Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
DID THE REFORMS OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY GO TOO FAR OR NOT ENOUGH? (The…
DID THE REFORMS OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY GO TOO FAR OR NOT ENOUGH?
The Great Fear and the Abolition of Feudalism
The events in Paris also spread to the countryside, with peasants rising up and attacking local lords
This was because of ‘The Great Fear’, that the nobles were gathering forces to counter the revolution and protect their rights
The Constituent Assembly then passed the August Decrees.This abolished many noble privileges, including venality, payment of tithes, and creating equal taxation
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Lafayette is given the most credit for it, but even he took much of his inspiration from Seyes’ ‘What is the third estate?’
Published by the Constituent Assembly on 26th August, the Declaration was not a new constitution, but a list of principles and values
The October Days and the March on Versailles
In reaction, a crowd of 6,000-7,000 women marched to Versailles.They then broke into the palace, killing royal guards and attempted to kill Marie Antoinette who had hid with Louis
To appease the crowd, Louis moved the royal court back to Paris, escorted by the National Guard.Due to now having to meet in Paris, 56 monarchist deputies refused to attend the Constituent Assembly in fear
Tensions were rising in Paris, as Louis refused to sanction the August decrees and voiced his opposition to the Rights of Man. He also brought in his personal Flanders regiment to protect him
The Reforms of the Constituent Assembly
Power of the Monarchy
- While, Louis still maintained the right to appoint his own ministers and have an allowance of 25 million livres, his legislative power was reduced to a suspensive veto that could delay or suspend laws for up to four years
Political rights
- Active citizens were those who paid the equivalent of three days’ pay in taxes and could vote for electors that then voted for deputies. While 70% of men could vote, only 50% could become electors, and only 10% were wealthy enough to become deputies
Economic reforms
- In the summer of 1789, the CA abolished the taille, the gabelle, tithes, feudal dues, and internal tariffs.State monopolies and tax farmers were also removed
In January 1791 the new tax system came into force, made up of three taxes.A universal land tax (as proposed by Callone in 1787.A tax on business profits.And a tax on transfer of goods
On 2nd November, the CA nationalised all land belonging to the Catholic Church and sold it along with land belonging to emigres.This raised over 400 million lires and was sold mostly to bourgeois and peasants
Religious change
-In response to the sale of church land, bishops attacked the church and deeming those who bought the land as being in league with the devil.With so many clergy opposing the Civil Constitution, the CA demanded that all priests must swear an oath on 27th November 1790
Only 7 of the 83 bishops took the oath and only half of all parish priests
Other Reforms-
Removed restrictions on the press
Abolition of the parlements and the lettres de cachet
Administrative regions restructured into 83 departments, where the active citizens would elect the Justices of the Peace (JP)