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financial crisis of 1783
Before the revolution the people of France had a financial crisis. This was caused by hail that had ruined the crop, decreased production of items, and that the king and queen spent so much on themselves by buying fancy clothes and hoarding materials. This was also caused, in a major part, by assisting the Americans in their revolution. This was a significant point in the revolution because it was all started over a loss of resources. This caused great civil unrest in the nation. -
meeting of the estates general
The last meeting of the Estates-General was at the beginning of the French Revolution. (this was comprised of members from all estates.) They faced a financial crisis, widespread agitation, and the weakening power of the king. The representatives of the Third Estate, fearing that they would be overruled by the two privileged orders in any attempt at reform, led in the formation of the revolutionary National Assembly, signaling the end of representation based on the traditional social classes. -
tennis court oath
Officials of the third estate realized that if they attempted to reform they would be outvoted by the two privileged orders. the clergy and the nobility, had formed a National Assembly. They locked out the third estate their usual meeting hall at Versailles and thought that the king was forcing them to disband, they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court. There they took an oath never to separate until they made a constitution. The other estates were forced to join the assembly as well. -
storming of Bastille
Parisian revolutionaries and french troops storm and dismantle the Bastille. This was a royal fortress and prison that had come to symbolize the tyranny of the King Louis. This dramatic action signaled the beginning of the French Revolution.while there were only 7 prisoners in there at the time, the main goal of it all was to acquire weapons for their cause. By the end of the summer, the revolution was heating up as other invasions such as the women's march on Versailles were taking place. -
King Louis execution
In August 1792, the royal couple was arrested by the sans-culottes and imprisoned, and in September the monarchy was abolished by the National Convention (which had replaced the National Assembly). In November, evidence of Louis XVI’s ideas against the revolution and ties with Austria and other foreign nations was discovered, and he was put on trial for treason by the National Convention. The next January, Louis was convicted and condemned to death by a narrow majority.
