DBQ: The French Revolution

Throughout time, people have overthrown governments for a variety of social, political, and economic reasons. When basic needs aren't met and natural rights aren't protected, people start to question the government's morals and ideals. in the 18th century, the citizens of France were inspired by the Enlightenment ideas of Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau, as well as the success of the American Revolution. As a reaction to their unfair treatment, the people of the Third Estate rebelled against the government, and eventually, after many deaths and changes of power, the people finally received their much-deserved rights. There were many well-justified causes of the French Revolution, and although many horrible effects presented themselves, the resulting
The Reign of Terror started with the onset of the French Revolution, and during this period of time anyone thought to be an enemy of the revolution was executed. Document 6 shows a picture of a public execution occurring with thousands of people watching. The primary method of execution was by guillotine and during the Reign of Terror this gruesome contraption took the lives of over 16,000 people over the course of 9 months. The Reign of Terror finally ended with the execution of Robespierre in 1794. When Napoleon seized power in 1799, many citizens saw it as a good thing. They believed France needed a strong leader, and Napoleon filled that description well. Napoleon believed that “To have good soldiers, a nation must always be at war.” (Document 8). He was a very strong military leader, and he always looked to achieve more military conquests. He won lots of crucial battles for France and was remembered as a great war
The ideas that came from the American Revolution and the Enlightenment, as well as the heavy taxes, extremely high price of food, and lack of government representation caused the French citizens to rebel against the government. The French Revolution had many effects, such as the emergence of the Reign of Terror, which lead to the deaths of approximately 40,000 people. The revolution also lead to the reign of Napoleon, which gave the people a strong, military leader. Ultimately, Louis XVIII returned to power and ruled as a constitutional monarch, granting rights to the citizens and giving them a voice in