1. Everyday Life
Pierre
Wednesday, May 15, 13

2. No Worries
This morning I went to go to one of the lands I own, I had asked a few of
my servants to start working on my fields since it was finally getting
warmer.As I gazed into my fields, I thanked my ancestors because if it
wasn't for them, I could have possibly gone through poverty, just like my
servants. Honestly I don’t know how they do it. Especially now since the
taxes are extremely high, well at least that’s what I think since nobles
don’t pay taxes, but also many people are dying due to malnutrition.As
a noble I should be thankful that I don’t pay taxes, the taxes have rose up
immensely due the numerous wars France is losing. However, since I’m a
noble malnutrition has never been an issue for me; my family and I always
have plenty of food in our castle and our bellies are always full. I didn’t
need to care about the peasants; it wasn’t my fault that they were in
famine.
After looking at my fields I went into town to go play chess with a very
good friend of mine, but as I was in my carriage I recall seeing all the
peasants as skinny as a baguette. I thought of how my cousin was probably
one of them, his family had lost everything in a fire and my family refused
to help.We would have lost too much money, and my parents never got
along with them.When I started playing chess with my friend, Jean, he had
told me that there were threats on how the nobles might have to pay
taxes.This was unacceptable! For centuries honorable people like me
never had to pay taxes, I was not going to accept this. I don’t think my
great King Louis XVI would be doing this; he has always put the nobles
before anyone.The Monarch has always been great, even though France
isn’t in it’s best state at this moment I know that everything he is doing is
for the benefit of France.
When I heard about this news I sent a letter to the King as fast as the
wind, in this letter I wrote about how it was unacceptable that I had
heard that nobles would be paying taxes. Even though I know many
peasants are starving, this isn’t my problem. If I start paying taxes, I might
end up like one of them! I hope that my family and I are not at stake; my
ancestors have worked extremely hard to make sure that I would
survive. I will not let this happen.
March 23rd 1798
My servants and I
on a beautiful day.
My beautiful home!
Wednesday, May 15, 13

3. June 20th 1789
The indoor tennis court.
One of the
delegates of the
third estate.
Unacceptable
Today was the meeting of The Estates-General assembly; the three
states were going to have a meeting place in Versailles because the
government is in dept. and they now want money from the church and
me. This is unacceptable I cannot believe the King ignored my letter!
The reason why the third estate proposed a meeting with the first and
second estate was because of the high taxes and the famine. I know
that all of France is starving or something, but why should I care? Have
they worked as hard as I have to be a successful and honorable noble?
I don’t think so. They have no right to take my money and rights away
from me. I will not pay taxes or starve, take my word for it!
Delegates of the third estate proposed a meeting; they wanted every
person to have the right of one vote. Since the peasants were half of
the assembly, they were most likely going to win. This was unfair; it
would be better to simply not have a vote since we all knew the
peasants would win. I was extremely angry with this, if I had to pay
taxes I would have less money for my family and I! I was furious until I
found out the third estate was locked out of the meeting place due to
the small amount of space, I was finally starting to feel relieved.
However, they had decided to move the meeting to an indoor tennis
court near Versailles. There was a vast amount of people in the indoor
tennis court, most of the members of the National Assembly were
walking and everyone seemed bother about moving the meeting place.
The peasants are already bothering all of France or at least the
important citizens! They should not be bothering us. When the meeting
was starting the third estate started yelling, they were irritated about
being locked out. One of their delegates was speaking and demanded a
new constitution for France, and swore not to leave until they got it.
That was when and where the Tennis Court of Oath had been made.
In my mind I found it a little humorous how the third estates thought
they would get this demand. Everyone knows that the peasant’s state
will not change. King Louis XVI knows that the first and second estate
will have to make sacrifices in order for the third estate to be out of
poverty, and we will not make any sacrifices. Even though the King had
ignored my letter, I know that deep down inside of him he will make
sure the first and second estate will live in luxury, even if that means
the third estate will have to starve.
Wednesday, May 15, 13

4. July 14th 1789
The Bastille when it
was attacked.
One of my
servants at the
Bastille!
New Revolution
THE BASTILLE HAS BEEN ATTACKED! Today the third estate had
confronted the Bastille; they had stormed into the prison because
Parisians felt the need to arm themselves and the arms are stored up at
the Bastille. The main reason why all the Parisians want to arm
themselves is because of Marie Antoinette; King Louis XVI is married
to a lady from Austria. Austria and France are enemies, hated nobilities.
Honestly, I thought Marie was a very kind woman she always helped
the less fortunate but if these accusations were true I would no longer
trust her or the king. France is afraid that the King is under influence of
the queen, Marie-Antoinette. It is said that the king used foreign soldier
troops against his own Parisians to defeat the revolution! I no longer
trust the King Louis XVI, he has done nothing but betray France. The
other issue doesn’t really concern me, but I had overheard some of my
servants say that the need of protection is not the only reason why the
citizens had stormed at the Bastille. Some of the other reasons why the
citizens had stormed the Bastille were due to the food shortages,
unemployment, high prices, and fear of soldiers taking down National
Assembly.
When the Parisians stormed into the prison they had created chaos,
the guards had to open a fire and kill nearly one hundred people. One
of my servants was part of the riot that attacked the Bastille, he was
lucky to have not been killed there but it wouldn’t have been difficult to
replace him. He had told me that the Parisian crowd overwhelmed the
guards and killed their commander, and then the mayor had been killed
in the fire. This had shocked me this was a very nauseating action; to
prove their victory the citizens put the commander and mayor’s heads
on poles and held them as they marched through Paris. I am afraid
about what will happen now, after this France is probably going to be a
disaster. The King Louis XVI will probably have to save the National
Assembly, and France is going to change. I am afraid about what will
happen, if the third estate gains too much power they will start
attacking the first and second estate. My family and I won’t be able to
go through this; I will not lose all the privileges I have gained. I will
refuse to pay taxes and say goodbye to the life I have as a noble!
Wednesday, May 15, 13

5. January 21st 1793
When King
Louis XVI was
executed.
The court
order of
the King.
No more King!
I had seen King Louis XVI been killed today, killed. His head had been
chopped off the same way a butcher would chop of a piece of meat. The
government had agreed to execute the King using a guillotine. Honestly, I
found this way of executing nauseating; chopping someone’s head off in a
public area was a little too extreme for me. However, I always kept my
mouth shut now I didn’t want to cause any trouble. Even though this is a
terrible way to kill someone I’m glad that the King has finally been
executed. Over the last few years of his life the king had been too soft, he
was unable to make any final decisions. France needed a good leader, and
Louis XVI was unable to satisfy his citizen’s needs.
The King was accused of treason; he had betrayed all of France. This wasn’t
shocking news for me; I had a feeling that the King was not a suitable leader
ever since he had ignored my letter. Anyway, the problem is that as soon as
Louis XVI knew he was in trouble he ran, like a little girl! I mean I could have
ran too, the first and second estate are going to have to pay taxes soon but
I’ve decided to stay in France! I am loyal to my origins, unlike the king. He
had taken his wife and his kids to runaway to Austria. I assume his wife,
Marie Antoinette, had mentioned this idea to the King since she was from this
hated nobility. Luckily, two soldiers had found him and his family at Varennes
and put them all in jail. It was a little absurd for them to runaway because all
of France was on the lookout for them. They knew that the minute they left
they would be found as easily as an ant can be found in green grass.
However, it’s understandable that they would want to flee, Marie Antoinette
was in danger and the whole royal family was under house arrest.
I think that ever since the Storming of the Bastille and the March on
Versailles Louis XVI has been in trouble. France wants change and he was
unable to give it to the Parisians. The Storming of Bastille had changed the
way the French citizen would think, all the citizens wanted their own rights
and they weren’t afraid of telling the king anymore. The March on Versailles
had proved that the woman also wanted the government to know that they
had needs, when they ran out of bread they had complained. All of these
issues had occurred due to the fact of the horrible leadership led by the Louis
XVI. After this event France is going to change, there is going to be a new
leader and a new constitution. As a noble I hope that I will still have my
rights and freedom, I now want the best for France.
Wednesday, May 15, 13

6. 28th July 1794
This is
Robespierre,
the man
who killed
forty thousand
people.
Execution of Robespierre.
The End
Robespierre is dead. Another leader has been executed with the
guillotine, what has France become? I used to love France, I didn’t pay
taxes, I had too many servants, and I lived a luxurious life. Now I’m forced
to pay taxes, I have lost many servants and I don’t feel any different from a
peasant.
The fact that France’s leaders keep on getting executed has changed France
immensely. At first it was Louis XVI and now it’s Robespierre. These leaders
have failed France, what will France do now? After all of the troubles
Robespierre has caused I doubt France will ever be a good province. At first I
thought that both of these leaders were good, King Louis XVI always helped
the first and second estate but he proved us wrong when he ran away from
France. While Robespierre was a tireless and consistent man he beheaded
forty thousand people, forty thousand! He was crazy; anything would make
him behead a person. All the citizens had to be carful because anything they
said could get them killed; if someone said they were a supporter of the king
they were killed. Then at one point he started killing anyone who he didn’t
like or looked suspicious to him. More than half of my servants were killed
because of Robespierre; all of their heads were chopped off! This was a
horrible time to live in France. I’m grateful that I made it out without a
scratch on my face.
This atrocious time was called the Reign Of Terror because every single
person was afraid while the Jacobin group that was in reign of France. The
group was in control over a large part of the France, they beheaded anyone
who was against them. During the Reign Of Terror I had lost my brother, he
was just walking down the street one day and the Jacobin group thought he
looked suspicious and killed him with the guillotine! Ever since then I had
made sure that my family kept their mouths as shut, I refused to lose
someone I cared about.
Today Robespierre has finally been killed; it had finally occurred to people
that too many people had lost their lives due to the massive amount of
people that have been executed. People have started to oppose Robespierre
instead of supporting him; I thought this day would never come. I hope that
one day France will be as great as I remembered it, I want my children to
live in a place they are proud of.
Wednesday, May 15, 13

7. Citations
“French Revolution." History.com.A&E Television Networks, n.d.Web. 14 May
2013.
"French Revolution." Encyclopedia Britannica. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
Carter,Andrew. "The French Revolution for Dummies (and 'Les
Misérables'
Watchers)." The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 24 Dec. 2012.Web. 14
May 2013.
"The French Revolution (1789–1799)." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d.Web. 14
May 2013.
"The Beginning of the French Revolution, 1789." The Beginning of the French
Revolution, 1789. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
“Guillotine." Jspivey - Bastille JunWoo. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
Wednesday, May 15, 13

8. Citations"French Revolution II/old Regime Not Long to Endure." French Revolution II/old
Regime Not Long to Endure. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
"A Noble's Home." N.p., n.d.Web.
"The Delegate Speaking." N.p., n.d.Web.
“Tennis Court of Oath." ROMANTIC STYLE. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
"Loyalty Binds Me:The Storming of the Bastille." Loyalty Binds Me:The Storming of the
Bastille. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
"Storming the Bastille." A PrayerTo Our Father RSS. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
"The History Blog." The History Blog RSS. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
“The French Reign of Terror." ALMA. N.p., n.d.Web. 14 May 2013.
Wednesday, May 15, 13