The French Republic

SWBAT: determine how the early French Revolution progressed from a revolution about enlightenment ideals and political equality to the chaos of the reign of terror.

Homework: Committee of Public Safety primary source questions and essay if unfinished in class. The vocab is due Wednesday.

Do Now: How did we feel about the project? Like it? Not like it?

Homework Review

Where we left off…• France is at war with Austria and

other European powers. Why??

• While at war, the Legislative Assembly voted itself out of existence and got rid of the Constitution. In its place is the National Convention. Now, there is no law-making body or laws

• The king and his family have been arrested.

The National Convention• Held its first meeting in 1792.

• Three distinct groups: Supporters of the monarchy Supporters of a republic aka Jacobins

Georges-Jacques Danton, Maximillian Robespierre, and Jean-Paul Marat are big leaders.

Supported neither side

• Declared the end of the monarchy and the beginning of the republic.

• Brought Louis XVI on charges with plotting against the security of the nation. Was found guilty and executed.

Execution of Louis XVI in Place de la Revolution, 1793

Concerns for Revolutionaries Grows• After the execution of the king, Jacobins started fearing that

counterrevolutionaries were going to try and stop the revolution. Counterrevolutionaries were people who felt that the revolution had gone far enough and

many supported the monarchy.

• One example of a counterrevolutionary group would be the Catholic Church. Why do you think that is?

• Fears become substantiated: In July, 1793 one extremist revolutionary, a journalist named Jean Paul Marat, was

assassinated by counterrevolutionary Charlotte Corday as he sat in his bathtub treating eczema.

• Corday would later be sent to the guillotine for her crimes.

Jacques Louis David“The Death of Marat”1793

 "Given that I am unhappy, I have a right to your help"

Committee of Public Safety• Fear of counterrevolutionaries leads to the

creation of something new.

• In Sept. 1793, the Committee of Public Safety, headed by Maximilian Robespierre, took over the National Convention.

• The goal: to make sure that the enemies of the French Revolution did not roll back the gains that had been achieved during the Revolution.

• Enemies included: Royalty and royalists both abroad and within

France. The wealthy. Counterrevolutionaries.

Activity: Was the main goal of the Committee of Public Safety to “protect the Revolution from its enemies”?

• In groups of 2-3, read each source independently and answer the corresponding questions in complete sentences together.

• You may discuss the answer with your group, but it is an individual activity.

• If you do not finish the activity in class, it is homework.