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Period: to
The French Revolution approximate timeline
Three-century-period when these events shown here happened. -
Palace of Versailles is built.
This was a bad thing for the people. Many of France's people resented the monarchy at the time. This palace was made to be a symbol of the absolute monarchy. To the people it was a symbol of the nobility and the monarchy's greed. The palace was also very expensive and most of the money used to fund its construction most likely came out of the Third Estate's tax money. It angered the Third Estate to see the upper classes living so comfortably with more than three meals a day while they starved. -
Louis XVI marries Marie Antoinette
On May 16 of the year 1770, Louix XVI marries the Hapbsburg Archduchess Marie Antoinette. She was fourteen years old and he was fifteen years old at the time. The people of France viewed the marriage with hostility. France's alliance with Austria had involved them in the Seven Years' War. They were beaten by the British and because of this defeat the French people were not too happy with Austria. Marie Antoinette was an unwelcome alien to most of the French people. -
Louis calls the Estates General - ends in an impasse
Louis convenes the Estates General for the first time in 175 years. He gathers the people here because his government is hurting financially. The main topic was taxes. The First and Second Estates arrive pretty much wanting to do anything to defend their privileged lives. The Third Estate wanted to have the items on their cahiers discussed and they wanted the tax system changed. Jacques Necker, Director-General of Finance proprosed the taxation of the upper classes but, of course, they refused. -
The Tennis Court Oath
The Third Estate arrives at the Estates-General to find that Louis has locked them out. They decided that they wouldn't be ignored and they assembled on the royal tennis court nearby. They created and called themselves the National Assembly and decided that from now on they were going to be the governing body of France. This oath meant they weren't leaving until the King met their demands. Fearing an uprising, the King signed their constitution, but planned on dismissing it in the future. -
Paris Mob storms the Bastille
The people of Paris were ready to go to war. They had already stormed the Hôtel des Invalides and stolen firearms. However, the firearms meant nothing because they lacked gunpowder. The one place in all of Paris that had the most gunpowder and muskets was the Bastille. Another reason why they stormed it was because they hated it. The Bastille was a symbol of tyranny. They looted it and killed all of the guards who defended it. They had the power of numbers and the guards eventually gave up. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
This was an important document published for the French. For the first time, a written document laid out the lines of equality for them. This document represented all of the Third Estate's ideas, hopes, and dreams for equality. The declaration laid down guidelines for equal opportunities and for equality in the eyes of the law for every man.There was also parts that pertained to liberty as well. This document laid out many ideas similar to those of the American Declaration of Independence. -
Guillotine is introduced
The Guillotine was a device introduced during the Reign of Terror. It was a device used to behead people. The revolutionaries beheaded people who they suspected were involved in anti-revolutionary activity or aiding France's enemies. Two long pieces of wood encased a blade that would be attached to a rope at the top. A lever would be released and the blade would fall and decapitate the head of the person encased in the stocks below. This was the main form of punishment used at this time. -
Robiespierre officially represents the people
Maxamilien Robespierre was a spokesperson for the Third Estate during the hard times of the Revolution. He wanted equal rights and representation for the people and he understood their pain because they were the majority population being stepped on by the minority superiors. He chose to support and represent the poor people of France as much as possible and be their political voice. A while after the Revolution kicked off, Robespierre became a deputy/member of the Committee for Public Safety. -
Marie Antoinette is executed
Two days before, Marie is brought to trial at a Revolutionary Tribunal. Many accusations were made to Marie Antoinette and most of them were scandalous. Most of them were made under previous rumored scandalous events and were probably not true. Nonetheless, She was convicted of treason by the Committee of Public Safety and executed two days later on October 16, 1793 by the guillotine. Marie Antoinette was out of the way, and now the new government could check off a box on their to-do list. -
Robespierre is executed
It seems as though the fires of Revolution that Robespierre stoked so fiercely, seemed to turn on him and engulf him as well.Robespierre was became involved in the Committee of Public safety, of which he was a deputy and a member of. He was responsible for thousands of executions. When the people grew tired of the executions, they died off. The people blamed Robespierre for the Terror and turned on him. He was arrested and executed along with 21 of his closest supporters on July, 28, 1794.
