French Revolution
Storyboard Text
- STOP THE ENLIGHTENMENT - FRENCH GOVERNMENT
- Even though their government tried to suppress their people's ways of thinking, public opinion became a power and force in society.
- The French Government tried to stop their citizens from the Enlightenment by censoring books, sending thinkers and writers to prison,.
- By 1789 France's economy went in turmoil. Cost of foreign wars forced taxes to go up and the poor was heavily taxed
- Waste, corruption, wasteful spending, and poor harvest also damaged the economy
- There were three social classes. The first estate which were the clergy, priests, bishops and other high rankings who made up 0.5%
- The second estate which was made up of the aristocracy, or nobles who inherited wealth and titles. They made up 1.5%
- The third estate which made up the majority of the population, but had no power which was the peasants, artisans, and successful business people.
- Mobs were angry in Paris because bread prices were rising, when people were out of jobs. People were excited about reforms, but it didn't come soon enough for people.
- On July 12, mobs raided gunsmith shops and on July 14th they broke into the military hospital and stole it's supply of muskets.
- The mob rushed into the prison and the Bastille guards couldn't hold them back. The prisoners were freed and the prison warden and governor were dragged onto the streets where they died a violent death.
- On August 26, the Assembly voted on the Declaration of the Right of Man and the Citizen. It stressed equality under law and provided freedom of speech, press, and religion. The laws were the true rulers of France.
- The slogan "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity," was the battle cry of the Revolution and expressed its main ideas.
- The Declaration of the Right of Man and the Citizen however did not give equal citizenship to women. The government did improve women's rights over time, but after two years of writing the Declaration of Right of Women and the Female citizen, a committee of the National Convention criticized women for being involved in politics.
- Women who continued to meet were arrested after Women's political clubs were stopped and some even imprisoned or executed.
Over 30 Million Storyboards Created