French Revolution Ugly Xmas Sweatshirt

Last day of school before christmas break, my AP World History: Modern teacher challenged us to wear an Ugly Christmas Sweatshirt with props from the French Revolution attached to it. I

  1. Liberty cap - revolution uniform worn by the Paris residents to represent their loyalty to the revolution that symbolizes freedom and liberty.

  2. ricolor cockade - the three colors of France, red, white, and blue, that became the official symbol of the revolution and represent the three estates of French society.

  3. Guillotine - one of the main symbols of the French Revolution as it is the method by which King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antionette were executed. It also took likes of hundreds of thousands during the reign of terror when all those who opposed the Jocabins are trialed and executed.

  4. Bread - one of the main reasons behind the French Revolution was the deregulation of trade that led to a huge increase in the price in the bread market. This led to widespread starvation and anger when King Louis XVI was unable to fix the issue.

  5. Cake - the famous saying “Let them eat cake”, is a famous saying supposedly from Queen Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. During a time when the majority of the French population suffered from starvation, Antoinette’s saying evoked anger in the lower class as it seems to them that she is ignorant to their suffering.

  6. Crown: the crown represents the extravagant lifestyle that King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antionette lived in the wake of the French Revolution. The Parisians were enraged as it seems that the monarch was not conserving at all while the poor were forced to pay higher taxes. It also represents the monarch, the King and the Queen, that the revolutionaries are trying to overthrow.

  7. Liberty, equality, fraternity - the national motto of France that originates from the revolution. This saying is highly influenced by Enlightenment ideas as it emphasizes the rights of individual men and is the idea behind the French Revolution and the demand for a constitution to be written.

  8. Tennis ball - the famous Tennis Ball Oath was sworn by the Third Estate on a tennis ball court after they had been locked out of the general assembly. They promised they will not disband until a national constitution has been written.