A Tale of Two Cities

  • Agriculture Recession

    This forces landowners to increase their sources of revenue: the lower class works harder and is taxed more.
  • Period: to

    Patriots in the American Revolution

    France supports the Patriots of the American Revolution, leading to more national debt
  • Lifestyle of the Monarchs

    The lifestyle of the monarchs, particular the "Sun King" Louis XIV, is extravagant, costly. DURING VARIOUS YEARS
  • Harvest

    The harvest fails and the winter is fairly extreme , further angering and hurting the poor. Food becomes even more scarce and expensive.
  • The Third Estate meet

    The Third Estate is kicked and meet on the Tennis Court. A few of the liberal nobles and many clergy join them and swear the Tennis Court Oath: "We won't separate until constitutional regime was established." June 27, the King agrees to their demands but also his palace with guards.
  • National Assembly Appoints New Committee

    There job is to draft a constitution. The Assembly proclaims itself the Constituent National Assembly which means they have full authority and power to decree laws. The electors of Paris form a standing committee and a citizens' militia.
  • The Period of Great Fear

    Peasants start robbing and burning some of the chateaux (mansions) of the rich and burn records of money owned.
  • Women of Paris invade Versailles

    Parisians march upon Versailles and force the royal family back to Paris where they take up residence at the Tuileries. Louis XVI is considered a "prisoner" by many.
  • Civil Constitution of the Clergy Passed

    Constitution was then soon adopted
  • First Meeting of National Convention

    A republic was established once the meeting was held.
  • National Draft

    A National Draft was issued calling for all able-bodied men to enlist in the army.
  • Period: to

    The Reign of Terror

    The Reign of Terror court sentenced 20,000 to 40,000 people to death. The Revolutionary Tribunal sent state prisoners, including Girondists (a group of revolutionaries who had overseen the Revolution and wanted to spread it but had been defeated by the Jacobins, another group of revolutionaries led by Maxmillian Robespierre), to the guillotine. The Jacobins have to deal with the invasion, French natives who start a Civil War to regain the monarchy, revolts in the provinces.
  • Churches are Closed

    The republican armies were now in command, and the Terror became identified with ruthless and centralized revolutionary government. Any dissidence was classified as counter revolutionary, and Monteguards and extremists were guillotined early 1794. Robespierre tries to associate it with virture and make republic a morally united patriotic community.
  • New Constitution

    The new constitution that was adopted took effect after a reactionary rising in Vendemiare was suppressed by General Napoleon Bonaparte.
  • Fall of Directory heralds

    The fall of the directory heralds meant the end of the French Revolution.