inNo+annielo822+08.26.10

= France Before the Revolution = toc p. 2-12 August 26, 2010

**Intro**
- Summer of 1789 - Used violence to change the way they lived - Destroyed centuries-old system of law and gov’t

__French people and their society__
- Four social classes:  o Peasantry: made their living by farming  o Town working class: includes traders, crafters, and laborers  o Middle class/// bourgeoisie //  § Well-to-do ‘middle class’  § Between workers and nobles  o Nobility  § 120,000 to 350,000 people  § Land-owning and ruling class § Titles such as duke, Marquis, or Viscount to distinguish from ‘commoners’

**The three estates**
** - French law says people belongs to ** estates - Three estates o 1st : clergy, people who work in the Church o 2nd: nobility o 3rd: everybody else - 1st and 2nd had privileges/rights, gives them advantages - Greatest value were financial privileges o Didn’t have to pay certain taxes - Nobles had job as soldiers - Clergy ran the education and religious life - In return, king gave them their own estates and privileges - 1789: nobles and clergy were less important - People thought the estates were outdated and unfair

**Poverty**
** - Greatest inequality was wealth ** ** - Millions of people had to rely on charity to survive ** ** - 1790, gov’t committee said family of five needed at least 435 // livres // (pounds) a year for basic needs. **

**Unequal Taxation**
- Two types of taxes o Paid directly to gov’t o Indirect tax which people paid when good are bought - Average family paid between 10%-15% of yearly earnings to gov’t - Some were exempt from some taxes - Clergy and nobles often evaded taxes or paid little - Nobles and clergy were exempt from many taxes o Rich, so didn’t have trouble paying for taxes - Peasants as tenants, owed due to landlords - Many nobles and clergy were landlords, or // seigneurs // o Owned land and rented to peasants - Peasants paid feudal dues to landlords (the right of the oven, mill, press, hunt, etc.) - Everyone in a parish had to give the Church a tithe o Giving local church a tenth of yearly income or produce - If couldn’t pay with money, paid with produce

**__Critics of French society__**
- Most people didn’t question how the society was organized - Educated people did o They were // philosophes //, a group of writers, journalists, scientists o Shared a way of thinking called Reason o Believed only way to know something is true is observe and test it o Refused to accept anything as true without questioning

**A //philosophe// at work**
Lavoisier, scientist - Discovered how things burn - Proved the theory that anything burned contained phlogiston wrong - Suggested things burned when burning material combined with recently-discovered gas, which he called oxygen - Involved in political and social issues - Helped farmers to improve their crops - 1787, proposed reforms to help the poor o included abolishing of // taille //, introduced old age pensions, built new hospitals

**The Calas Affair**
Most famous // philosophe // was writer Voltaire - Voltaire believed Calas was innocent - Questioned power and belief of the French Church - Showed views most clearly when he was involved in the Calas affair, a case of injustice o Jean Calas, cloth merchant, Protestant, lived with Catholics in city of Toulouse o 1761, a son hanged himself in his father’s warehouse o Rumor spread that Calas murdered him to stop him converting to Catholic faith o Magistrates said rumor was true and Calas was killed - Voltaire believed Calas was innocent - Magistrates claimed he was guilty because he was a Protestant - After three year campaign to clear Calas’ name, 1765, court found Calas innocent - Took up the case because it showed major wrongs in French society o Religious intolerance – refusal to allow non-Catholics to follow own religion o Cruelty of law – allowed Calas to be tortured to death

**Changes in Public Opinion**
** - Public opinion changed as result to writings of // philosophes // ** ** // - 1780s, most educated people agreed on basic ideas and values // ** ** // - Wanted more humane, torture-free system of law // ** ** // - Favored toleration of non-Catholics (Protestant and Jews) // ** ** // - Wanted change in the way France was governed // **

1. Why didn't the government help fix the poverty problem? 2. Why did Lavoisier help with the poverty and other political and social issues? 3. Why did Voltaire want to be involved in the Calas affair?

**Summary**
The first part of France Before the Revolution (p. 2-12) talks about the French society before the Revolution. It explains each class, the peasants, town-working class, //bourgeoisie//, and the nobility. But according to the French law, people belonged to estates instead. There were three estate - the clergy, nobility, and everybody else. The first two estates (clergy and nobles) had certain privileges while the third estate didn't have any. There was a lot of poverty in France during this time, and unequal taxation and feudal rights and dues. Most people didn't question the way of life in France, but some educated people, or //philosophe//, did, refusing to accept anything as true without questioning it. Two famous //philosophes// are chemist Lavoisier and writer Voltaire. The writings of such //philosophes// influenced and began to change the public opinion, and they wanted change in the way France was governed.