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Estates General Convenes
Louis XVI was compelled to call the Estates General because France's political and economic status was horrible. The clergy, nobility, and commoners made up this assembly, which had the authority to decide whether to impose additional taxes and carry out national reforms. It was important because it turned into an effort to change France's political system. (Chateau de Versailles) -
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French Revolution
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Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was an oath taken by the deputies of the Third Estate which stated that they were to not part ways until France had a formal written constitution. The oath’s name comes from the fact that they made the oath in a tennis court because their regular spot was unavailable. It was important because it brought to light the growing amount of people unsatisfied with King Louis XVI. (History Crunch) -
Dismissal of Jacques Necker
In 1788, Necker was recalled to rescue France from bankruptcy after being forced to resign in 1781. After declining to attend the King's address on June 23, he was dismissed by said king and resigned from politics within the year. His sacking provoked the people, and was a large influence in the decision to storm the Bastille. (Brittanica) -
Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille was a state prison on the east side of Paris, over time, it came to be a symbol of the French monarchy's dictatorial rule over France. On July 14th of 1789, members of the Third Estate stormed the Bastille, gathering ammunition and parading down the streets with the governor's head on a pike. This incident served as a symbolic starting point for the French Revolution. (British Library) -
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The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The Estates General wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen as a foundational document for the new Constitution. They condensed their ideas to create a single paper, which the assembly then voted on. This document further introduced “natural and inalienable” rights to the people, which helped them to realize the unfair society the monarchy was forcing upon them. (Elysee) -
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Women's March to Versailles
On October 5th, as many as 30,000 people—most of them women—marched up to 12 miles to get to Versailles, where the king's palace was located. Most of the marchers hoped to convince the king to alleviate the shortage of bread, though some had more violent intents. Eventually, the King followed them back to Paris. This event showed the King that the will of the people have control over the monarchy. (Alpha History -
First Use of Guillotine
Joseph-Ignace Guillotin invented the guillotine as a more humane way to quickly and efficiently execute criminals. The first person to fall vicim to this killing machine was Nicolas-Jacques Pelletier, who was sentenced to death for robbery and murder. The first use of the guillotine was followed by so many deaths that it is illegal in France today. (History) -
Storming of the Tuileries Palace (The Insurrection of August 10th)
A pivotal event in the French Revolution, the Storming of the Tuileries Palace saw armed Parisian revolutionaries storm the royal residence of King Louis XVI of France and slaughter his Swiss Guards. The incident effectively ended the monarchy in France and brought about a new stage of the Revolution. This is important because it showed that the people had power and led to the establishing of a republic in France. (World History) -
Guillotine Execution of (former) King Louis XVI
King Louis XVI was executed by the guillotine in Paris' Place de la Revolution only a day after he was sentenced to death. The French National Convention had found him guilty of treason and conspiracy with foreign powers, however he was only sentenced by a slim majority. His death symbolized the end to a long line of tyrannical monarchs, and the beginning of a new democracy. (History) -
Robespierre Executed
The Committee of Public Safety, whose most renowned member was Maximilien de Robespierre, controlled the French government in a nearly dictatorial manner during the Reign of Terror. Robespierre and other members of the Committee were rounded up and executed via guillotine in July of 1794. This event officially ended the reign of terror, and the guillotine was eventually outlawed in September of 1981. (Britannica)