Revolution Spreads
- While Louis was still king, the damage to his power and authority was severe...
- As news spread, provincial towns pledged to obey only orders agreed to by the newly formed National Constituent Assembly.
- Rural peasants reacted by:
- Looting grain stores
- Attacking châteaux
- Seizing feudal documents
- Attacks on landlords came to be known as the “Great Fear”.
The August Decrees
- August 4th 1789.
- The National Assembly passed decrees including:
- Church tithes were abolished
- All tax privileges relating to land or persons were abolished.
- All citizens were to be taxed equally.
- All citizens regardless of birth were eligible for all offices – church, civil or military.
Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen
All men are born free and equal
- The main rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression
- Power (sovereignty) rests with the people
- Freedom of worship
- Freedom of expression
- Speech/publication
- Taxation according to means
- Freedom to own property
Nationalisation of Church Land
- They took responsibility for looking after the clergy, and, for helping the poor.
- Bonds were sold to people as currency against the land and 400m livres were generated.
- Under financial pressure, in Nov 1789 the National Assembly seized all of the property of the church.
The October Days
The king protested the nationalisation of the church. - The assembly decided they could take Legislative Power (Making laws) while the king took Executive Power (Ruling the Country).
- The King refused to approve any assembly decree.
- A hungry and angry mod descended on Versailles, the King was given no choice but to accept the decrees and go to Paris with Antoinette on 6th October.
Voting & Tax Reform
- Three tiers of active citizens were made but favoured wealthy men at higher levels.
- But 61% of Frenchmen could take part in some lower level bodies (compared to 4% in England).
- In 1791 the new tax system had three parts:
- Land tax, for all land owner
- Movable goods tax
- Commercial profits tax
- these benefitted the poor, but were inefficient and poorly administered.
Economic, Legal & Church Reforms
- Free trade in grain throughout France was introduced, without customs duties.
- Workers’ guilds were ended to allow easier entry, and the Assembly outlawed strikes
- Justices and courts were standardised to make the legal system universal.
- Church was reorganised and democracy was applied. Corrupt practices like absenteeism removed.
