French Revolution: Key Events, Figures, and Analysis

Historical Source Evaluation

Understanding Historical Source Evaluation

Timeline of Key Events (American & French Revolutions)

• American War of Independence: 1775 - 1783 (French involvement)
• Assembly of Notables: 22 Feb - 25 May 1787
• Lit De Justice: 6 Aug 1787, 8 May 1788
• Day of Tiles: 10 June 1788
• Harvest Crisis: 1788
• Pamphlet War: 1788-1789
• Cahiers De Doléances: 1789 (List of grievances)
• Rural Revolt: March 1789
• Réveillon Riots: 27-28 April 1789
• Estates-General: May 1789
• Declaration of the National Assembly: 17 June 1789
• Tennis Court Oath: 20 June 1789
• Royal Session: 23 June 1789
• Necker’s Dismissal: 11 July 1789
• Fall of the Bastille: 14 July 1789
• Municipal Revolutions: 13-17 July 1789
• The Great Fear: 20 July - 6 Aug 1789
• Night of 4 August: Abolition of feudal privileges

Politics and Ideas

• The Old Regime: Pre-revolutionary France
• The Three Estates:
  • First Estate: Clergy
  • Second Estate: Nobility
  • Third Estate: Commoners (Bourgeoisie, Urban Workers, Peasants)
• Administration & Tax: Corrupt and unequal system
• The Enlightenment: New political and social ideas
• Key Thinkers:
  • Voltaire: Critic of the Church & monarchy
  • Rousseau: The Social Contract (1762)

Financial Crisis and Reforms

• Compte Rendu au Roi: 1781 (Necker’s public budget report)
• Calonne’s Reform Plans: Aug 1786 (Failed attempts to fix finances)
• Brienne’s Financial Reforms: 1788 (Led to public unrest)

Key Individuals

• Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette: Monarchs of France
• Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès: What is the Third Estate?
• Marquis de Lafayette: Leader of the National Guard
• Jacques Necker: Finance minister, supported reform
• Charles-Alexandre de Calonne: Tried to reform finances

Source Analysis

• Identify Bias: Is the source trying to persuade or justify?
• Cross-Reference: Can claims be verified by other sources?
• Historical Context: Consider political, social, and economic factors.
• Evaluate Significance: Does the source reveal key causes or consequences?

Key Figures

• Louis XVI: King of France, indecisive and resistant to reform, executed in 1793.
• Marie Antoinette: Queen of France, symbol of royal excess, executed in 1793.
• Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès: Wrote What is the Third Estate?, argued for the political power of commoners.
• Marquis de Lafayette: Leader of the National Guard, helped draft the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
• Jacques Necker: Finance minister, popular for financial transparency but dismissed for criticising royal spending.
• Charles-Alexandre de Calonne: Proposed tax reforms to fix France’s debt crisis, but failed to gain support.
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Enlightenment philosopher, advocated for popular sovereignty and inspired revolutionary ideals.
• Voltaire: Critic of the Catholic Church and monarchy, promoted civil liberties and freedom of speech.