1. The French Revolution
A Series of Events

2. Meeting of the Estates-General

3. 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

4. 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!!!

5. Tennis Court Oath

6. 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

7. 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)

8. Storming of the Bastille

9. 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!

10. 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)

11. Women’s March on Versailles

12. 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

13. 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

14. The Reign of Terror

15. 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

16. 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)