1. The Meeting of the Estates General
King Louis XVI must solve financial crisis
EG a medieval representative body (last used in 1614)
France divided into three ‘Estates’:
Clergy (1st Estate)
Nobility (2nd Estate)
Commoners (3rd Estate)

2. Stage Two: Experiencing the Meeting of the Estates General

3. Experiencing the Meeting of the Estates General
Stage Two:
Experiencing the Meeting of the Estates General
The King assembles the Estates General for advice
The Three Estates prepare to meet
Each Estate proposes a plan to save France
The King proposes his plan to save France
The Estates General votes on the King’s plan
Severe famine occurs
The Third Estate responds to the situation

5. The Tennis Court Oath
In fact, 3rd Estate refused to help until King allowed them to meet in single group
Forced to vote as separate orders, they declared themselves ‘National Assembly’ the TRUE representatives of France
Clergy eventually vote to join 3rd Estate
Excluded from meeting hall, they meet in Versailles’ tennis court pledging never to disband until new Constitution is written

6. The Storming of the Bastille
July % Paris unemployed, without food
Rumors spread of King’s troops coming to sack Paris
July 14, 1789: hundreds marched to the Bastille for gunpowder to fight back
Leader fires on crowd killing 98
Outrage! Soldiers finally surrender
News spreads, peasants revolt, Lords nervous…
The French Revolution has officially begun!
(Called Bastille Day, July 14th)

7. The March on Versailles
Financial Crisis grows, hunger, unemployment grow too
October 5, 1789: 7,000 women march to Versailles demanding bread
Invade Palace and kill guards
King ‘accompanied’ back to Paris
Will never see Versailles again