How the French Revolution challenged inequality

The French Revolution was a period of political and societal changes in France, beginning with the Estates General of 1789 and ending with the Coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799. These lessons help readers understand how the revolution unfolded amid social, political, and economic pressures. They trace the path from crisis and demands for representation to sweeping changes in French society and government.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 1 hr 40 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   the french revolution · Wikipedia · 60+ min read

   The French Revolution followed a crisis in which the benefits of increased prosperity were largely restricted to the rentier and mercantile classes, while living standards fell for wage laborers and peasant farmers who rented their land. Economic recession from 1785 and bad harvests in 1787 and 1788 led to high unemployment and food prices, causing a financial and political crisis. The French Directory faced internal unrest, a weak economy, an expensive war, and a Council of 500 that could block legislation at will. Because the directors had no power to call new elections, the only way to break a deadlock was rule by decree or use force.

2. Read
   

   French Revolution: Timeline, Causes, Key Figures & Events | HISTORY · HISTORY · 7 min read

   The Third Estate represented about 98 percent of France's people but could still be outvoted by the other two bodies. In the lead-up to the May 5, 1789 meeting, it mobilized for equal representation and voting by head rather than by status.

3. Watch
   

   The French Revolution: Crash Course World History #29 · YouTube · 12 min watch

   John Green examines the French Revolution, including how it differed from the American Revolution, the Reign of Terror, and Napoleon's rise.

4. Book
   

   A Tale of Two Cities · Bookshop.org

   A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens depicts the Defarges helping lead the storming of the Bastille in Paris in July 1789 and uses an unnamed aristocrat's decadence and self-absorption to characterize the ancien régime.

Book links are Bookshop.org affiliate links. Curiate may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you — Bookshop.org also gives a share to independent bookshops.