HISTORY REVOLUTIONS: FRANCE
Towards Revolution
THE ESTATES GENERAL
Unit 3 & 4, Area of Study 1
© Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
Unrest in Paris
•  The price of bread – 80% of wages
•  Pamphlet war has stirred up political fervour
•  Changes to customs have decreased the demand for French goods
adding to the strain
•  Cahiers have inspired hope for change and the expectation of reform
•  The people of France are ready for action!
© Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
Honorific distinctions
•  The Estates were received by the King
•  All Estates were told to verify credentials in separate
orders
•  Mirabeau and Sieyes deputies of the Third Estate
•  Nothing was said about ‘voting by head’
•  The Third Estate were angry and felt discriminated
against!
Source: h*ps://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Estates_General_(France) © Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
Issue of voting
•  Although Louis agrees to double the Third the issue of voting is not
addressed
•  The deputies of the upper Estates appear to support voting by order
•  Liberal deputies support voting by head
•  Inaction and failure to organise meetings creates a deadlock
© Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
Demands of the Third Estate
• 
• 
• 
• 
Voting by head
Meeting together
Verification of credentials as one body
Ultimately, they go ahead without the other
Estates…
Source: h*ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Estates_General_(France) © Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
Concept Explorer
Why do you think the issue of voting was such a major issue for all
Estates?
© Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
Fact Check
TRUE OR FALSE The Third Estate made to dress in black?
© Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
Fact Check
What percentage of a workers wage were they spending on bread in the
lead up to the Estates General?
A.  50%
B.  60%
C.  80%
© Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
Exam practice
Who do you think may have produced this
image, Louis XVI distributing Aid to the
Poor of Versailles during the Winter of
1788.
How accurate is this representation?
Source: h*p://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/6/6c/Louis_XVI_Helping_Poor.gif © Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015
For the visual…
Watch this wonderful excerpt from
The French Revolution
Part One, 15 min. 30 sec
© Lucy Gilfillan & Edrolo 2015