1. What is meant by the term ‘absolute monarch’? 2. Why was Marie Antoinette unpopular with the French people? 3. Correct each of the statements below. (i) Louis XVI was a well-known Enlightenment writer. (ii) French society was divided into Five Estates. (iii) The Third Estate was made up of the Roman Catholic clergy. (iv) The Second Estate was the only Estate to pay taxes. (v) The tithe was a tax on salt.
4. How did the price of bread change between 1788 and 1789?
5. List two ways in which the French assisted the Americans during the American War of Independence.
6. Which of the following was not a cause of the French Revolution?
(i) The impact of the 1798 Rebellion (ii) The impact of the American Revolution (iii) Years of successful harvests
(iv) France bankrupt 7. What was the Estates-General?
8. Explain the controversy over the voting system at the Estates-General. Think about how the First and Second Estates wanted to vote versus how the Third Estate wanted to vote.
9. Who formed the National Assembly? 10. What was the Tennis Court Oath?
What Were the Main Events During the French Revolution?
The storming of the Bastille
The people of Paris were worried that Louis might use the army to dissolve the newly formed National Constituent Assembly. The National Guard, an armed force made up of the ordinary people of Paris, was formed to ensure Louis would not use force against the revolutionaries.
Outline the key events during the French Revolution
Key Words
Storming of the Bastille Sans-culottes
Liberté, Egalité et Fraternité Jacobins
Committee of Public Safety Reign of Terror
On 14 July 1789, a mob attacked the Bastille prison looking for arms and gunpowder to protect itself from the king’s forces. Around 100 people were killed, including the prison’s governor. The seven prisoners inside were freed. The storming of the Bastille was the first major act of violence during the French Revolution. This attack on the Bastille symbolised the end of the Ancien Régime. The storming of the Bastille is celebrated every year on 14 July (Bastille Day) as a national holiday.
Did You Know?
The origins of the French flag can be traced to this time. Blue and red represent the city of Paris, while white was the colour of the king. The National Guard wore a cockade (rosette) of red and blue. The leader of the National Guard, Marquis de Lafayette, is often credited with adding the white.