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Storming of the Bastille
As we know from the book, the Bastille was a prison in France that held Monsieur Manette during his 18 year prison sentence. It only held up to 7 prisoners, but nonetheless was the target for the first major act of the French Revolution. It had a lot of gunpowder that the resisters wanted to use in their campaign. The governor of the prison was beheaded, as was so grotesquely described in 'A Tale of Two Cities." -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Inspired by the American Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen is drawn up and outlines equality and independence for all men under the state. Even though it was one of the main documents of the Revolution, women and slaves were not covered under this Declaration. -
the March on Versailles
Parisans and other Frenchmen were unemployed and hungry, and knew the royal family and nobility were luxuriously living in Versailles. A group of mostly women assembled and marched to the Palace of Versailles to demand bread and their king to live among the people. The King returned briefly, until he escaped with his family and left France in 1791. -
Civil constitution of the Clergy
The newest Civil Constitution of the Clergy goes into effect and forces the papacy of the First Estate (the rich nobility) to swear their primary allegiance to the king, not to religion. The church is also to give its currently owned lands to the state, thus begining the separation of church and state in France. -
King Louis and family leaves France
King Louis XVI and his family try to escape France and its revolutionaries, and hide away in Austria (Queen Marie Antoinette's childhood country). They are caught at the border and were convicted of abandoning their country. -
Execution of King Louis XVI
King Louis XVI was put on trial in August of 1792 and was found guilty of "conspiracy against liberty." He was sentenced to death, and died by the hands of "La Guillotine" on January 21, 1793. -
Beginning of the Reign of Terror
Thousands die at the sharpened razor of the guillotine, as the most violent era of the French Revolution begins. People were sentenced to death left and right based on their political views, and by their opinions about the revolutionaries and their methods. The revolutionaries were supposed to be helping the little guy, but were actually just throwing them to the guillotine. -
Constitution of the Year III
In the proclaimed "year 3" the Constitution of the Year III was founded. This document was the preamble for the Declaration of the Rights and Cuties of Man and Citizen on September 6,1795. -
The Directory
A group of five men were assembled to provide guiding and executive power to France according to the Constitution they were guided by. It was the governing party that ruled over France from 1795-1799. They also had the power to propose new laws and ideas. -
Coup of 18 Brumaire (November 8-9,1799)/Napoleon becomes Consulate of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a returning war hero that challenged the Directory/Committee of Public Safety. He overthrew the Directory in the Coup of 18 Brumaire, and then replaced the central government with himself as the Consulate.
