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Meeting of the Estates General
Louis went broke, had no money left so he decided to impose taxes on the nobility. However the second estate forced him to call a meeting of the “Estates-General” an assembly of representatives from all three estates, to approve this new tax. The meeting took place in May 5, 1789. It was the first meeting in 175 years. -
Tennis Court Oath
They voted to establish the National Assembly, in effect proclaiming the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of representative government. This vote was the first deliberate act of revolution. -
July 14, 1789
A mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed the Bastille, a Paris prison. The mob overwhelmed the guard and seized control of the building. The guards to death, and then paraded around the streets with the dead men head on pikes. -
August 4, 1789
Noblemen made grand speeches, declaring their love of liberty and equality. Motivated more by fear than idealism, they joined other members of the National Assembly in sweeping away the feudal privileges of the First and Second Estates, thus making commoners equal to the nbes and the clergy. By morning, the Old Regime no longer existed. -
August 27, 1789
The declaration of the rights of man was passed by the National Assembly. The Nobles pronounced the slogan of The French Revolution all day, liberty, equality and fraternity. -
October (Around the 5th) 1789
Thousands of Parisian women rioted over the rising price of bread. Brandishing knives, axes and other weapons, the women marched on Versailles. Then they turned their anger on the king and queen. They broke into the palace, killing some of the guards. The women demanded that Louis and Marie Antoinette return to Paris. After some time, Louis agreed, he, his family and servants left Versailles, never again to see the palace. Their exit signaled the change of power and radical reforms about to over -
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Assembly Reforms France
French people built a new form of government that was a Republic Democracy because the citizens were not happy with Absolute Monarchy and they protested for change. -
June 1791
The royal monarchy thought France unsafe and escaped to the Austrian Netherlands but however as they neared the border they were apprehended and returned to Paris under guard. -
September 1791
The national assembly completed the new constitution, which Louis reluctantly approved. The constitution created a limited constitutional monarch. It stripped the king of much of his authority. It also created a new legislative body, the Legislative Assembly. This body had the power to create laws and to approve or reject declarations of war. However, the king still held the executive power to enforce laws. -
April 1792
Austria and Prussia urged the french to restore Louis to his position as an absolute monarch, but the Legislative assembly responded by declaring war. -
September 21, 1792
A new governing body, The National Convention took office. It quicky abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Adult male citizens were granted the right to vote and hold office. Despite the important part they had already played in the Revolution, women were not given the vote.