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Estates
To calm the public, King Louis XVI called an assembly of the different classes of French people: Clergy, Commoners, and Nobles. These were called Estates and the assembly was called the Estates-General. The Estates-General holds a meeting in Versailles to discuss a new tax policy. -
National Assembly
The Third Estate mostly consisted of well educated lawyers. They decided that the did not want to listen to the King anymore. So they declared themself a National Assembly and the other two Estates soon joined. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was the result of growing hate for King Louis XVI's desire for the country to be a monarchy. All the members of the National Assembly swore they would stick together until a new constitution for France was written. This was called the Tennis Court oath, since it happened in an indoor tennis court. -
Fall of Bastille
In the streets of Paris, people help riots, looting and demonstrations. The king sent troops to calm the public. But the people stormed the Bastille a prison/fortress that was a powerful symbol of the monarchy. -
Great Fear starts in Countryside
In response to rumors, scared peasants armed themselves and attacked houses. The content of the rumors differed from region to region – in some areas it was believed that a foreign force were burning the crops in the fields while in other areas it was believed that bandits burned buildings down. Fear of peasant attacks took a role in the decision of which to end feudalism. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration of the Rights of Man was passed by the National Assembly. This document defines all the rights of each individual estate. -
September Massacres in Paris
The September Massacres consisted on several attacks on the prisons of Paris. It began on September 2, 1792 and lasted about four or five day. The first attack occured when 24 priests being transported to a prison named L'Abbaye, were attacked by a mob of angry citizens. The mob killed all the priests along with other prisoners. -
Execution of King Louis XVI
After the fall of the monarchy, King Louis XVI was arrested, put in Temple Prison with his family, and tried for act of treason. He was declared guilty by almost all and condemned to death by majority. His execution made him the very first victim of the Reign of Terror. -
Period: to
Reign of Terror
A group of extremists took over and started to execute anyone who disagreed with them. Many who disagreed were beheaded with a guillotine. The Reign of Terror sentenced 20,000 to 40,000 people to death. -
Execution of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was called Madame Deficit and was blamed for the country's financial problems. She was tried by a mock trial, as was her husband. Marie Antoinette was convicted of treason and sentenced to be guillotined.
