Hey, I wrote a mildly popular post about this before. Hopefully it helps :)

• Say I'm a farmer in 1791 France and the revolution happens - how much would my life have changed by the end of the revolution?

In "Aux Armes Citoyen(nes) [To Arms Citizens] - An AMA on Bastille Day and the Early Years of the French Revolution" there were some comment threads related to this topic - 75 comments, over 7 months old.

• "Is there anything specifically from Carlyle's The French Revolution: A History that is now generally regarded to be false? I understand that much was romanticized and/or exaggerated (and if you can think of any specific examples of exaggeration to note, that would be great as well), but is there anything that is believed to be outright false?" - 1 comment (comment thread).

• This comment thread dissects the popular view of the French Revolution that was influenced by the mentioned work and also links to a free, online copy of an article about non-violent political demonstrations in 1789.

• How was the Revolution percieved in the country side ? - 7 comments (comment thread).

• The experts here delve into the religious and political differences between Paris and Rural France that resulted in many episodes of conflict between the two sides during the Revolution and beyond.

• "After the American revolution, there was a considerable amount of talk about how to raise and educate virtuous, republican citizens - whether through the nurturing of "republican mothers" or through a system of schools - so that the republic would have an informed, rational, and moral citizenry. I've always wondered: was there any analog to this during the French Revolution? Were there revolutionary schools? How about an idealized concept of the 'revolutionary mother?'" - 4 comments (comment thread).

• Commenters here compare and contrast the ideals and state of education across the period from the fall of the Kingdom of France to the Napoleon's reign, with a variety of book recommendations on the topic that also encompass changes to gender roles during the period.

• "How well 'read' were the masses who supported the Revolution? Did they actually talk/study/know much of the philosophy/ies behind it or were the vast majority simply following charismatic leaders and/or the Zeitgeist?" - 2 comments (comment thread).

• There's a good comment here dealing with the relative lack of literacy throughout France during the Revolution and how it was worked around by the revolutionaries in order to convey their message and ideas to the masses.

• "In Forbidden Bestsellers of Prerevolutionary France Darnton argues that pornographic and libertine representations of the aristocracy, and especially Marie Antoinette was a major pusher and instigator of anti-monarchical and anti-aristocratic fervor. How well is this borne out in your studies of france?" - 5 comments (comment thread).

• This deals with views of the French monarchy (and related Austrophobia in regards to Marie Antoinette) circulated amongst literate citizens of France before the Revolution.

• "Was there a point during revolution that marked a divergance from the American revolution? In other words, did any revolutionaries or citizens realize the revolution was not developing as intended?" - 3 comments (comment thread).

• There's a summary of this issue here as well a book recommendation on the matter.

• "What do you think of Marx's characterization of the Revolution as a "bourgeois revolution"?" - 2 comments (comment thread).

• This is mostly about the legacy of the French Revolution in various European revolutions that followed it and which economic class(es) benefited from them the most.

• "Roughly speaking, how did the loyalties of the army break down when the Revolution swept through?" - 2 comments (comment thread).

• This basically addresses the experience of officers in the Ancien Régime army after the revolution was put into motion.

• "How much do we know about Aristocrats fleeing the mainland for safety in the colonies? Where would they tend to go if this was a documented choice of action and would they eventually be 'caught' once France would be consolidated after the Revolution?" - 2 comments (comment thread).

• This is an abbreviated version of many French aristocrats' lives during and after the Revolution.

• "Would exiled aristocrats who fought against the Revolution expect to be executed if they were captured in battle? Did any of the nobles who actively fought against the Revolution rejoin the French army proper under Napoleon and, if so, was there any hesitation to let them back in?" - 2 comments (comment thread).

• The answerer devotes a line to the treatment of aristocrats during the Revolution and a paragraph to Napoleon's changes to the revolutionaries' policies.

You might also be interested in some previous threads about life around the time of the French Revolution:

Before the Revolution

• What was life like in 1700's French villages? - 6 comments, over 1 year old.
• A commenter in this thread go into various aspects of village life in an area of France during the early 18th century.

During the Revolution

• What would life have been like for a peasant during the French Revolution? - 1 comments, over 1 year old.

• The single comment summarizes the difference in experiences between lower class people in the French countryside and lower class people in French cities.

• What was French culture like before and after the revolution? Was life for the common man improved after the revolution? - 3 comments, over 1 year old.

• The topmost comment gives a list of key changes made in the lives of average citizens as well as some of the unintended after-effects of these reforms.

• How was the quality of life in Napoleon's French Empire compared to in the other major European states at the time? - 41 comments, over 2 years old.

• This thread strays off-topic and mostly talks about the effects of conscription (introduced under during the revolution and continued under Napoleon) upon French citizens.

• What happened to legal professionals during major regime changes (ie French or American revolutions) - 6 comments, over 2 years old.

• This topmost response is about France and talks about the powers wielded by French lawyers during the revolution.

• How successful was Robespierre cult of the supreme being? Did people actually believe? Did it have a shot? Why did it fail? - 1 comment, over 10 months old.

• This puts the cult in context with other religions of the time and it's eventual fate after the Revolution.

After the Revolution

• What was life like under napoleonic rule? - 2 comments, over 2 years old.

• This primarily concerns the policy reforms put in place by Napoleon Bonaparte as they affected the citizens of France and areas under the French Empire's control.

• Did the economic welfare and quality of life for French commoners actually improve under Napoleon as opposed to the Louis XVI? - 4 comments, over 1 year old.

• Some general points are brought up with a specific case of military justice being analyzed as evidence.

• What was the every day life of an average French civilian like during the Industrial Revolution? - 3 comments, over 2 years old.

• This explores the after-effects of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars upon the lives of French citizens during the rest of the 19th century.