The French Revolution A Series of Events

Meeting of the Estates-General

Meeting of the Estates-General When- May 5, 1789 Who- King Louis XVI, members of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Estates Where- Versailles (Louis XVI’s palace) Why- France in debt, King Louis wants to tax the nobles to raise money

What- Each estate had one vote, the 1st and 2nd Estates could outvote the 3rd Estate Rather than be outvoted, the 3rd Estate broke away from the government to pass laws for the people (renamed themselves the National Assembly) Influenced by Abbey Sieyes of the 1st Estate Outcome/Significance- End of absolute monarchy and beginning of representative government 1st deliberate act of revolution!!!

Tennis Court Oath

Tennis Court Oath When- June 20, 1789 Who- 3rd Estate delegates (the new National Assembly) Where- Indoor tennis court Why- National Assembly wanted to be the new voice of France

What- National Assembly locked out of meeting room Broke into an indoor tennis court Pledged to meet until they had drawn up a new constitution Outcome/Significance- Wrote Declaration of the Rights of Man (similar to Declaration of Independence) and Constitution of 1791 (established a constitutional monarchy)

Storming of the Bastille

The Storming of the Bastille When- July 14, 1789 Who- Foreign troops hired by King Louis XVI, French mob Where- A Paris prison called the Bastille Why- Rumor- foreign troops hired by Louis XVI were going to massacre French citizens!

What- Fearing an attack, the people gathered weapons to defend themselves They went to a Paris prison called the Bastille to get gunpowder The crowd took over the Bastille Outcome/Significance- A successful attack on the Old Regime! Symbolic act of revolution celebrated every July 14th (similar to the 4th of July)

Women’s March on Versailles

The Women’s March on Versailles When- October 1789 Who- 6,000 Parisian women and some men Where- King Louis’s palace at Versailles Why- Women upset over the price of bread

What- Women march to the king’s palace with knives and axes They broke into the palace and killed 2 guards Brought king Louis and Marie Antoinette back to Paris Outcome/Significance- Revolutionary leaders would honor the women as heroes of the Revolution Signaled a change in power in France

The Reign of Terror

The Reign of Terror When- Summer 1793- Summer of 1794 Who- Maximilien Robespierre, Committee of Public Safety Where- France Why- Robespierre/Jacobins wanted to wipe out every trace of France’s past monarchy and nobility

What- Robespierre led the Committee of Public Safety to find enemies of the republic Many people were put on trial in the morning and executed on the same day (Robespierre became a dictator) Terror ended when Robespierre’s people turned on him out of fear and had him killed Outcome/Significance- Most famous victims- King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (Jacobins wanted to wipe out monarchy) 40,000 killed, 85% peasant and middle class! (why is this statistic ironic?) Power went to the Directory, an executive body of 5 men (Napoleon Bonaparte chosen to be their military general)