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Estates-General
The Second Estate forced Louis XVI to call a Meeting of the Estates General, which meant an assembly of representatives from all three estates to approve this new tax. The first meeting after 175 years was held this day at Versailles. -
Tennis Court Oath
June 17, 1789: The National Assembly the Third Estate voted to establish the National Assembly in effect proclaiming the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of representative government. This vote was the first deliberate act of revolution. After three days they got locked out their meeting room and as a result the broke down a door to an indoor tennis court pledging to stay until they had drawn up a new constitution. This pledge became known as the “Tennis Court Oath”. -
Storming the Bastille
Some people said that Louis intent on using military force to dismiss the national assembly. Other say that the foreign troops were coming to paris to massacre french citizens. They began gathering weapons in order to defend the city against attacks. On this day a group searching for gunpowder and weapons stormed the Bastille, a paris prison. Ever since, July 14 - Bastille Day has been a french national holiday. -
Assembly reforms France
Noblemen made speeches, declaring their love of liberty and equality. After this they joined other members of the national assembly in sweeping away the feudal privileges of the First and Second Estates, making commoners equal to commoners and clergy. -
The Rights of a Man
Three weeks after the National Assembly swept away the feudalism and division in Estates, they adopted a statement of revolutionary ideals, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This stated that men are born and remain free and equal in rights. These rights included liberty, property, security and resistance of oppression. -
Great Fear
Thousands of Parisian women rioted over the rising price of bread. Brandishing knives, axes, and other weapons, the women marched on Versailles. This and many more brutal acts was called the Great Fear. -
A State Controlled Church
They were building a new form of government because not all the french citizens were happy with absolute monarchy, and later on that changed the government into a republic. The government's assembly reformed France. Also the assemblt took over Chuch lands and declared that Church officials and priests were to be elected and paid as state officials. -
Royal familty tries to escape
The royal family tries to escape from France to the Austrian Netherlands. As they were about to cross the border they were returned to Paris under guard. This made louis enemies fill with more influence and sealed his fate. -
Limited Monarchy
The National Assembly made a new constitution. The Constitution created a limited monarchy. It took away most of the authority of the king and it also created a new legislative body; the “Legislative Assembly”. To add on Emigres, nobles and others who had left France, hoped to undo the Revolution and restore the old regime. In comparisson some Parsian workers and others who wanted to see greater changes within the Revolution in France where called sans - culottes. -
War and Execution
In the summer of 1792 Prussian forces were advancing on Paris. The Prussian commander threatened Paris it the revolutionaires harmed any of the royal family. -
Legislative Assembly
The legislative assembly set aside the Constitution of 1791. It declared the king despised and dissolved the assembly and call for the election of a new legislature. The new governing body; The National Convention, took place on this day.
