Causes of the French Revolution and National Assembly

The King of France, Louis XVI, was an (a)   monarch, meaning there were no restrictions on his power. King Louis XVI believed he had the (b)   right to be king. He thought (c)   had chosen him to be the King of France.

• absolute

• divine

• God

King Louis XVI inherited a lot of debt from his predecessors, but he increased it by helping the (a)   colonists fight the (b)   in the American Revolution.

As a result, France went into (c)   due to wars, excessive spending on luxuries, and a corrupt (d)   system.

He tried to get the 1st and 2nd Estates to pay taxes, but they (e)   .

• American

• British

• bankrupt

• tax

• refused

Clergy officials are (a)   .

They did not have to pay (b)   .

They held important positions and lived in luxury.

They made up about (c)   of the population.

• church

• taxes

• 1%

Nobility, also known as (a)   , is exempt from most taxes. They have almost complete authority over (b)   . There is no required (c)   service for them. Most live in luxury, making up about (d)   of the population.

• Aristocrats

• peasants

• military

• 2%

The Bourgeoisie, Wage Earners, and Peasants made up the majority of the population. They had mandatory military service and paid taxes to the lord, king, and (a)   . What percentage of the population did they constitute? (b)  

• 97%

• church

Many French depended on agriculture (a)   .

In 1787 and 1789, there was terrible weather, heavy rains, hard winters, and two hot summers.

This led to (b)   very bad harvests.

Effects:

Peasants and farmers had smaller (c)   .

Food prices rose sharply.

Many farmers lost their jobs.

The poor (d)   .

Meanwhile, the nobility and king continued to live in luxury.

• farming

• incomes

• starved

King Louis XVI assembled the Estates General in May 1789. They had not met since (a)   . They met outside the Palace of (b)   (near Paris). About 1,100 (c)   , or members, gathered from all three estates. The king had no (d)   of what to discuss, which led to chaos.

• 1614

• Versailles

• deputies

• plans

In June 1789, deputies of the (a)   Estate grew tired of arguments and split apart, declaring themselves a National Assembly.

They represented (b)   of the population.

On June 20th, 1789, the members of the National Assembly met at the Royal (c)   Court. They pledged the Tennis Court Oath, saying they would not leave until the (d)   met their demands.

• 3rd

• 96%

• Tennis

• king

King Louis assisted the Americans in revolting against which nation?

• Britain

• France

• Spain

• Germany

Who comprised France's 2nd Estate, often known as the Aristocrats?

• The French nobility

• The French peasants

• The French bourgeoisie

• The French clergy