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Period: to
French Revolution
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Tennis Court Oath
After being locked out of the Estates meeting, the deputies of the Third Estate were infuriated at the king for his attempts to try to silence the people's demands for a reform. The Third Estate decided to move their meeting to a nearby indoor tennis court. The oath was that the Third Estate would continue to assemble until a constitution had been written. The people realized they possessed power to defy the king and authority. -
Storming of the Bastille
A bloodthirsty mob marched to the Bastille and searched for gunpowder and prisoners. The rumors of attacks from the government and the amount of starvation the people were suffering from were just too much for the angry crowds. The people dismantled the building using their bare hands. This violent act created a pattern of the revolution that would have catastrophic results. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration of the Rights of Man stated the ideals and principles driving the Revolution based upon the unalienable rights of individuals, liberty, and political equality. It was written by the National Assembly. -
March to Versailles
The March to Versailles was a violent episode in the French Revolution. A large group of french women joined together and marched to Versailles to complain about the lack of bread and the high prices of the scarce bread available. The king gave in to their demands and ordered that all of the bread in Versailles be delivered for the people to Paris. -
Louis calls the Estates-General
Louis called the first Estates-General meeting in 175 years, due to the terrible state France's economy was in. However instead of proposing solutions for the financial problems France was facing, the three estates clashed over their respective powers. The First and Second Estates ganged up against the Third Estate, causing the Third Estate to form the National Assembly. This is what marks the beginning of the revolution. -
Louis’s Trial
Louis XVI was declared to have committed treason by attempting to abandon his country when they most needed him. The deputies found him guilty, and the legal penalty was death. The death of the king was symbolic of the death of an era of government. -
The Terror
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Robespierre Killed
After having been arrested and escaped, Maximilien de Robespierre failed a suicide attempt and shot himself in the jaw. Shortly after his escape, he was siezed by authorities again and guillotined along with his 21 of his followers without a trial. This marked the end of The Terror.
