-
Period: to
Timespan of the French Revolution
-
Louis calls the Estates-General
At this time, France is deep in debt and the people are starving. The king calls the Estates General, made up of the three estates, the first, the second, and the third estates and holds a meeting to see what to do. The third estate is angered they they are misrepresented at this meeting and that the other two estates can outvote them even though they are the majority. This is signifigant because this is what started the Revolution. -
The Tennis Court Oath
When members of the Third Estate were locked out of the Estates General meeting, a makeshift conference room was made in a tennis court where the group who called themselves the National Assembly, swore "not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established." This is signifigant because it shows the formation of the Revolution beginning to take form. -
The Storming of the Bastille Prison
The storming of the Bastille prison occurred because Jacques Necker, who had been sympathetic to the Third estate was dismissed from his position as the French minister of finance. This angered the people of the Third Estate so much that they stormed the prison, which had been holding very few people at the time, and killed governer de Launay and put his head on a spike and paraded it around. The people took gun powder and weapons from the armory.This became a symbol of the Revolution. -
The Declarartion of the Rights of Man
The Assembly put this document together, modeled in part after the Declaration of Independence. This document stated that all men were born free and had equal rights. They had the rights of "life, liberty,property, security, and resistance to oppression." The document stated every Frenchman had an equal right to hold public office, and a right to freedom of religion. This is signifigant because this is the foundation for a new government -
March to Versailles
The March of Versailles occurred when women who were angry over the high price and scarcity of bread, began rioting and marched to the Palace of Versailles. The women made it to the palace and demanded that the king and his family move to Paris The king and his family did end up moving to paris the next day. This is signifigant because it shows the people had control over the king and could overpower him. -
Attack On Prisons/ September Massacres
During the September Massacres the French attacked prisons brutally under the fear that people were plotting against them. Many nobles and religious people such as priests that had been imprisoned were killed. This is signifigant because it shows the brutality of the Revolution -
The Terror
During this time thousands of French people were executed and Robespierre had become almost like a new king. During this time an influential writer that praised execution named Jean-Paul Marat was assassinated and in the eyes of the people he became almost saint-like. From this point more and more were executed as Marat's beliefs were honored and held onto more firmly. Robespierre also became extremely influential. This was the worst of the Revolution. -
Robespierre killed
At this time Robespierre was condoning and encouraging what seemed to be endless bloodshed. Robespierre began assocsciating Terror with Virtue and the people were beginning to realize that this was not in their best interest. Some from the Committee of Public Safety began wanting more power for themselves as well. After Robespierre made threats, the people turned on him and he too faced the guillotine. This is signifigant because this is the end of the Terror
