InNo+tomc2013+08.26.10

Back    I chose to put this picture one because i thought it was a good picture to open our unit about the french revolution. this picture has symbols within it that i think we will probably learn about during this unit. The Image below is an image of Voltair.


 * France before the Revolution **

· 1789 held violent French revolution · Destroyed old sys of law and gov.

French people and their society · 20mil peasants, country/farmer · 2mil townsmen, shopkeeper/ trader/craftsman · 2mil middle class, ship owners (bourgeoisie) · 120,000 to 350,000 nobels, duke/marquis/viscount

The Three Estates · according to law people belonged to estates(not classes) · clergy- made living from work in church 1st o 130,000 people o canons, priors, nuns, monks, priests o had own law courts o only paid some taxes · nobility 2nd o between 120,000 and 350,000 people o king, queen, nobles of sword, nobels of robe o could carry sword, only paid some taxes, didn’t have to do military service. · others 3rd o 27 million people o all other people o no special privilages · all classes had been important in the French society · nobels and clergy became less important by 1789

Poverty · many inequalities · wealth was the biggest one with the rich being extremely rich and the poor being extremely poor · many familys lived in one single room and lived off charity

Unequal Taxation · poor people still needed to pay tax · 10- 15% of yearly earnings but somepeople didn’t need to pay some taxes. · It was easier for rich people to pay taxes because they paid no more than other people · Seigneurs, or landlords. Took dues from there tenants in form of work money and crops · People in parish had to pay tithe to the church


 * Critics of French society **

A philosophe at work · Lavoisier was a famous philosophe · He studied the burning of wood and helped farmers make new farming methods for better efficiency

The Calas affair · Voltair questioned the belief of French church · Was involved in a case of injust of calas · He was beaten strangled and burned. · Voltair believed he was innocent and took a case against it and showed the cruelty of what had happened.

Changes in public opinion · People wanted more humane system of law · They wanted to change how they were governed.

Summary There were 3 classes of people during 1700s in France, each type of person was ranked differently and had different rights and advantages in the community. The richer classes had far better rights and benefits tan the poorer classes. Many of the poor people were living in poverty and were relying on charity to keep them alive. Even through this extreme poverty they were still forced to pay taxes and paid with a struggle while the rich people paid these taxes at ease and often didn’t have to pay some taxes. There was also very violent discrimination and accusations made. As Voltair stood up and took the side of an underdog, the people decided that it was time for a change where the government would be more humane.

Questions 1. When the chapter talks about how much a family needs, does this mean they gave them the money?