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Louis XVI calls the Estates General
Louis XVI called the General Estates to help come up with new taxes because there were many debts that France had no money to pay. These debts were accumulated from from wars and court expenses. There was also a decrease in manufacturing and numerous bad harvests a few years before which also lead to a decrease in the country’s wealth. When they drafted the new taxes only the Third Estate had to pay them and as a result there was more unemployment, rise in food prices and food shortages -
Third Estate declares itself the National Assembly
In the General Estates the First and Second Estate could outvote the Third Estate even though they made up only a minuscule portion of France’s population. The Third Estate wanted more say in the laws, and they wanted to be treated equally. So, representatives of the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly in order to be treated as equals and have more say in political and economic matters. This resulted in the movement towards the people receiving their natural rights. -
Tennis Court Oath
The National Assembly agreed to meet to try to gain rights and be treated equally. They were going to meet at a place in Versailles but King Louis locked the doors. So they met in a nearby Tennis Court and swore that they would meet every day until a new constitution was drafted. This was the start of the French Revolution. -
Storming of the Bastille
A portion of the Third Estate gathered at a fortress called the Bastille because there were rumors that the king was storing weapons here and was planning to use them against the National Assembly. They ended up destroying the fortress and freeing the seven prisoners who were held captive inside. -
"Great Fear"
Peasants heard rumors that said foreign armies were going to attack the third state to stop the rebellion. The rumors said that the Third Estate was going to be attacked because the revolutionaries said they were the voice of the Third Estate. So, to protect their own safety, they destroyed these documents that contained who they were and what they owed their lords. By destroying these documents they destroyed an ancient part of feudalism. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens
Drafted by Emmanuel Sieyès, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was adopted by National Assembly of France on August 26th, 1789. The creation of the Declaration was inspired by Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Enlightenment thought. It was made to define the equality and freedoms of man. The Declaration became a major impact of the development, freedom, and liberal thought of Europe and worldwide. -
Constitution of 1791
The Constitution of 1791 was created by the National Assembly and adopted September 3rd, 1791. This was the first written constitution in France and was created after the collapse of the Ancien Régime.The Constitution gave two-thirds (active citizens) of adult men the right to vote and to choose certain local officials. However, the Constitution of 1791 survived less than a year. -
The Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly was established October 1st, 1791.The Legislative Assembly was made to replace the National Assembly and was formed under the Constitution of 1791. I was made up of 745 members which were mostly middle-class. The Legislative Assembly was later disbanded September 20th, 1972. -
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The National Convention
The National Convention governed France from September 20, 1792 to October 26, 1795. The National Convention was made in order to replace the monarchy. This Convention was formed when the Legislative Assembly desired to create a new constitution without a monarchy. It consisted of 749 members (businessmen, professional men, etc.). The Convention stripped power from the elected deputies and developed a republic. -
The Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror began from September 5th, 1793 to July 28th, 1794. I was a period of violence and conflict between the Girondins and Jacobins. During the Reign of Terror, the objective was to execute enemies of the revolution and to protect the country from foreign invaders. At the end of the Reign of Terror, instigators of the Terror were executed.
