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Tennis Court Oath
In May of 1789, all the First, Second, and Third Estates met up in Versailles and discussed a variety of issues. Not surprisingly, the Third Estate barely had any say, and both the First and Second Estate were against them. On June 17, the Third Estate decided to break off from the rest of the Estates, and form their own constitution and laws. They called themselves the National Assembly. On June 20, they were locked out of their regular meeting place, so they had to meet in a tennis court. Thei -
Storming the Bastille
The French fortress and prison, known as Bastille, was a symbol of the royal authority in France. The attack on in by the partisans of the Third Estate as a symbol of the abuse of the monarchy. This was not the first offense they made against the monarchy, they also stormed the Hôtel des Invalides earlier. -
The Great Fear
A general panic that occurred at the beginning of the French Revolution. This panic was caused because of people fearing the loss of their life in the war ahead of them or fear of losing a loved one’s life or of just losing the war. This is important because it really got not only the Third Estate but also the First and Second Estates thinking about what’s at stake if they all go to war. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
A declaration that was passed by France's National Constituent Assembly that stated that the natural rights of man were held to be universal. That no matter where they are, no matter what time, he will always have freedom. This created a base for a country that prides itself on freedom. It gave a base for the Declaration of Independence. -
Women's March on Versailles
This march all started with the price of bread being much too high and the women in the marketplace nearly started rioting. This event caught the attention of activists and soon this mob turned into thousands. They started on their way to Versailles picking up weapons on the way and stormed the area quite violently. They pressed their demands on King Louis XVI and were successful. These events ended the king’s independence and started the change of power and reforms in France. -
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
This was a law that was passed during the French Revolution. It subordinated the Roman Catholic Church in France to the French government. It made sure that monastic orders were abolished, making both genders equal. This was a start to equalizing every citizen in France. -
Constitution of 1791
The Constitution of 1791 was created by the French National assembly declaring that France was to be a constitutional monarchy. This means that there is still a monarch, but they do not have the power to make laws. The power to make laws lies with the Legislative Assembly. Because the revolution had taken a radical turn at the time, this constitution only lasted a year. -
Establishment of the French Republic
In September of 1792, The National Convention decided that they wanted to abolish the monarchy, and establish a new form of government, a republic. The first thing the French Republic decreed when it was created was that Louis XVI was to be convicted of treason and executed; Louis was later beheaded. -
Execution of Louis XVI
On January 21, 1973, the French king, Louis XVI was sentenced to death by beheading. Louis XVI did not necessarily do anything wrong, he just happened to take the throne at a very bad time for France. At the time France was going through bankruptcy, unemployment, crop failure, starvation, and on top of that Louis married a foreigner, which angered the people. Before Louis was beheaded, the angry mob that killed 1,200 prisoners forced him and his family to go to prison. After the execution of Lou -
Execution of Marie Antoinette
Just nine months after her husband, Louis XVI, was beheaded, Marie Antoinette was beheaded as well. Marie Antoinette was a monarch that urged her husband to resist the reforms to the monarchy. She lived in complete luxury, while the people of France were starving. Marie was accused of interfering with the government, giving bad advice to her husband, and considering her son the king. Marie Antoinette is considered a representation of western aristocracy and absolutism. -
Execution of Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre became ruler of France after Louis XVI was beheaded; Robespierre played a big role in getting Louis executed. Robespierre was a revolutionary who was made president of the National Convention of France. Robespierre was responsible for the arrrests of 300,000 suspected enemies of the French Revolution, 10,000 of these people died in prison, while 17,000 were executed, and for 1,400 enemies of the Revolution. Because of all the unnecessary bloodshed, the National Convention
