The French Revolution

This history chapter studies the French Revolution, which began with the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. You will learn about French society under the Old Regime, divided into three estates, where the clergy and nobility enjoyed privileges while the third estate paid taxes such as the taille and tithes. You will see how a growing population, from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789, led to a subsistence crisis, and how the ideas of philosophers like John Locke, Rousseau and Montesquieu inspired the middle class. You will follow the events from the meeting of the Estates General in May 1789 and the Tennis Court Oath, to the Constitution of 1791, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, and the declaration of France as a republic in 1792. You will study the Jacobins, the Reign of Terror under Robespierre, the Directory and the rise of Napoleon. Finally, you will examine how the revolution affected women, slavery and everyday life, and its legacy of liberty and democratic rights.

Detailed Worksheet: The French Revolution Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. What was the Old Regime? (2 marks) 2. What were the taille and the tithe? (2 marks) 3. What was the Tennis Court Oath? (2 marks) 4. What was a subsistence crisis? (2 marks) 5. Who were the sans-culottes? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. Find the increase and the percentage increase, correct to one decimal place. How did this cause a demand for food grains? (3 marks) 7. Under the Constitution of 1791, active citizens were men above 25 who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer's wage. If a labourer earned 2 livres a day, what was the minimum tax for an active citizen? If 4.3 million of 28 million people were active citizens, find their percentage, correct to one decimal place. (3 marks) 8. Arrange in chronological order with dates: execution of Louis XVI, storming of the Bastille, Napoleon becomes emperor, France declared a republic, Estates General meets, fall of Robespierre. (3 marks) 9. In a village, a peasant earned 120 livres a year. He paid 10% as tithe, 20% as taille and 15 livres as other dues. How much was left for him? What percentage of his income was taken? (3 marks) 10. The Estates General of 1789 had about 300 members from the first estate, 300 from the second and 600 from the third. If voting was one vote per estate, how many votes would the third estate have? If voting was by head, what fraction of votes would the third estate hold? (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. Draw a diagram of the society of estates in France before 1789, showing who paid taxes. (4 marks) 12. Draw a flowchart showing how a subsistence crisis developed. (3 marks) 13. Draw a diagram showing the political system under the Constitution of 1791. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. Explain the causes of the French Revolution: social, economic and intellectual. (5 marks) 15. Describe the Reign of Terror. Why did Robespierre's government come to an end? (5 marks) 16. Explain how the revolution affected women and slaves. What is the legacy of the French Revolution for the world? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Give correct dates and show all calculations.