History Class 9 Chaoter 1 Notes
History Class 9 Chaoter 1 Notes
I•) Introduction:
• On 14 July, 1789, in the wake of early morning, the city of Paris was in a
state of alarm.
• Rumors spread that the King would open fire upon the citizens.
• More than 7000 people started gathering, and they started breaking
down a number of government buildings in search of arms.
• The commander of the Bastille was killed in the armed fight, and the
prisoners were released.
• People hated the Bastille as it stood for the despotic power of the king.
People also protested against the high price of bread.
• A new chain of events began, which led to the execution of the King in
France.
• Louis XVI, in 1774, ascended the throne of France who was married to an
Austrian Princess Marie Antoinette.
• France, under Louis XVI, helped the thirteen American colonies to gain
their independence from Britain.
• The feudal system was part of the society’s estates dating back to the
middle ages.
• 60 percent was owned by nobles, the Church and other richer members
of the third estate.
• The clergy and the nobility, members of the first two estates, enjoyed
certain privileges by birth.
• These groups of members were exempted from paying taxes and enjoyed
feudal privileges.
• All members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state, which
included a direct tax, called taille.
• Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand, due to which
the price of bread rose rapidly.
• Due to the low wages paid to the labourers, the gap between the poor and
the rich widened.
• The group of the third estate had become prosperous and had access to
education and new ideas.
• In the eighteenth century, new social groups emerged, termed the middle
class, who earned their wealth through expanding overseas trade and by
manufacturing woollen and silk textiles that were either exported or
bought by the richer members of society.
• All these groups were educated and believed that no group in society
should be privileged by birth.
• Louis XVI, on 5 May 1789, called an assembly to pass proposals for new
taxes.
• Representatives from the first and second estates were present, and the
third estate was represented by its prosperous and educated members.
• But, representatives from the third estate demanded each member would
have one vote.
• The demand was rejected, so members of the third estate walked out to
protest.
• They swore not to disperse till a constitution was drafted for France that
would limit the powers of the monarch.
• Due to the severe winter, bread prices rose, and people had to spend
hours in long queues.
• Rumors spread that the lords of the manor hired bands of brigands to
destroy the ripe crops.
• Citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly,
but unfortunately, not every citizen had the right to vote.
• Men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a
labourer’s wage were entitled to vote.
• In April 1792, the National Assembly voted for a war against Prussia and
Austria.
• While men were away fighting in the war, women took care of their
families.
• Large sections of the population demanded that the revolution had to be
carried further, as the Constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to
the richer sections of society.
• Political clubs were formed, and among them, Jacobins became the most
successful club.
• On August 10, 1792, Jacobins stormed the Palace of the Tuileries and
held the king hostage for several hours.
• Elections were held, and all men of 21 years and above got the right to
vote.
• If they were declared guilty by the court, then they were guillotined.
• The guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a
person is beheaded, named after Dr Guillotin.
• Meat and bread were rationed. Expensive white flour was forbidden to
use.
• All French men and women were addressed as Citoyen and Citoyenne
(Citizen).
• In July 1794, he was convicted by a court, arrested and the next day sent
to the guillotine.
• The fall of the Jacobin government allowed the wealthier middle classes
to seize power.
• Women from the third estate had to work for a living, and they didn’t
have access to education or job training.
• Compared to men, their wages were lower. Women also started their
political clubs and newspapers.
• They demanded equal political rights as men, the right to vote and to
hold political office.
• Schooling became compulsory, divorce was made legal, and they could
run small businesses.
• After much struggle, women in France in 1946 won the right to vote.
• Slave labour met the growing demand in European markets for sugar,
coffee, and indigo.
• In 1794, the Convention legislated to free all slaves in the French overseas
possessions.
• France during 1789 saw changes in the lives of men, women and
children.
XIII•) Conclusion:
• The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important
legacy of the French Revolution.
1774:
Louis XVI becomes king of France, faces empty treasury and growing
discontent within society of the Old Regime.
1789:
1791:
A constitution is framed to limit the powers of the king and to guarantee basic
rights to all human beings.
1792-93:
1804:
1815: