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Calling of the Estates General
This was the first meeting since 1614. They were called to solve the nation's tax problem. They also debated on voting; The 1st and 2nd estates want 1 vote per estate, but the 3rd estate wants 1 vote per person. -
The Tennis Court Oath
The members of the 3rd estate were locked out of the meeting hall, so they moved their own meeting to a nearby indoor tennis court. Their oath was "never to separate" until France has a constitution. -
Storming of the Bastille
People (middle class and peasants) storm the Bastille (French prison with a handful of prisoners) to free prisoners, remove cannon, and get gunpowder. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
It is a fundamental document of the French Revolution. It defined the individual and the collective rights of all the estates of the realm as universal. -
Reign of Terror
The reign of Terror was a period of violence that occurred after the beginning of the French Revolution. It lasted until Juy 28, 1794. It started because of conflicts between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins. The death toll ranged in the tens of thousands. The guillotine became the symbol of the Revolution because of all of the people it killed.
