Joyner+Tyson

__The Scarlet Pimpernel Background Information and the French Revolution Background Information__


 * About the author of "The Scarlet Pimpernel"-**
 * The creator of the Scarlet Pimpernel was the Hungarian-born novelist Baroness Emmuska Orczy.
 * Broness Emmuska Orczy was born on 23 September 1865 at the family estate "Tarna-Örs" in Hungary, the second daughter of Baron Felix Orczy, a composer and conductor, and his wife Emma. baron Orczy was a friend of the great composers Wagner, Liszt and Gounod, who were regular visitors to the family's estate.
 * For more information about the author visit- []


 * Other works of Baroness Emmuska Orczy**
 * Baroness Orczy is best remembered for //The Scarlet Pimpernel// but she also wrote scores of mystery novels, adventure romances and other titles. At least a dozen of her novels were follow-ups to //The Scarlet Pimpernel//.
 * Orczy was a prolific writer and worked actively until her eighties. Her autobiography, "Links in the Chain of Life", was published in 1947.
 * For more information about the author's other works visit- []


 * The Birth of the Pimpernel**
 * A turning point came in 1903 when Emma and Montague wrote a play based on one of Emma's short stories.
 * She submitted her novelization of the story under the same title to 12 publishers before it was published in 1905.
 * Emma had her play accepted by Fred Terry and Julia Neilson for production in the West End.
 * The theatrical success of the play generated huge sales for the novel.
 * For more information about the birth of the Pimpernel visit- []

> From the 1750s it became increasingly clear to many Frenchmen that the constitution of France, based around an absolutist style of monarchy, was no longer working, due to failures in government and to the bourgeoisie seeking a voice in the administration > The ideas and writings of Enlightenment thinkers became widespread. The French people were inspired to go against their king. > The success of the Americans to overthrow British rule encouraged the French to fight for their freedom. > When Louis XVI finally called the Estates General to solve financial difficulties, the Third Estate did not agree with the unfair system of the Estates General. They formed the National Assembly to make a constitution. People were afraid that the king would suppress the National Assembly. They were also discontented that the king dismissed Necker, the popular Finance Minister. The hungry Parisians, who suffered from bad harvest, burst out their anger by attacking the Bastille prison. The Fall of Bastille started the French Revolution. It spread out to other parts of France.
 * Who is the Scarlet Pimpernel himself?**
 * The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of the most famous heroic characters in fiction of the past ten years.
 * The Scarlet PImpernel is Sir Percy Blakeney, who is thought to be a late-Georgian British society fop who is known more for being a dandy than a swordsman and hero.
 * "the Scarlet Pimpernel" is the rescuer of aristocrats and innocents during the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution.
 * For more information about the Scarlet PImpernel himself visit- []
 * Causes of the French Revolution**
 * **Political and Social Inequalities**
 * Financial CrisisThe financial crisis which left the door open for revolution began during the American War of Independence, when France spent over a billion livres, the equivalent of the state's entire income for a year. By 1789, the government was bankrupt.
 * **Influence of the Enlightenment and the American Revolution**
 * **Outbreak of revolution 1789**
 * For more information about the causes of the French Revolution visit- [] or []


 * The Guillotine**
 * The guillotine is one of European history's most bloody icons.
 * The guillotine is a device consisting of a heavy blade held aloft between upright guides and dropped to behead a person condemned to die.
 * Designed by Dr. Joseph Guillotine, a man described as kind and a man who wanted to make execution more humane, the guillotine quickly became a symbol of tyranny during the Fench Revolution.
 * Total weight of the guillotine was about 1278 pounds. The blade weighs over 88 pounds. The height of the side posts was just over 14 feet tall. The blade drop was 88 inches. Power at impact was 888 pounds per square inch.
 * For more information about the guillotine of the French Revolution visit- []
 * The Bastille**
 * The bastille was a fortress built in Paris in the 14th century and was used as a prison in the 17th and 18th centuries; it was destroyed July 14, 1789 at the start of the French Revolution.
 * The storming of the bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of July 14, 1789.
 * This storming of the bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution and the downfall of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
 * For more information about the bastille visit- []



> By the 1780s, elaborate hats replaced the former elaborate hairstyles.
 * Fashions of France during the French Revolution**
 * Women's clothing styles retained an emphasis toward a conical shape of the torso while the shape of the skirts changed throughout the period. Wide panniers (holding the skirts out at the side) came into style several times, and the aesthetic of a narrow inverted cone, achieved with boned stays, above full skirts remained. Shoes had high, curved heels and were made of fabric or leather.
 * The 1770s in fashion were notable for extreme hairstyles and wigs which were built up very high, and often incorporated decorative objects.
 * For more information about fashion during the French Revolution visit- []


 * Declaration of Rights of Women**
 * Signed in 1791.
 * The rights of women and the citizeness are listed at the following website- []


 * End of the French Revolution**
 * Almost all historians agree that the French Revolution started in 1789. What they don’t agree on is when the Revolution came to an end.
 * For the common end dates and the causes of these see- []