Homework Packet for October 21-25, 2013
Due Tuesday October 22, 2013
Read the following article about the class system in France and write a 3-4 sentence summary on how society was organized in France in the 1700’s.
Society
France was governed by a king who ruled thanks to the grace of God; in 1789 this was Louis XVI, crowned on June 11th 1775. Ten thousand people worked in his main palace at Versailles, and 5% of his income was spent supporting it. The rest of French society considered itself divided into three groups: the estates.
The First Estate were the clergy, who numbered around 130,000 people, owned a tenth of the land and were due tithes of one tenth of everyone's income, although the practical applications varied hugely. They were immune from tax and frequently drawn from noble families. They were all part of the Catholic Church, the only official religion in France. Despite strong pockets of Protestantism, over 97% of the French population considered themselves Catholic.
The Second Estate were the nobility, numbering around 120,000 people. These were formed in part from people born into noble families, but certain highly sought after government offices also conferred noble status. Nobles were privileged, didn't work, had special courts and tax exemptions, owned the leading positions in court and society – almost all of Louis XIVs ministers were noble – and were even allowed a different, quicker, method of execution. Although some were enormously rich many were no better off than the lowest of the French middle classes, with a strong lineage and little else besides feudal dues.
The remainder of France, over 99%, formed the Third Estate. The majority were peasants who lived in near poverty, but around two million were the middle classes: the bourgeoisie. These had doubled in number between the years of Louis XIV and XVI and owned around a quarter of French land. The common development of a bourgeoisie family was for one to make a fortune in business or trade and then plough that money into land and education for their children, who joined professions, abandoned the 'old' business and lived their lives comfortable, but not excessive existences, passing their offices down to their own children. One notable revolutionary, Robespierre, was a fifth generation lawyer. One key aspect of bourgeois existence was venal offices, positions of power and wealth within the royal administration which could be purchased and inherited: the entire legal system was comprised of purchasable offices. Demand for these was high and the costs rose ever higher.
Due Wednesday, Oct 23, 2013:
Look at the picture and decide what you think was the role of women during the French Revolution.
Due Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013
Write a letter to a friend about how the French Revolution was a significant event in history and its impact on the world. OR Write a letter from the perspective of one of the social classes in France and explain what life was like for them in the 1700’s.
Due Friday October 25, 2013
Study for Quiz