French Revolution Timeline

By robertomz13

  • Estates General

    The Second Estate forced Louis XVI to call a meeting of the Estates General - an assembly of representatives from all three estates - to approve his new tax. The First meeting, the first in 175 years, was held on May 5, 1789, at Versailles.

  • National Assembly

    The three Estates voted to establish the National Assembly, in effect proclaiming the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of a representative government.

  • Storming of the Bastille

    A large amount of people were searching for gunpowder and arms Stormed the Bastille which was a prison in Paris.

  • Working Toward a Constitution

    Nobleman made grand speeches, declaring their love of liberty and equality. They joined the other members of the national Assembly in sweeping away the feudal privileges of the First and Second estates.

  • Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

    The Declaration of the Rights of Man was passed by the National Assembly. The nobles pronounced the slogan of the French Revolution all day, liberty, equality, and fraternity.

  • Women's March on Versailles

    Thousands of parisian women rioted over the rising price of bread.

  • Year 1790

    Many of the National Assembly’s early reforms focused on the Church. The assembly took over Church lands and declared that Church officials and priests were to be elected and paid as state officials. Thus, the Catholic Church lost both its lands and its political independence. The reasons for the assembly’s actions were largely economic. Proceeds from the sale of Church lands helped pay off France’s huge debt. The assembly’s actions alarmed millions of French peasants, who were devout Catholic

  • Louis Tries to Escape

    The royal family tried to escape from France to the Austrian Netherlands.

  • A Limited Monarchy

    The national assembly completed the new constitution, which Louis reluctantly approved.

  • French Revolutionary Wars

    The Legislative Assembly declared war.

  • Establishment of First Republic in France

    Most of the people involved in the government changes were members of a radical political organization.