The French RevolutionThe French Revolution

France was divided into three groups France was divided into three groups of people.of people.

The clergyThe clergy The nobilityThe nobility The workers and peasantsThe workers and peasants

The clergy and the nobility didn’t The clergy and the nobility didn’t have to pay taxes even though they have to pay taxes even though they had more money!had more money!

The workers had to support the other The workers had to support the other two groups.two groups.

What do you think this picture is What do you think this picture is supposed to show?supposed to show?

This is King Louis the Sixteenth This is King Louis the Sixteenth and his wife Marie Antoinette.and his wife Marie Antoinette.

King Louis the SixteenthKing Louis the Sixteenth

Louis was not a very Louis was not a very popular king. People popular king. People did not like him very did not like him very much.much.

He lived in a He lived in a beautiful palace near beautiful palace near Paris called Paris called Versailles.Versailles.

He liked spending He liked spending money and having a money and having a good time.good time.

Queen Marie AntoinetteQueen Marie Antoinette

People did not like his People did not like his wife either.wife either.

She spent lots of She spent lots of money and bought a money and bought a new dress nearly new dress nearly every day.every day.

She also liked having She also liked having her hair done and her hair done and would wear big would wear big ornaments in her hair ornaments in her hair that were very tall.that were very tall.

This is Versailles PalaceThis is Versailles Palace

People thought that the king wasted money People thought that the king wasted money when they were very poor. Can you think of when they were very poor. Can you think of another king that we know about like that?another king that we know about like that?

Louis was also helping America to fight a Louis was also helping America to fight a war against Britain and that was very war against Britain and that was very

expensive. People thought it was a waste of expensive. People thought it was a waste of money.money.

France was nearly broke. Louis had to do something France was nearly broke. Louis had to do something quickly. He decided to try and tax the nobility.quickly. He decided to try and tax the nobility.

The Nobility thought The Nobility thought that they were that they were special.special.

They were not going They were not going to pay any taxes!to pay any taxes!

They called a They called a meeting of meeting of Parliament and Parliament and decided to stop the decided to stop the king.king.

The Parliament was called the Estates The Parliament was called the Estates General.They met a in May 1789.General.They met a in May 1789.

The ParliamentThe Parliament

Everyone was there, Everyone was there, the clergy, the nobility the clergy, the nobility and the Third Estate, and the Third Estate, the workers and the workers and peasants.peasants.

The biggest group was The biggest group was the third group.the third group.

They wanted to count They wanted to count votes by how many votes by how many people were in a group people were in a group not by how important not by how important the person was.the person was.

When the King said When the King said “No”, they decided to “No”, they decided to make their own make their own Parliament.Parliament.

They called it the They called it the National Assembly.National Assembly.

Louis was cross. He Louis was cross. He ordered the room where ordered the room where they were going to meet they were going to meet to be locked so that to be locked so that they couldn’t get in.they couldn’t get in.

They decided to meet They decided to meet on a Tennis Court on a Tennis Court instead.instead.

What do you think will happen next?What do you think will happen next?