Steven+Feng


 * The Scarlet Pimpernel and the French Revolution **

** The French Revolution ** Around the mid-1700’s there was a discontent that grew among all three of the French Classes. The First and Second Estate were having their powers constantly usurped by the King and France, and in the third estate many things contributed to their discontent. Firstly, there was a growth of French population and families needed more food and clothing. During this population growth, there were food shortages that caused food prices to rise while wages were virtually still the same. Also, the Third Estate was beginning to feel contempt for having the most population and the least power. France, during this time was also in a massive debt crisis due to countless failed attempts to invade Britain and also helping the American Revolution. King Louis XVI was the unfortunate ruler that had to deal with the debt because the banks refused to lend the government any more money. This is when the King decided to tax the First and Second Estate but couldn’t get an agreement. So in a last attempt to solve the debt crisis, he decided to convene the Estates General at Versailles in May 1789. However, the King couldn’t seem to agree with the Third Estates terms, to have all Estates Generals meet up together and vote as individuals, and the Third Estate rebelled and started the revolution by declaring themselves the National Assembly. The goal of the National Assembly was to write and adopt a constitution for France. King Louis XVI, after hearing about the rebellion of the Third Estate, agreed with the terms, but his action was far too late. Many countries became horrified as the French Revolution took hold and many countries such as Austria and Britain tried to stop it, but failed, as France held strong. During this revolution, France had many reforms, but in the end it led to the nobles seizing power by drafting the Constitution of 1795. This constitution stated that only men who owned land could vote. Once again the government became corrupt until a bright young general by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte took power in 1799. History Book: World History People and Nations


 * French Revolution Timeline **

May 5, 1789- Louis XVI calls a meeting in Versailles to discuss and approve a new tax plan.

June 17, 1789- Three Poitevin curés l eave the Chambers of Clergy and join the Third Estate. With the third proposition of Abbé Sieyès accepted, the Third Estate proclaimed itself "The National Assembly." A few nobles and many more clergy join the movement of the Third Estate. The Tennis Court oath is taken, the Third estate would not separate until a constitutional regime was established.

July 7 – 13, 1789 - The National Assembly appoints a committee of thirty members to draft a constitution. The National Assembly announces itself the Constituent National Assembly, with full authority and power to decree laws. Their main task is to draw up and apply a constitution. Necker is dismissed. Demonstrations and speeches take place at the Palais–Royal. The electors of Paris form a standing committee and a citizens’ militia.

July 14,1789 - The storming and fall of the Bastille.

August 04,1789 - Feudalism and serfdom in France was ended by the National Assembly.

August 27,1789 - The National Assembly issued The Declaration of the Rights of Man.

October 5,1789 - The women of Paris invaded Versailles. Parisians, led by a large number of women, marched upon Versailles and force the royal family back to Paris, where they take up residence at the Tuileries. Louis XVI is considered by many a "Prisoner" in Paris. The Assembly, still in Versailles, declares, in the spirit of constitutional monarchy, its inseparability from the king.

1790 - The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed.

1791 - The Constitution of 1791 was adopted.

June 20,1791 - Louis XVI and his family were arrested while trying to flee from France but were arrested.

April 20, 1792 - France declared war on Austria.

September 1792 - The First meeting of the National Convention was held.

December 1972 - Commencement of the trial of Louis XVI.

January 21, 1793 - Louis XVI sentenced to the guillotine.

August 1793 - A National Draft was issued calling for all able-bodied men to enlist in the army.

September 1793 to July 1794 - The Reign of Terror court sentenced 20,000 to 40,000 people to death.

July 27, 1794 - The National Convention arrested Robespierre.

July 28, 1794 - Robespierre was beheaded.

1795 - A new Constitution was adopted.

1799 - The fall of the Directory heralds the end of the French Revolution.

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 * The Bastille **

The Bastille, a fortress in Paris, France, served as a prison for the upper-French class who opposed King Louis the XIV. The Bastille was originally build in the 14th century in response to a threat to Paris during the Hundred Years War. However, in the 18th century the Bastille was viewed as an unjust prison that held political prisoners and was also used to store arms. This prison was considered unjust because it held many printers, booksellers and authors who produced kinds of media that authorities considered to be rebellious against the government. The Storming of Bastille was the third major development of the French Revolution, the first being the formation of the National Constituent Assembly, the second being the Tennis Court Oath. The Storming of Bastille was the first revolt of the revolution. The siege was laid out on July 14, 1789 by a huge mob. Those who governed the Bastille expected a lot less people, around a hundred and did not expect them to give their lives in this event; thus, their preparations did not prepare the Bastille for its impending doom. The Bastille was simply overwhelmed and was taken over by the outraged citizens. The Marquis de Launay, the man who governed the Bastille, and his soldiers were dragged out on the streets of Paris, many of them died from crude beheadings. The storming of Bastille served as a symbol of success for the rest of the French Revolution.

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 * The Social Classes of France **

In 1302, during the reign of Phillip the third, the French were divided into three distinct classes. They included those who prayed, who fought, and everyone else.


 * 1) The First Estate (Those who prayed)- The First Estate consisted of the clergy. They owned about 10 percent of the land in France and made up only 1 percent of the population during the 18th century.
 * 2) The Second Estate (Those who Fought)- The second Estate was made up of the French aristocracy. The nobles had been the feudal lords who fought alongside the French King and protected the peasant families who lived on their lands. But by the 18th century most aristocrats were living in ostentatiously, and instead of protecting the peasants they walked arrogantly, flaunting their power. The aristocracy owned a quarter of the land in France and was made up of less than 2 percent of France’s population. The nobles were hardly ever taxed and to further worsen the treatment of the peasants, the aristocrats taxed those living on their lands for trivial matters like baking bread and pressing grapes into wine.
 * 3) The Third Estate (Everyone Else)- The third estate was made up of peasants and unskilled laborers. This social group was on equal footing during the Middle Ages, but as trade expanded and learning flourished during the Renaissance, a new class of educated merchants emerged in the Third Estate. The new educated portion of the Third Estate did not take to being bossed around by the nobles. The new sector in the third estate was right be rebellious because at a time of the French Revolution 98 percent of those who were taxed had no say in the government.

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History Book: World History People and Nations

** The Declaration of Right of Man and Citizen ** The Declaration of the Rights of Man stated that men are born equal and remain equal before the law. It proclaimed freedom of speech, of press, and of religion. It guaranteed men the right to take part in their government and to resist oppression and declared that all citizens had an equal right to hold public office. It also assured the right to personal liberty, which men could only lose after a fair trail and conviction. The declaration defined the principles that became the slogan of the French Revolution: “liberty, equality, fraternity.” There are 17 of these articles that stated the freedoms a man had. The Declaration is as follows: The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and redound to the happiness of all. Therefore the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of man and of the citizen: Articles: 10.No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law. 11.The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law. 12.The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted. 13.A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means. 14.All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes. 15.Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration. 16.A society in which the observance of the law is not assured, nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all. 17. Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified. []
 * 1) Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.
 * 2) The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
 * 3) The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.
 * 4) Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law.
 * 5) Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law.
 * 6) Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.
 * 7) No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense.
 * 8) The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense.
 * 9) As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person shall be severely repressed by law.



** The Declaration of the Rights of Women and Citizenesses ** During the 18th century women were considered inferior to men; thus, the rights of man did not extend to women. A group of women led by a Parisian playwright by the name of Olympe de Gouges wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Women and Citizenesses, but the National Assembly rejected it. The declaration is as follows: Preamble. Mothers, daughters, sisters, female representatives of the nation ask to be constituted as a national assembly. Considering that ignorance, neglect or contempt for the rights of woman are the sole causes of public misfortunes and governmental corruption, they have resolved to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, inalienable and sacred rights of woman: so that by being constantly present to all the members of the social body this declaration may always remind them of their rights and duties; so that by being liable at every moment to comparison with the aim of any and all political institutions the acts of women's and men's powers may be the more fully respected; and so that by being founded henceforward on simple and incontestable principles the demands of the citizenesses may always tend toward maintaining the constitution, good morals, and the general welfare. In consequence, the sex that is superior in beauty as in courage, needed in maternal sufferings, recognizes and declares, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of woman and the citizeness.
 * 1) Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on common utility.
 * 2) The purpose of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of woman and man. These rights are liberty, property, security and especially resistance to oppression.
 * 3) The principle of all sovereignty rests essentially in the nation, which is but the reuniting of woman and man. No body and no individual may exercise authority which does not emanate expressly from the nation.
 * 4) Liberty and justice consist in restoring all that belongs to another; hence the exercise of the natural rights of woman has no other limits than those that the perpetual tyranny of man opposes to them; these limits must be reformed according to the laws of nature and reason.
 * 5) The laws of nature and reason prohibit all actions which are injurious to society. No hindrance should be put in the way of anything not prohibited by these wise and divine laws, nor may anyone be forced to do what they do not require.
 * 6) The law should be the expression of the general will. All citizenesses and citizens should take part, in person or by their representatives, in its formation. It must be the same for everyone. All citizenesses and citizens, being equal in its eyes, should be equally admissible to all public dignities, offices and employments, according to their ability, and with no other distinction than that of their virtues and talents.
 * 7) No woman is exempted; she is indicted, arrested and detained in the cases determined by the law. Women like men obey this rigorous law.
 * 8) Only strictly and obviously necessary punishments should be established by the law, and no one may be punished except by virtue of a law established and promulgated before the time of the offense, and legally applied to women.
 * 9) Any woman being declared guilty, all rigor is exercised by the law.
 * 10) No one should be disturbed for his fundamental opinions; woman has the right to mount the scaffold, so she should have the right equally to mount the rostrum, provided that these manifestations do not trouble public order as established by law.
 * 11) The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of woman, since this liberty assures the recognition of children by their fathers. Every citizeness may therefore say freely, I am the mother of your child; a barbarous prejudice [against unmarried women having children] should not force her to hide the truth, so long as responsibility is accepted for any abuse of this liberty in cases determined by the law [women are not allowed to lie about the paternity of their children].
 * 12) The safeguard of the rights of woman and the citizeness requires public powers. These powers are instituted for the advantage of all and not for the private benefit of those to whom they are entrusted.
 * 13) For maintenance of public authority and for expenses of administration, taxation of women and men is equal; she takes part in all forced labor service, in all painful tasks; she must therefore have the same proportion in the distribution of places, employments, offices, dignities, and in industry.
 * 14) The citizenesses and citizens have the right, by themselves or through their representatives, to have demonstrated to them the necessity of public taxes. The citizenesses can only agree to them upon admission of an equal division, not only in wealth, but also in the public administration, and to determine the means of apportionment, assessment, and collection, and the duration of the taxes.
 * 15) The mass of women, joining with men in paying taxes, have the right to hold accountable every public agent of the administration.
 * 16) Any society in which the guarantee of rights is not assured or the separation of powers not settled has no constitution. The constitution is null and void if the majority of individuals composing the nation has not cooperated in its drafting.
 * 17) Property belongs to both sexes whether united or separated; it is for each of them an inviolable and sacred right, and no one may be deprived of it as a true patrimony of nature, except when public necessity, certified by law, obviously requires it, and then on condition of a just compensation in advance.

[|http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/americanstudies/lavender/decwom2.htm]
 * French Geography **

France’s Geography varies from plains to mountains that peak at 15,771 feet up in the air. France has a variety of green forests, rivers, and mountains. The highest mountain is Mount Blanc, with a summit at 15,771 feet. Other mountain ranges in France include the Alps and the Pyrenees. France has three main rivers, the Seine, the Loire, and the Rhone. The longest river, the Loire, is 634 miles long. It begins 85 miles north of the Mediterranean and runs north for 300 miles, and its direction changes after that to southwest and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The land in northern France is made up of the Paris Basin. The basin is a very flat plain that gently slopes down. In the center of this basin is Paris. The basin is a very good form of natural protection as the east the basin is made of limestone, and the west has ridges along the English Channel. The north of the basin leads into Northwestern Europe as well as the Ardennes and Vosges mountains. In the south, the basin is connected to the lowland of France called the Aquitaine Basin by the Gate of Poitou, a strip of land. There is also volcanic activity in France in the south-central part.

France has a total area of 643,801 square kilometers and 4,853 kilometers of coastline with 3 of its 5 sides surrounded by water. It is also the largest country in Western Europe. One can picture France as a having a size slightly smaller than Texas. France has three main climates, oceanic, continental, and Mediterranean. The western part of France has the oceanic climate. Oceanic climate has a small temperature range, lots of rainfall, cools summers and cool winters. In eastern and central France the climate is considered continental, which has warmer summers and colder winters than those in western France. The rainfall is still ample and the winters tend to produce snow especially in higher elevations. The Mediterranean climate is in southern France and has cool winters and hot summers with limited rainfall. The climates listed above does not preside over the mountainous areas of France. [] [] [] __ Physical Map __



__ Climate Map __




 * The Guillotine **

The Guillotine was man’s first attempt to make capital punishment more humane because during the 18th century capital punishment was the penalty for many crimes ranging from murder to petty theft. The “art” of dispatching a person was not a precise practice. There were a few main ways death was administered during the 18th century, each being very gruesome: hanging, the Garotte method, burning at the stake, and beheading. __Methods of Execution__ The main reasons for these horrific methods of execution was to scare the general population. Since the killings were open to the public, the hope was to scare any would-be criminals to change their lifestyle. The European leaders during the 18th century were more self-observant and thought that the current ways of execution would make the leaders seem barbaric. The guillotine is usually associated to French physician Joseph Guillotin. Guillotin, despite popular belief, did not invent the guillotine. He was apart of a political reform group who had hopes to banish capital punishment. The machine was invented by Louisette or Louison was coined the Guillotine and was used continent-wide as the machine to kill criminals http://www.essortment.com/guillotine-history-21315.html
 * 1) Hanging- The noose, today, is considered a practical way to carry out capital punishment; however, during the 18th century the government did not use mathematical calculations to ensure that death would occur with a quick snap of the neck. During the 1700’s one might be dropped from the platform and strangle to death because the drop did not have sufficient force to break ones neck.
 * 2) Garotte Method- The Garotte method was preferred by the Spanish during the 18th century and was a quite simple process, causing death by strangulation. The felon had a rope twisted around his neck until he died from lack of oxygen.
 * 3) Burning at the Stake- Burning at the stake was the punishment given to those who were accused of committing heresy or witchcraft. One was put into a barrel and was surrounded by pitch tinder and was ignited.
 * 4) Beheading- Beheading would generally give a quick death, but this form of execution was only available to women and noblemen. Beheading was considered the most honorable way to die by the Greeks and Romans; the people of the 17th century thought the same. However, not everyone could have this dignified way of dying because the executioner would inevitably tire out. Beheading didn’t guarantee a quick death; however, sometimes the executioner might miss or not completely severe the neck in which case hacking was resorted to.




 * Background on Baroness Orzcy and the Scarlet Pimpernel **

Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozalia Mraira Jozefa Borbala Orczy, otherwise know as Baroness Orczy was born September 27, 1865 in Tarna-Ors Hungary. Her dad, a Hungarian nobleman, Felix Orczy owned an estate in Hungary, and he invested heavily in farming machinery. The peasants on the Orczy estates revolted against using these tools, saying that they were the gadgets of the devil. The peasants then began destroying the property as well as the crops. The aftermath was crippling; most of the year’s crops were burnt. This debilitated the Orczy family financially, and they were forced to move to Budapest. This event took place in 1868 while Emma was only 3 years old, and had quite an influence on her Scarlet Pimpernel series. In Budapest Felix adopted many careers conducting different operas in order to support his family. There was also money coming in from their estate in Hungary. Felix took his family, his wife, Emma, and his older daughter Madeline, to Budapest to Brussels and later Paris. During this time the Baron was convinced that Madeline and Emma should musicians since Felix was quite in love with music. However Madeline died when Emma was eight, and Emma didn’t have the same love for music as Felix. In 1880 the family moved to London and Emma considered this to be the life-changing step in her life. In England she studied art at Heatherly’s School of Fine Art, but her artistic career never took off. At school she met her future husband, Montague Barstow, and was married in 1894. They lived modestly in London and had a son named John in 1899. The main source of income for the Emma’s family was Montague’s magazine illustrations and Emma’s English translations of Hungarian fairy tales. Emma found herself interested in writing which later led to her creation of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and after a few declines from different play companies first opened in October of 1903. The Scarlet Pimpernel was a success! Baronnes Orczy died on November 12, 1947 at the age of 82.

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 * Characters of the Scarlet Pimpernel **

Sergeant Bibot- Bibot guards the West Barricade of Paris and has one of the keenest eyes to catch the Aristos.

The Scarlet Pimpernel- The hero in the book who saves the French Aristo’s lives. He is keen and witty, being able to sneak out from under the French revolutionists’ nose.

Sally-Daughter of Mr. Jellyband who owns the Fisherman’s Rest, she is a beautiful kirtchen maid, waitress, and bar tender.

Mr. Jellyband- The owner of the Fisherman’s Rest, he is very loyal to his country and has a one-track mind; he hates the French revolutionists!

Sir Percy- Lady Blakeney’s husband, he is wearing a mask of stupidity and dullness in order to cover up his identity as the Scarlet Pimpernel. Sir Percy also has a massive build even for a British gentleman. He wears nothing but the finest clothing.

Lady Blakeney- Sir Percy’s husband, she is considered the most cunning women in Europe. She is Sir Percy’s wife and often makes fun of Sir Percy’s dullness. However, she loves Sir Percy even though at first she doesn’t realize it. She is physically described as being youthful and beautiful.

Sir Andrew- In the league of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Sir Andrew is one of the closest people to Sir Percy and is in love with Suzanne.

Vicomte- A short young man who is the Comtesse’s son, he is very valiant and believes in his French traditions.

Lord Antony- Lord Antony is also in the league of the Scarlet Pimpernel. He is a very light and cheerful character.

Suzanne-The Comtesse’s Daughter and a close friend of Lady Blakeney’s because she went to England to learn English with Lady Blakeney. She is in love with Sir Andrew.

Comtesse de Tournay- The Comtesse is an excellent example of the French aristocrats. She holds herself to very high standards, and is very obstinate because she doesn’t change her thoughts or values despite what other people say.

Comte de Tournay- Comte is still in France for the majority of the book. He is in the French

Sir Algernon- Sir Percy’s Father

Lady Blakeney (Late)- Sir Percy’s mother who acquired a mental disease that led to her mental breakdown.

Armand St. Just- Armand is a republican, but he is not a “radical” republican; thus, he is also in the league of the Scarlet Pimpernel in order to try to save all the French aristocrats from being murdered. He is also Lady Blakeney’s brother. He and Lady Blakeney have a very close relationship as Lady Blakeney regards Armand as being the only person who ever loved her. Armand St. Just is also what Chauvelin uses to blackmail Lady Blakeney.

Marquis St. Cyr- The Marquis is a French noble who flogged Armand for sending his daughter a love poem. He is now deceased because Lady Blakeney let out a few words to the French tribunal, and he was captured and murdered.

Chauvelin- The Republic of France’s diplomat, he is a spy however to try to figure out who the Scarlet Pimpernel is. He also knows Lady Blakeney and blackmails her to aid in his cause of uncovering the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Chauvelin is the antagonist in the book and is very sly and cunning.

Lord Grenville- Lord Grenville is the Foreign Secretary of State.

Prince of Wales- The Prince of Wales is a close friend with both Sir Percy and Lady Blakeney.

Brogard- Brogard is the owner of the Chat Gris inn in Chalis. He is hateful towards aristocrats and flaunts his rights as a French citizen.

Degas- Degas is one of Chauvelin’s men. He has a higher authority than all the other men Chauvelin.