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Meeting of the Estates General
In this meeting, the three estates met at Versailles so that they could vote for a better tax. In this meeting, The Third Estate Delegates (which had the most number of delegates in an estate) were eager to make changes in the government. They also insisted that when all three states meet together, each delegate could have one vote. -
Voted to establish the National Assembly
In the Estates meeting, the Third Estate voted for the National Assembly. They named themselves that, and passed laws and reforms in name of the French People. This proclaimed the end of an Absolute Monarchy. Three days later, the Third Estate delegates found themselves locked out of the meeting room. They broke down a door to an indoor tennis court, and pledged to stay until they had drawn up a new constitution. (Tennis Court Oath) -
Storming of the Bastille
A mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed the Bastille, a Paris prison. After the attackers killed several guards, they paraded the streets of Paris with dead men's heads on pikes. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The National Assembly adopted a statement of revolutionary ideals. They created the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. in that, they stated that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights." These rights included "liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression" This document also guaranteed citizens equal justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. -
Bread Riots
Thousands of Parisian women protested over the rising price of bread. The women marched to Versailles with knives, axes, and other weapons. They demanded that the National Assembly take action to provide the bread, and then they turned their anger on the king and queen. They broke into the palace, and killed some of the guards. -
The Great Fear
When a lot of French people were scared, the peasents broke into noble's manor houses and destroyed old legal papers that bound them to pay feudal dues. -
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June, 1791
Louis XVI's advisers warned him that he and the royal family were in danger. Many of the supporters of the monarchy thought France was "unsafe" and left the country. In June 1791, the royal family tried to escape from France to the Austrian Netherlands. When they were near the border, they were returned to Paris with guards. -
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September 1791
By 1791 the delegates of the National Assembly had made a lot of changes in France's government and society. The new constitution they created included a constitutional monarchy, which King Louis XVI accepted. They also created the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly could create laws and approve or reject teclarations of war. This also meant that the King still had the executive power to enforce the laws. -
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Legislative Assembly declares war
Austria and Prussia wanted the french people to make King Louis XVI an absolute monarch again, this made the Legislative Assembly declare war. -
Invasion of Tuileries
20,000 men and women invaded the palace where the royal family was staying. The mob massacred the royals guards, and imprisoned King Louis, Marie Antoinette, and their children. -
Abolishment of the Monarchy
The new Constitution was set aside because of the preassure that the Legislative Assembly was getting. This declared that the king didnt have power anymore, and that the assembly was also over, which meant that they needed a new legislature. The National Convention took office in September 21. The National Convention quickly abolished the monarchy. -
King Louis Death
King Louis XVI (not king anymore) was now a normal citizen. He was charged for treason, which he was found guilty from, and he was sentenced to death. The former king was guillotined. -
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The New French Army
When Great Britain, Holland, and Spain joined Prussia and Austria against France, France realized that they needed a bigger army. Jabovin leaders reinforced the French army by ordering a draft of 300,000 French citizens between the ages of 18 and 40. -
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Reign of Terror
Robespierre became the leader of the Committee of Public Safety. His main task was to protect the Revolution from its enemies. While he was leading, the the committee always had these enemies who they would trial in the morning, and guillotine in the afternoon. He justified this act of terror by saying that this helped the French citizens to remain true to their ideals of a revolution. -
End of the Terror
Some members of the National Convention turned on Robespierre because they were fearing their own safety. They demanded his arrest and execution. The "Reign of Terror" ended on July 28 1794 when Robespierre went to the guilotine. -
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1795 yr
Some leaders in the National Convention drafted a new plan of government. This power was placed on the upper middle class. This new government was made of a two house legislature and an executive body of five men known as the Directory.
