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Treaty of Paris
This treaty ended the American Revolution and recognized American independence.This was negotiated between Great Britain and the United States, and was signed by King George III and representatives from the States including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Laurens. -
Call of the Estate General
The Estate was a legislative body of the French government up until the French Revolution. King Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estate General in 1789 due to financial problems within the government. This was significant because it was the first meeting called since 1614. -
Tennis Court Oath
The deputies of the Third Estate, which represent commoners and the lower clergy, meet on the Jeu de Paume, an indoor tennis court in Versailles, in defiance of King Louis XVI’s order to disperse. There, they took a historic oath not to disband until a new French constitution had been created. Hence, why it was called the Tennis Court Oath. -
Storming of the Bastille
Parisian revolutionaries and troops storm Bastille, which was a royal fortress and prison that had symbolized the tyranny of the Bourbon monarchs. This was and is considered to be the start of the French revolution, a time of fear for many. -
March on Versailles
A mob of angry, working women of nearly 7,000 armed with pitchforks, muskets, and pikes marched in the rain from Paris to Versailles. This was considered to be a pivotal even in the French Revolution. Many were angry because despite the fertile land in France, there were still many starving. -
The Execution of the King
King Louis XVI was convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers just a day before his execution. He was executed by guillotine at Place de la Revolution in Paris. -
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Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror began shortly after the death of King Louis XVI, and it was a parade of the deaths of prominent and not so prominent citizens. Across France over 30,000 people died at this time and the guillotine was put into use. -
Execution of Robspierre
Maximilien Robespierre, the architect of the Reign of Terror, is overthrown and arrested by the National Convention. Him and 21 of his followers were executed via guillotine in front of a cheering mob in the Place de la Revolution in Paris. -
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was an anti-slavery and anti-colonial insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign nation of Haiti. Its effects on slavery impacted the Americas and it is seen as a defining moment for racism in the Atlantic world. -
Coronation of Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned emperor in Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. He was the first Frenchman to be crowned emperor in a thousand years. Pope Pius VII handed him the crown, in which he himself placed on his head.
