1) Who is depicted in this cartoon?
2) To what extent does this cartoon
reflect French society?
3) What is in the hands of certain
individuals?
4) What is the cartoon’s message to
the viewer?
"People under the Old Regime”
This image shows "the
people" as a chained and
blindfolded man being
crushed under the weight
of the rich, including both
clergy and nobility. Such
a perspective on the
period before 1789
purposely exaggerates
social divisions and
would have found few
proponents before the
Revolution, but the image
does reveal the social
clash felt so intensely by
the revolutionaries.
Louis XVI
Louis XVI
Marie Antoinette
Weak monarch
- Louis XVI
- Preferred personal interests
(hunting, locks) over court
issues.
- Strongly influenced by Marie
Antoinette, who was hated by
France.
- Incapable of strong, decisive
action.
The American Revolution
- French soldiers in America were
exposed to revolutionary ideas.
- Take up arms against tyranny.
- Liberal freedoms for all men and
equality before the law.
- A republic or limited monarchy is
superior to an absolute monarchy.
- The cost of helping to finance the
Americans contributed to France’s
economic crisis.
Estate System
- “Ancien Regime” divided
society into 3 estates.
Age of Enlightenment
- Liberal society can flourish with free commerce.
(Development of capitalism, complete external and
internal free enterprise and trade, unfettered by
subsidies, monopolies, privileges, or restrictions.
Private property and profit.)
- Challenged the absolute power of monarchs.
- Appealed to bourgeois grievances.
Economic Collapse
- Need for tax reform
- Peasantry and bourgeoisie unhappy because
the tax burden was theirs alone.
- Nobles were determined to retain their taxexempt status.
- Government had tremendous debt w/ heavy
interest.
- Extravagant spending on court life.
- Ambitious wars (7 Years War- failure to
displace England as the major world empire.
Treaty of Paris = Britain gained Canada, India,
and the Asiento, France displaced.)
- Bad harvests 1787-88 resulted in increased bread
prices and food shortages.
Intellectual causes of the French Revolution
- Ideas inspired many to seek reform to
government, economy and society.
- Enlightened ideas appealed to the
bourgeoisie and even a few reform-minded
members of the nobility and clergy
Locke (1632-1704)
Life, Liberty, Property
Natural rights
Rousseau (1712-1788)
Social Contract, Noble
Savage, Emile
Diderot (1713-1784)
Encyclopedia- compiled works
of Enlightenment thinkers
Voltaire (1694-1778)
Freedom of Speech and Press
Philosophical Dictionary
Montesquieu (1689-1755)
Separation of Powers
Revolutionary Precedents
(an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be
considered in subsequent similar circumstances.)
American Revolution
The
Glorious
Revolution