HIEU 242 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Tennis Court Oath, Toleration, Tyrant
19 Mar 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
On sovereignty: king appointed by god- absolute and perpetual power, warning signs of being a tyrant: Debt, war, famine, incompetence- absolute power breakdown. Social contract- looking at reason and facts: moves power from god to people. How do differing populations experience the lead up to the french revolution: what about the average person, what is the declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen. In what ways does it re ect the social contract. A problem of taxes: seven years war leaves france bankrupt (supported 13 colonies) 50% of national budget pays toward its debt. Calls meeting of the estates general (governing council: rst meeting since 1614, third estate is angry. Sieyes, a member of the clergy, calls for equal inclusion: famine. Hailstorms ruin crops in 1789, leading to mass hunger and starvation. Going hungry: 1788: families spend 50% of income on bread, 1789: families spend 80% of income on bread, unemployment rises in urban france.
