parliament, because of the country’s money problems. He had instituted higher taxes which caused thousands of complaints. The members of the Estates decided they needed to keep meeting until they’d reformed the government and created a new constitution. The people who stormed the Bastille supported them in this work.

During this time, France adopted the Rights of Man, which is kind of like the concept in America that “all men are created equal.” The Rights of Man stated that “Men are born free and remain free and equal in rights.” They also set up a parliament similar to Britain’s that they called the Convention.

In 1792, Austria and Prussia wanted to help King Louis XVI by invading France. Just a few weeks later, however, the French people executed the king and ended the monarchy.

After the Monarchy

This led to turmoil in France over the next few years. The people rebelled against the new government, the Convention, for three years. Maximilien Robespierre led a committee that made “Terror the order of the day,” ironically called the Committee of Public Safety. They also executed over 40,000 people who seemed to be a danger to the revolution by guillotine (cutting their heads off).

In 1795, Napoleon Bonaparte, a soldier who rose through the ranks during the revolution, and the army crushed the Paris mob riots. Napoleon later seized control of France and named himself First Consul (leader) and appointed himself emperor of France between 1804 and 1815.

After the French Revolution, many things changed in France. Its social and political structures changed greatly. The revolution ended the monarchy, stopped the practice of feudalism (a social system where people fight for nobles in exchange for protection), and took power away from the Catholic Church.

New ideas were introduced throughout Europe at this time, like the idea that liberty and freedom are for everyone regardless of class or wealth, the abolishment of slavery, and women’s rights. These ideologies from the French Revolution influenced Europe and many other modern-day governments.

In some ways, the French Revolution achieved for Europe what the American Revolution did for the United States. The people were not willing to live under a monarchy.

Here is a list of the vocabulary words students will learn in this lesson plan:

• Revolution: Forcibly overthrowing a government, replace it with a new system
• Monarchy: A form of government with one single ruler for life
• Monarch: The king or queen as leader of a country
• Louis XVI: King of France during the French Revolution, a monarch overthrown and executed in 1793, had abused his power over the people
• Marie Antoinette: Wife of King Louis XVI, Queen of France during the French Revolution
• Bastille: Prison taken over by a mob, began the French Revolution
• Peasants: Poor people in France during the days of the revolution
• Rousseau: Writer who wrote that it was wrong for a king to have absolute power, and the idea became popular among the people
• Estates General: A kind of parliament
• Rights of Man: The idea that all people are created equal and have free choices that should not impede others’ free choices or safety
• Convention: Government system setup similar to British parliament
• Maximilien Robespierre: Led the Committee of Public Safety, responsible for “Terror the order of the day”, 40,000 people executed
• Guillotine: An execution device used for removing a person’s head
• Napoleon Bonaparte: Soldier during the French Revolution, led the ending of the Paris mob riots, seized control of France, named himself leader and emperor of France between 1804 – 1815
• Feudalism: Social system where people fight in exchange for protection

FRENCH REVOLUTION LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The French Revolution   lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. You can refer to the guide on the classroom procedure page to determine when to hand out each worksheet.

REVOLUTIONS ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

Students will work in groups to complete the activity worksheet. Each group will review a few different things that have inspired revolutions in the past. They will read each issue and answer some questions about each.

Students may also work alone or in pairs for this activity.

MATCHING PRACTICE WORKSHEET

For the practice worksheet, students will first match the year to its related event. They will then look at a list of names of significant people from the French Revolution and write down some facts about each of them and their roles during the French Revolution.

FRENCH REVOLUTION HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

The homework assignment asks students to first unscramble and define each of the terms listed. They will also respond to three short answer questions about the lesson material.

Worksheet Answer Keys

This lesson plan includes answer keys for the practice worksheet and the homework assignment. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.

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French Revolution

This tenth grade annotated inquiry leads students through an investigation of the French Revolution. Adolescent students are quite concerned with challenging authority and establishing their independence within the world; the concept of revolution brings those two concerns to their most world-altering levels. This inquiry gives students an entry point into thinking like historians about the French Revolution. The question of success invites students into the intellectual space that historians occupy. By investigating the question of the French Revolution’s success, students will need to make decisions about what the problems of the Revolution were, how to give weight to the events of three different periods of the Revolution, and what distance, if any, was between intentions and effects.

Compelling Question:

Was the french revolution successful, staging the question:.

Supporting Question What were the social, economic, and political problems in prerevolutionary France?

Formative Task List social, economic, and political problems in prerevolutionary France.

Sources Source A: Political cartoon of the Three Estates Source B: Graph of the Three Estates Source C: Cahiers de Doléances of 1789

Supporting Question How did the relationship between the French people and the king change in the early stages of the Revolution?

Formative Task Write one or two paragraphs explaining how the relationship between the French people and the king changed between 1789 and 1793.

Sources Source A: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Source B: Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen Source C: Decree Abolishing the Feudal System

Supporting Question How did Robespierre justify the Reign of Terror?

Formative Task Write a summary of Robespierre’s justification for the Reign of Terror and identify two key details that support his justification.

Sources Source A: Engraving of Robespierre and the guillotine Source B: Speech by Maximilien Robespierre

Supporting Question Did Napoleon’s rise to power represent a continuation of or an end to revolutionary ideals?

Formative Task Develop a claim supported by evidence about whether Napoleon’s rise to power represents a continuation of or an end to revolutionary ideals.

Sources Source A: Napoleon’s account of his coup d’état Source B: Painting of the Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine Source C: Napoleon’s account of the internal situation of France in 1804

Summative Performance Task

Taking informed action.

French Revolution Project Ideas

Persuasive Speech Topics on Culture & War

The French Revolution in 1789 was arguably one of the most significant Western political movements, alongside the American Revolution that occurred during the previous decade. Beyond the fact and figures involved in the uprisings and executions that defined the revolution, historians have culled many important lessons in the centuries that have passed since. If you're a teacher, no matter what your discipline may be, you can assign an engaging, relevant project on the French Revolution.

History Projects

Obviously, the discipline in which the French Revolution most often comes up is history, and with reason. Whether you assign your students to detail the events leading up to the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 or those which led to the rise of Napoleon and the eventual re-succession of the Bourbon dynasty to the French throne, projects that focus on historical chronology will help your students uncover a wealth of information and, hopefully, gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for Western history.

Sociology Projects

Although unelected monarchs wield very little power in Western countries these days -- if they even exist at all -- it's arguable that the class issues which led to the French Revolution still very much exist. If you're a sociology teacher, you might assign students a project that requires first that they research and investigate the types of parameters which divided late 18th-century French society into its "old" order -- the poor, the bourgeoisie and the nobility. Then, have them interview people in their neighborhoods (and, if they're of working age, at their workplace) to assess the extent to which everyday people perceive social stratification, using what parameters and how today's society dilemmas compare with those surrounding the French Revolution.

Fashion Projects

Of course, not every French Revolution project has to focus on upheaval and bloodshed. Whether you teach at a design school or simply believe that the garb of a given day is an important component of studying its history and culture, regardless of your discipline -- you might assign your students a project that requires them to research typical clothing of the day, be it the powdered wigs and wire-framed skirts noble men and women wore or the everyday rags of the peasants. If you teach a costume design course, give students an extra credit challenge: to design an authentic French Revolution period costume.

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• The History Guide: The Origins of the French Revolution

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French Revolution

The French Revolution was a time of social and political upheaval in France and its colonies that began in 1789 and ended in 1799. Inspired by liberal and radical ideas, Its overthrow of the Monarchy influenced the decline of absolute Monarchies in other parts of Europe.

French Revolution – UPSC Notes Download PDF Here

This article will further elaborate on the effects and causes of French Revolution within the context of the Civil Services Examination .

Aspirants preparing for the IAS exam will find the article helpful in preparing for General Studies Paper 1 of UPSC.

French Revolution of 1789 – Background

The French involvement in the American Revolution of 1776 was a costly affair that left the country in a state of near bankruptcy. King Louis’s extravagant spending also did not help matters.

Empty royal coffers, poor harvests and a rise in food prices had created feelings of unrest among the poor rural and urban populace. The matter was further worsened by the imposition of taxes that provided no relief. As a result rioting, looting and general strikes became the norm

Towards the end of 1786, a universal land tax was proposed by the controller general, Charles Alexandre de Calonne. This tax reform would no longer exempt the privileged classes like the clergy and the nobility as had been the case for centuries

The King summoned the Estates-General to pass these measures. The Estates-General was an assembly that represented the French nobility clergy and the middle class. The last time the Estates-General was called was in 1614.

The date of the meeting was fixed on May 5 1789, where grievances of the three estates would be presented to the king.

To know the Difference Between Democracy and Monarchy visit the linked article.

Causes of French Revolution of 1789 

• Social – The social conditions in France in the late 18th century were extremely unequal and exploitative. The clergy and the nobility formed the first two Estates and were the most privileged classes in French society. They were exempt from payment of taxes to the State. On the other hand, the Third Estate which consisted of peasants and workers formed the majority of the population. They were burdened with excessive taxes with no political and social rights. As a result, they were extremely discontent.
• Economic – As a result of numerous wars waged by Louis XVI the State coffers were empty. The situation was made even more complex by France’s involvement in the American War of Independence and the faulty system of taxation. While the privileged classes were excused from paying taxes the Third Estate was more and more burdened with them.
• Political – The Bourbon king of France, Louis XVI was an extremely autocratic and weak-willed king who led a life of obscene luxury. This led to a lot of disenchantment among the masses who then were leading life of extreme poverty and widespread hunger.
• Intellectual – The 18th century was marked by a conscious refusal by French thinkers of the ‘Divine Rights Theory’. Philosophers like Rousseau rejected the paradigm of absolute monarchy and promulgated the doctrine of equality of man and sovereignty of people. They played a pivotal role in exposing the fault lines of the old political system, i.e. the ancien regime, and articulating the popular discontent.

Stages of French Revolution

Stage i – the meeting of the estates-general.

Despite the non-aristocratic members outnumbering the aristocrats in terms of population. Yet, they could be outvoted by the other two bodies.

Before the meeting of the Estates-General on May 5, members of the Third Estate (as the non-aristocratic class was known) began to mobilise the support of equal voting rights which would be based on head and not by status.

While the middle class believed that fiscal and judicial reform was the need of the hour, the nobles were against the idea of giving up the privileges they had enjoyed under the traditional system.

When the meeting was convened, the question over the voting process turned to open hostility between the three orders, thus the original purpose of the meeting and the authority of the king who called for it being neglected.

With further talks having failed the Third Estate met alone and formally adopted the title of National Assembly on June 17, 1789. They gathered in a nearby indoor tennis court and took the oath of office. This oath was known as the Tennis Court Oath. The members of this new assembly vowed not to disperse until reforms had been initiated.

Seeing no other option Loius XVI had the absorb the three assemblies into the new order.

You can find out the difference between constitution and law by visiting the linked article

Stage II – The French Revolution Begins

The National Assembly continued to meet at Versailles. In the meantime, fear and violence had consumed Paris.

Speculations went around regarding an imminent military coup. This led to an insurgency which resulted in the taking of Bastille fortress on July 14, 1789. This event marked the beginning of the French Revolution

A wave of revolutionary fervour spread throughout the countryside, which led to a peasant revolt that saw many homes of tax collectors and burnt as well as those of the aristocrats themselves.

The rebellions caused the nobles of the country to flee en masse. This period is known as the Great Fear when the National Assembly finally dealt a fatal blow to feudalism on August 4, 1789. The old order had finally ended.

Stage III – Declaration of Rights of Man

The National Assembly adopted the Rights of Man and of the Citizen on August 4, 1789. The charter was grounded on democratic principles, drawing from the philosophical as well as political ideas of Enlightenment thinkers like Jena-Jacques Rosseau. The declaration was published on August 26, 1789

The Constitution was adopted on September 3, 1791. It symbolised a new French society where the king would have limited powers with a moderate assembly wielding the most power. This, however, was not enough for the radical elements of the assembly like Goerges Danton and Maximilien de Robespierre, who demanded a trial of the king and a more republican form of government.

The French constitution was adopted on September 3, 1791. Although it was moderate in its stance by limiting the powers of the king, it was not enough for the more radical members of the assembly like Maximilien de Robespierre who wanted Loise XVI to stand trial.

To know the difference between written and unwritten constitutions , visit the linked article

Stage IV – Reign of Terror

The revolution took a more radical turn when a group of insurgents attacked the royal residence in Paris and arrested  Louis XVI on August 10, 1792

The following month many who were accused of being the ‘enemies of the revolution’ were massacred in Paris. Some of these included the moderate voices of the revolution. The Legislative Assembly was replaced by the National Convention which proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of France and the abolition of the Monarchy.

King Louis XVI was condemned to death on January 21, 1793, and executed for treason. His wife, Marie Antoinette would follow him nine months later.

The execution of the king marked the beginning of the most violent and turbulent phase of the French Revolution – the Reign of Terror.

The National Convention was under the control of an extremist faction led by Robespierre. Under his auspices, thousands were executed for suspected treason and counter-revolutionary activities. The Reign of Terror ended with Robespierre’s execution on July 28, 1794.

Robespierre’s death began a moderate phase during which the people of France revolted against the excesses committed during the Reign of Terror . This was known as the Thermidorian Reaction.

Stage V – End of the French Revolution

On August 22, 1795, the National Convention, now composed of moderates who had survived the excesses of the Reign of Terror approved the creation of a new constitution that created France’s bicameral legislature.

The power would be in the hands of the Directory, a five-member group appointed by the parliament. Any opposition to this group was removed through the efforts of the army, now led by an upcoming and successful general, Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Directory’s rule was marked by financial crises and corruption. In addition, they had ceded much of their authority to the army that had helped them stay in power.

Finally, resentment against the Directory reached a fever pitch and a coup d’état was staged by Napoleon himself, toppling them from power. Napoleon appointed himself “first consul”. The French Revolution was over and the Napoleonic era was about the begin during which time French domination of continental Europe would become the norm.

Candidates can learn more about Napolean Bonaparte on the given link.

Significance of the French Revolution 

For all its faults, the French Revolution is highly regarded as the turning point in modern history as the rise of new ideas steeped in liberalism, enlightenment and democracy. These ideals were carried throughout Europe by French armies that fought many wars to preserve the Republic’s existence. It inspired the common folk in Europe to rise against their own Monarchs in a wave of revolutionary fervour. Although most were harshly put down, the revolutions would continue into the early years of the 19th century which saw the fall of many absolute Monarchy all over Europe.

FAQ about French Revolution

What are the main causes of french revolution, what were the impacts of french revolution.

To know more about other Government Exams , visit the linked article. For more preparation materials they can refer to the links given in the table below:

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Analyzing Four Causes of the French Revolution

In this activity, activity overview, template and class instructions, more storyboard that activities.

• This Activity is Part of Many Teacher Guides

Like this lesson plan? copy it now!

When they study history, students should be able to draw parallels between historical events and modern day circumstances. History can help individuals see patterns in events over time – these patterns can help us make predictions about future events, based on current conditions. Identifying parallels is especially interesting during a unit on the French Revolution, as students assess whether or not certain circumstances in the world could potentially cause a revolution. The intent of this activity is to wrap-up study of the French Revolution’s opening sequences.

In this activity, students will use a grid to create a storyboard that links the conditions that caused the French revolution to modern day situations . Their storyboard should include three columns:

This activity will require the teacher to help their students in researching “hotspots” around the globe to find pre-revolutionary conditions, similar to those described on the left hand side of the third column in the chart below. A great place to start researching is the Council on Foreign Relations .

For a scaffolding suggestion, the teacher can provide a partially filled template, with the four conditions that contributed to the French Revolution already in the left-most column. This will allow students to focus on the link to the present conditions.

Extended Activity

A fourth column could be added to this storyboard titled, “ Policy Suggestions ”. This column would identify policies that would improve the situation in Column Two. Captions for this column would identify the policy, and explain how and why it would work. Students can research policies that exist in other nations or propose their own and explain the reasoning behind their decision.

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard identifying parallels between the French Revolution and modern day events and make a prediction about what could happen.

• Click "Start Assignment".
• In the first column, identify and describe the four conditions that led to the French Revolution.
• In the second column, research, identify, and describe different situations around the world that parallel each of the four conditions.
• In the third column, make a prediction of what you believe could happen based on your knowledge of the Revolution.
• Create an illustration for each cell using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
• Save and exit when you're done.

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-10

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Group

Type of Activity: Chart Layout

French Revolution

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French Revolution and Napoleonic Era: Home

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Museum Tour Questions

• Submit Your Museum Exhibit Questions Here Every student needs to submit 2 questions with answers. Be sure your questions can be answered by visiting your museum exhibit!

Question Guidelines:

Create "short answer" questions, not ones that require a date or small fact.

Think about the historical significance or a cause and effect relationship.

Good question:

Q: Why did the nations form the Coaltion against France?

A: The coalition tried to do two things: weaken the French state by taking its land and to reinstate the French Monarchy.

Bad question:

Q: When was the Coalition formed?

Number Assignments

French Revolution and Napoleonic Era Museum

World History 2022

Students will learn about the French Revolution and Napoleonic Era from a museum of their own creation.

3-step Assignment:

Create a museum exhibit on your assigned topic. This is a visual representation with written descriptions.

Submit two questions and answers (per student) about your exhibit for museum tourists.

Tour the museum and complete assigned questions.

Guidelines:

Be creative!

You can expand upon your topic (after conducting preliminary research), but make logical connections.

Class time is limited, so stay on task and do not procrastinate!

The museum tour questions should only require a one sentence answer. Do not make them too easy or too hard.

This is a team effort, so don’t bring down your group.

Many people will be touring the museum, so take pride in your work!

Students will be graded on the following:

Museum Exhibit:

Would it appear in a museum?

Is it of high quality and did students put in appropriate effort?

Does it relate to the assigned topic?

Does exhibit include descriptions that help the visitor understand the museum exhibit?

Are descriptions well written without spelling and grammar mistakes?

Questions for Museum Tourists:

2 questions and answers from each student.

Can they be answered at your museum exhibit?

• Can they be answered in one sentence or less?

What is the purpose of a museum?

Creating knowledge for, and about, society.

     Museums hold collections, develop culture and create knowledge for society. They help enable a process of learnng and sharing knowledge between specialist experts and the general public.

Facilitating individual development through education, stimulation and building skills

     All museums support learning and to stimulate thought and reflection. They can foster a sense of enquiry and promote equality and diversity. They offer thought-provoking and inspiring experiences to help people make meaning and better understand the world. They provide opportunities for contemplation, curiosity, and creativity.

Holding collections and mounting displays

     Museums safeguard and develop collections, create knowledge and controbute to cultural life. They see themselves as serving society. Collections are central to museums’ cultural acitivity and are used by society in many ways: for education, for a wide range of research from family history to cutting edge science.

Care and preservation of heritage

     Museums concern themselves with researching, preparing and maintaining collections. Collecting and displaying are undertaken for their own sake and museums are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artifacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.

Assignment and Rubric

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