CCR - The Revolution Begins (Lesson)

The Revolution Begins

The Storming of the Bastille

On July 14, 1789, thousands of people seized weapons stored in a veteran's hospital (Hôtel des Invalides). As they moved throughout the day, the crowd swelled to 80,000 people. Believing ammunition and gunpowder were stored there, the crowd made their way to the Bastille. Along with being an armory and fortress, the Bastille was also a prison and symbol of political oppression as many of the people imprisoned there were imprisoned without trial. The crowd quickly laid siege to the fortress; the soldiers inside resisted and a minor battle ensued. Shortly after the troops surrendered, but not before dozens of civilians had been killed, becoming martyrs for the cause. The mob began to attack; a butcher decapitated the commander of the fortress and his head was carried on a pike throughout the streets. The mob seized the weapons and gunpowder and freed the prisoners. The storming of the Bastille perhaps saved the National Assembly from being dissolved by force. Later that evening, royal officials were replaced with a revolutionary municipality, and citizen militias were organized in order to patrol the city. Additional revolutions occurred in 26 out of the 30 main cities, Paris was not an isolated occurrence. Louis becomes uncertain of the army's loyalty so he sends away most troops, and recognizes the new municipal government, the "Commune of Paris," and the national guard led by Lafayette. He once again recalls Necker and on July 17, he goes to Paris to meet with the commune, accepting the tricolor.

 

 

The Great Fear

Chateau Chauvac was built in the 13th century, burned during the Great Fear, and reclaimed and rebuilt under Napoleon's reign.

Image courtesy of the Chateau's former owners.

Elsewhere, peasants had gained hope with the calling of the Estates-General and the cahiers. News of the Bastille inspired revolts in the countryside, and between July 19 and August 3rd, peasants attacked chateaux burning title deeds and obligation papers.

Consider this - Why would the peasants storm the chateaux and burn them? What do they stand to gain by doing this? How can this be seen as an extension of the fervor in Paris? How might this impact the course of the revolution?

A rumored plot on behalf of the aristocrats resulted in the mobilization of many peasants as townspeople and peasants began forming a militia to defend themselves and save the harvest. Many believed the nobles were hoarding grain to stop the patriotic cause while another rumor had soldiers ordered to destroy the crops. This became known as the Great Fear. Rumors also abounded that vagrants were actually in the pay of nobles, destroying harvests in order to keep the peasants submissive. Peasant revolts worried the National Assembly, yet they decided to appease the peasants rather than denounce the violence.

Thus on August 4th, the National Assembly formally abolished the feudal regime as well as:

• Abolished personal obligations and privileges.
• Abolished sale of offices, exclusive rights of nobles to hunt.
• Called for end of tithes, simony.

The Assembly later declared that seigniorial dues would end only after the peasants had paid compensation to their lords; most peasants refused and eventually all dues were abolished without the regained compensation under the new radical 1793 government. The changes did away with the old regime, destroyed absolutism by redefining subject king relationship, and determined the king was to be constrained by a constitution. The decrees, collectively known as the August 4th Decrees, also allowed the Assembly to create a new government.

 

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Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen

The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen at its heart designated natural rights preserved by legitimate law, which meant the new government would be based on reason, not history and tradition.

It's time to take a closer look at the: Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Download a copy below and be sure to read it carefully. As you read consider the following:

• How does it address the grievances of the 3rd estate?
• Which philosophes are represented within it?
• How is it similar to the US Bill of Rights? How is it different?

Download a copy of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Links to an external site.

Download a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Links to an external site.

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The Liberal Phase Begins

The New Government

Many changes were underway once the August 4th Decrees paved the way for a new constitution. Some of the biggest changes occurred with the church as the state nationalized the church, confiscated Catholic church property, and required the clergy to swear allegiance to the nation. Sovereignty came from membership in the nation as opposed to a political group. "Equality of opportunity" still allowed for property rights. Distinguishments between wealth, education, and talent were considered natural and legitimate thus wealth, not blood becomes the distinguishing marker. However, rights applied to men only.

From 1789 to 1791, the National Assembly acted as a constituent assembly in order to produce a constitution. In 1790, nobles officially lost titles and became indistinguishable from other citizens. The constitution created a limited monarchy with separation of powers, and a single house legislature elected by indirect voting. The king was to name and dismiss ministers. Every adult male who owned land and satisfied the minimal tax-paying requirements gained the right to vote. There were, however, higher restrictions for electors, emphasizing civic duty rather than natural rights.

 

The Bread March

On October 5th, 1789, women from neighborhoods around the Bastille, angry over insufficient market goods and high prices, gathered before the town hall. Some 10,000 began walking to Versailles to convince the king to provide bread. Several occupied the hall of the National Assembly, claiming power in the name of popular sovereignty. Louis met the women and promised bread. Lafayette, who became the head of the National Guard with the fall of the Bastille, sent a guard to keep the peace and made it there himself in time to intervene and save the family when the mob went after Marie Antoinette. Louis met the National Assembly that night and officially accepted the August 4th decrees in hopes of appeasing the women. The next morning, many tried to force their way into the chateau, killing 2 guards and forcing Louis and his family to march to Paris. The women dubbed the royal family: "the Baker, baker's wife, baker's little boy." Many believed that if Louis were to actually help with the bread crisis, he needed to be in Paris. Also - if the revolution had any hopes of succeeding (at this point it was still considered to be a constitutional monarchy), Louis and the National Assembly needed to be at the heart of the revolution. The National Assembly followed suit and leaves Versailles for Paris.

 

The Liberal Phase continues

For the next two years, until 1791, the government showed consolidation of a liberal revolution:

• Nobility abolished.
• Constitutional monarch (Louis accepts 1790).
• Women gain the ability to get a divorce, inherit property, and seek financial assistance for illegitimate children, but still have no voting rights or ability to hold office.

France was turned into 83 departments rather than its traditional 27 regions. Each department was to have the same institutions, subdivided into districts, cantons, and communes to promote local autonomy. They were, however, subordinate to the legislature in Paris. There were instruments for promoting national integration and uniformity:

• Created boundaries for a new judicial system
  • justice of the peace in each canton
  • civil court in each district
  • criminal court in department
  • judges to be elected

• Civil cases had no jury, but felonies to be tried by juries.
• Defendant's right to council.
• Encouraged arbitration and mediation to avoid formal litigation.
• justice was to be faster and more accessible.
• Economic freedom
  • monopolies, guilds, and trade barriers gone
  • free trade
  • no government regulation over wages or quality of goods
  • workers must bargain as individuals, therefore associations and strikes were banned
  • individuals were free to cultivate land as they saw fit
  • metric system unified weights and measures
• Religious Alignment
  • religious freedom to Jews and Protestants
  • nationalized the church- Civil Constitution of the Clergy
  • abolished monasteries as useless relics of the past
  • church property backed new money - assignats. The nation issued paper notes that were backed by church land. All of this eliminated the need for new borrowing. Purchasers gained a vested interest in the revolution after 1792 became the new official currency though mass printings led to inflation and new turmoil.
  • sold church properties at auction, Though peasants do manage to buy some of the former church lands, the property was often sold at auctions that favored the wealthy - not the peasants who needed land.
  • remaining church property was nationalized which made the state responsible for the upkeep of the church
  • reduced the number of bishops from 130 to 83 and reshaped diocese to conform to the new departments
  • bishops and parish priests to be elected, were to be paid according to uniform salary scale

 

 

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