The French Revolution Newspaper Article Project

Gale Databases - You will need a public library card for outside-of-school access, or apply for a Boston Public Library ecard.

EResources  

The Palace of Versailles was an opulent haven from the squalors of Paris."

 

How the French Revolution Worked*
Investigate the original goals of the French Revolution and how they changed during the course of the war. The middle class and peasants gained a measure of equality and freedom never before experienced. Although a dictatorship and monarchy returned, oppression by feudal lords did not. Explore the historical background that created a desperate situation and led to revolution. Understand why the French stormed the Bastille, find out what happened to the king, and learn what the revolution had to do with taxes.
Topic: French Revolution, 1789-1799 Language: English Lexile: 1110  Image collection     
http://history.howstuffworks.com

Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution (Look at Royal Life)
"Versailles, which is capable of holding up to 20,000 people, has 700 rooms, more than 2,000 windows, 1,250 chimneys, and 67 staircases.  Not only did the immediate royal family reside there, but the palace also housed many members of the French nobility, as well as all official government offices."

If you are studying Marie Antoinette and her connection to the French Revolution, be sure to visit this PBS web site. You will find carefully researched information presented in interesting and creative ways. Check the timeline for the biographical facts of Marie Antoinette's life from her birth to her death by the guillotine. You will also learn about the extravagant lifestyle of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI by taking a virtual tour of their Palace of Versailles. Learn about the important historical figures who interacted with the Queen and about the worldwide revolutionary spirit at this time in history.
Topic: French Revolution, 1789-1799, Marie Antoinette, Queen, consort of Louis XVI, King of France   Language: English Biography: http://www.pbs.org

1789 -- The Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille in 1789 became a symbol of the French Revolution. The painting featured at this web site from the Keats-Shelley House Museum depicts the turmoil of the times. Find out how the storming of the Bastille became a turning point in the history of France. Also discussed is how the French Revolution made a lasting impression on English literature. This web site is dedicated to the English Romantic poets and Romantic literature.
Topic: French Revolution, 1789-1799, Romanticism (Literature), Storming of the Bastille Language: English, French Lexile: 1540 http://www.keats-shelley-house.org

Imaging the French Revolution
Essays, images and discussion about the French Revolution are accessible at this web site. The main purpose of the site is to study images of crowd violence during the French Revolution by using forty-two digital images. The essays contain analyses by scholars. The discussions center around seven main themes. To examine the French Revolution images, roll over one of the detail images to see the whole image. An image tool will let you zoom in and out.
Topic: French Revolution, 1789-1799 Language: English Lexile: 1500  Image collection: http://chnm.gmu.edu

Social Causes of the Revolution
As the causes of the French Revolution are examined you will learn about the Great Fear. You will learn about the function and role of the election and the elimination of privilege. You will also learn about the remaining, underlying social conflicts that included the differentiation between active citizens and passive citizens. The opposition to the assembly is discussed and you will find examples of the social conflicts that led to what was called the Great Fear.
Topic: French Revolution, 1789-1799 Language: English Lexile: 1370 http://chnm.gmu.edu

French Revolution
The French Revolution was a political and social upheaval that extended from 1789 until 1799. It resulted in the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the First Republic. Although there are many complex causes of the French Revolution, you will learn the most important ones from this web site. Learn how the nobility and the clergy were ignoring the problems of the state and burdening the peasants with excess taxes. Find out how the people rebelled, the new government was set up, and the changes resulting from the Revolution.
Topic: French Revolution, 1789-1799   Language: English Lexile: 1490  Video: http://www.history.com

Paris and the Politics of Rebellion
The Jacobins gained power in France in 1792 because the people saw them as supporting their demands for cheaper bread and the sale of church lands, while the Girondins were merchants and former members of the defunct Legislative Assembly. Discover how the radicals gained even more power. Workers and even women participated in revolutionary politics to an unprecedented degree. Learn about the bread riots, September Massacres, and the Reign of Terror. Investigate how soldiers assisted the populace in riots and the storming of the Bastille.
Topic: French Revolution: The Reign of Terror (1793-1794), Storming of the Bastille http://chnm.gmu.edu

The Beginning of the French Revolution, 1789
Tensions in Paris in 1789 increased when the group of middle and lower class people known as the Third Estate wanted to write a new constitution for France. A food shortage contributed to the tensions and angry people stormed the Bastille prison to obtain arms. Find out how the historic storming of the Bastille became the event that started the French Revolution. Read the letter written by Thomas Jefferson as he describes the tension and violence in Paris during this time.
Topic: Storming of the Bastille, French Revolution, 1789-1799 Lexile: 1360 http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com

Great Events from History: The Eighteenth Century

Keleher, Edward P. and Haug, C. James. "Fall of the Bastille." Great Events from History: The Eighteenth Century. Ed. John Powell. Hackensack: Salem, 2006. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. .

Chateau de Versailles - The site for Versailles.

The October March on Versailles