Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution The French Revolution began in 1789 and ended in 1799.

During this ten-year period, the French citizens razed and redesigned their countrys political landscape, uprooting centuries -old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system. (Wagner) The French Revolution was influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment. The main ideas of the Enlightenment included abolishing serfdom, centralizing government, giving people more freedom, and making all religions treated equal. The concepts in particular that influenced the French Revolution were popular sovereignty and inalienable rights. Popular sovereignty (also known as the sovereignty of the people) basically means the people are the rulers. This was important during the French Revolution in that the people of France felt that the government (at the time, it was a monarchy) was doing more harm than good. King Louis XV caused the country of France to go in bankruptcy, yet continued to spend the money any. These two ideas were main points in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, written by the French revolutionaries in August of 1789. Through the ten years of the French Revolution, the people of France fought for their rights and change of the country. The French Revolution helped shape the modern nation of France by showing the world the power inherent in the will of the people. (Wagner) Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI, played a major role in the French Revolution. Although she had no real role as Queen of France and no political power, she contributed to the anger fueling the revolutionists of France. At first, the people of France welcomed the coronation of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette warmly. But soon, the tables would turn. The royal family began spending imaginary money and became unconcerned with the people of France. Mar ie became aggressively social, attending the Opera and dances in the capital, gambling and partying late into the night at Versailles. In public and at court, she was seen only in the latest and most expensive

fashions. (Pederson) The only way the royal family paid for their extravagant lifestyle was by highly taxing the people of France. In October of 1789, the royal family was forced to leave Versailles for the Tuileries palace in the heart of Paris, where they lived in prison-like isolation. (Pederson) This was due to the French revolutionists attacking and burning the palace in Versailles. On June 20th, 1791, the royal family attempted to flee Paris to the border of Austria. Alas, they were captured and brought back to Paris. They were now prisoners of the Revolutionary government. In August of 1792, militants again attacked the royal palace where Marie and her family were. They forced the Legislative Assembly to suspend King Louis XVI. In September of 1792, the new National Convention declared France a republic, making monarchy a thing of the past. Now, Louis XVI and Marie were no longer King and Queen of France, but imprisoned citizens of treason. Louis XVI was executed in January of 1793 and Marie in October of 1793. In October 1795, the French Revolution took a turn, making this the last time the citizens of France having charge of the revolution. The Directory ruled France for the next four years. They removed the royalists and rigged constant voting to stay in power. This was against the original dreams of the revolutionists. In 1804, France had a new leader. Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France. This marked the end of the French Republic and the beginning of the French empire. Works Cited Pederson, Kristin. 2006. The Teen Queen: Marie Antoinette. PBS. 3 December 2013. Web. Wagner, A. 2011. The French Revolution. History. 3 December 2013. Web.