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Tennis Court Oath
Who: Representatives of France's Third Estate
What: Pledge to remain loyal to the 3rd Estate until France had a written Constitution--> Louis XVI recognized them on June 27
When: June 20, 1789 (after they declared themselves the National Assembly)
Where: Nearby tennis court near Versailles
Why: To portray their determination to the King and gain recognition as important citizens
Importance to Revolution: First time the 3rd Estate banded together and were recognized as important citizens -
Storming the Bastille
Who: Rebels
What: Rebels freed the prisoners and destroyed the Bastille in order to spark the Revolution
When: July 14, 1789
Where: Paris, France at the Bastille (old Parisian fortress used as a prison)
Why: Rebels wanted to show the 1st and 2nd Estates that they meant business; Sparked the entire French Revolution
Importance to Revolution: Beginning of French Revolution; started all of the violence -
Period: to
The Great Fear
A spontaneous peasant revolt in the countryside against the nobility based on rumors of attack. Peasants stormed castles and chateauxs, destroying their obligations. Causes were rooted in events that occurred before the Revolution. Agriculture was in a depression due to a poor harvest and high price of food. Farmers became homeless. French citizens were concerned for safety because of food riots and uprisings. Peasants decided to attack. This resulted in the complete abolition of feudalism. -
August 4th Decrees
The French Assembly realized that the violence was not going to be appeased. So, they made a list of edicts known as the August Decrees, passed on August 4th. To the nobility’s dismay, the decrees declared feudalism abolished. Other decrees later abolished the three estates, the tithe, seigniorial rights, clergy rights, and all special privileges from having been in those two elevated estates. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Who: The French National Assembly helped by Marquis de Lafayette
What: document of individual and collective rights; contained Philosophs' ideas
When: 2 months after the storming of the Bastille
Importance: created as the "social contract" between the French people and the government; so a written document embodying Revolutionist idea of future of France; first step in creating French constitution -- "Liberty, equality, and fraternity" -
Women's Bread March
Started out with women in Paris angry about the price of bread, then more people, like men and 20,000 National Guards got together because king rejected the abolition of feudalism and the Declaration of the Rights of Man, so they went to Versailles to force the royal family back to Paris with them. Essentially, this march ended the independent rule of King Louis XVI. It symbolized the new balance of power with the common people rather than with the nobles and king. -
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
This act declared that the Catholic Church of France was less important than the state; it called for a reogranization of the Church structure. The government gained control of the Church's worldly affairs and called all of the French clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to King Louis XVI and the new French revolutionary government. However, numerous French priests declined the oath and were persecuted from the government. -
Louis's escape
In June of 1793, Louis XVI and the royal family attempted to escape in carriages. However, their escape was delayed, and the king was recognized by Jean-Louis Drouet. Their carriage was eventually stopped in Varennes, and the royal family was sent back to Paris. This is significant because it led to great suspicion and mistrust by the revolutionaries. Because of this suspicion and mistrust, Louis XVI was executed and the state as well as French society was weakened significanty. -
Declaration of Pillnitz
Written by Leopold II and Frederick William II of Austria and Prussia.
It allowed them to intervene in the Revolution. The leaders agreed to take military action to restore the order. The Declaration said that Prussia should get its troops and supplies ready to take action.
Importance: It was seen as a threat to the Revolution. -
Constitution of 1791
It was drafted by the National Assembly.
It changed the government into a limited monarchy and distributed some of the king's power, made voting possible to those who paid a certain amount of taxes, and created the French Legislative Assembly. The government was rebuilt and the country was divided into eighty-three departments with locally elected officials.
Importance: This Constitution made the rule of the king less absolute and gave some individuals freedom to have a say in their government. -
War!
Austria and Prussia were prepared to invade France. As a result of the Revolution, the French forces used for the invasion were weakened; however, the French regained some territory. A levée en masse was issued as a sort of draft for the male population. Importance: Eventually, under the rule of Napoleon, the revolution ended but the wars continued for several years longer.
