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Discontent in France was reaching a boiling point again by the 1840s. Life in France was changing during the Industrial Revolution, especially in the cities. Though France stayed divided, politically. Radicals wanted a republic while socialists wanted an end to private ownership of property. The liberals say that claim of Louis Philippe’s government being corrupt is not true.
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Discontent grew when a time of recession hit France. Factories closed, workers lost their jobs, and poor harvests help to let the price of food to go up a lot. And in Paris, the chances for a revolution to happen were high.
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Recession- a period of reduced economic activity.
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During 1848, in the month of February, the government was taking steps to keep critics silence and to prevent any public meetings. Once this happened, angry crowds entered the streets of Paris. This outburst was called the “February Days”. During this time overturned carts, stones, and trees blocked the streets again. Church bells rang out alarms while the women and men from barricades sang the revolutionary anthem. A bunch of demonstrators had clashed with royal troops and died.
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As turmoil spread, king Louis Philippe steps out. Group of liberal, radical, and socialist leaders announced the Second Republic. The First Republic lasted from 1792 to 1804, which was Napoleon became emperor.
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Right from the beginning, differences had divided the new government. Liberals wanted moderate political reforms while socialists wanted far-reaching social and economic change. They also wanted to force the government to set up national workshops to provide jobs for people.
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“La Marseillaise” is the name of their revolutionary anthem.
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The fighting on these days had left a bitter legacy. The middle class both feared and distrusted the socialists. The working class harbored deep hatred for the bourgeoisie.
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Near the end of 1848, the National Assembly was overthrown by people who wanted to restore order. They had issued a constitution for the Second Republic. It had made a strong president and one-house legislature. It also gave the vote to all adult men, which was the widest suffrage in the world at the time. Nine million men could now vote, compared to only 200.000 who had that right before.
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When the elections were held, the winner was surprisingly Louis Napoleon who was the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. Louis Napoleon was able to attract the working class by showing himself as man who cared about social issues, while on the other hand, his famous name helped give him an advantage with the conservatives.
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By june, the upper- and middle-class interests had won control over the government. They saw that the National Workshops as a waste of money, so they just shut them down. The workers were furious, and once again took to the streets of Paris. But this time bourgeois liberals turned violent against the protesters. Peasants that feared that the socialists would come and take their land attacked the rioting workers as well. At least 1,500 people died before the government had crushed the rebellion.
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A five law treaty passed September, 1850. in 1849, California requested to be a free state. This messed up harmony of free and slave states. Senator Clay introduced a few resolutions, starting January. Part of the compromise was the Fugitive Slave Act got made and slave trade in Washington had ended. California became a free state and territorial government was made in Utah. Law also passed on the boundary feuds of Texas and New Mexico, which helped start territorial government in New Mexico.
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Louis Napoleon used his time in office as a stepping stone to greater power. By 1852, he proclaimed himself emperor and took the title Napoleon III. this action had helped end the short-lived Second Republic.
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Like his uncle, Napoleon III used a ballot in which voters have a direct say on an issue, to win approval for his seizure of power. 90 percent of voters supported the move to setup the Second Empire. Many thought that monarchy was more stable than a republic. They hoped that Napoleon III would restore the glory days of Napoleon Bonaparte.
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Like Louis Philippe, Napoleon III ruled at a time of rapid economic growth. For the bourgeoisie, early days of the Second Empire brought them prosperity and contentment. In time though, Napoleon III embarks on foreign adventures that would bring his empire down and end French leadership in Europe.
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The French Revolution of 1848 triggered a wave of revolutions across Europe, just like it did in 1830. Opponents of the old order, this was the time of hope that they called “springtime of the peoples”. Even Though events in France touched off the revolts, grievances had been piling up for years.
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Middle- class wanted a greater share in political power, as well as protections for the basic rights of all male citizens. Workers wanted relief from the miseries of the Industrial Revolution. Nationalists of all classes ache to throw off foreign rule.