FRENCH REVOLUTION

Revolution begins

Tasks:

2) Which people in France still were not equal despite the declaration? Explain your answer.

In spite of the changes that the declaration brought, women still did not have any privileges and they did not have the same rights as men. They could not take part in Government. The living conditions of slaves from France and the French colonies were not modified by the declaration since it did not seem convenient for members of Government. A left winger named Robespierre campaigned for the abolition of slavery but his proposal was rejected by the Assembly. The Declaration established that: “All citizens have a right to take part personally, or through their representatives, in the making of the law.”. However it was not true in reality since only a small number of citizens could really take part in political affairs.

4) Explain how changes in the constitution affected; a) the King; b) local government; c) the economy; d) the Church.

The new constitution involved many changes. From that moment the king would be known as the “King if French” rather than “King of France”. It was established that the King could delay the passing of a law for three years.

Regarding the French local government, The Assembly would be elected every two years, by the “active citizens.” They were men who paid a certain level of taxation and they had the right to elect Judges, deputies, tax-collectors and priests. 83 new departments were created to become centres for local government.

In Economy, they created a new taxation system which based on income, and they introduced a new currency known as the assignat. The lands that belonged to the Church were nationalized and the income from their sale would be used to pay off government debt. And the Church tax (tithe) was abolished.

The church suffered dramatical changes with the new constitution since marriages started to be celebrated as civil ceremonies in front of state officials. In the past, they only could take place in a church. Divorce was introduced and priests had to take an oath of loyalty to the state. This was considered to be an attack on the power of bishops and the Pope himself.

5) Which of these changes do you think was most important? Why?

I think that the most important change brought by the New Constitution was the nationalization of the lands that used to be property of the Church because they would be used to improve the financial situation of the country.