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Tennis Court Oath
The representatives of the common people were locked out of the room to vote at Versailles. In an indoor tennis court, these men pledged to not stop meeting together until they establish a new constitution. The king then surrounded Versailles with soldiers to prevent any fighting. This was when the French people formally opposed the government leaders, without any violence, however. -
Storming of the Bastille
The revolutionaries realized that weapons were needed to fight off the army. They released the political prisoners kept in the facility and raided the weapons cache. This point is where the revolutionaries became more violent and brutal against the government. This is an important point in the revolution as this is when the revolutionaries gathered a large amount of weapons, and the violence exploded. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
This is the document that was passed by the National Assembly for the new French order. Inspired by the American Declaration of Independance, the commonmen were ready to stand for this. It reorganized the government in a way where the majority of the members were satisfied. This declaration is what the people were going to fight and die for, in order to establish a better government. -
Women's March on Versailles
There were rumors that the royals were hoarding grain in Versailles. Women marched to Versailles with various weapons, and the mob attacked the palace. The mob demanded that the king and queen be moved from Versailled to Paris so that the people may keep a closer watch on them. This ended the king's sole rule over France, and allowed the National Assembly some power. -
Royal Flight to Varennes
The royal family felt unsafe in Paris, and was offered to stay in Austria, away from the Revolutionaries. Dressed as commonfolk, the royals fled while servants were dressed as nobles. They were arrested in Varennes and brought back to Paris. This essentially means that the royal family were giving up their title as the royal family. -
Champ de Mars Massacre
The National Assembly declared the King would remain in power under the constitution they made. The republicans disagreed with this, and gathered to sign a petition. After being dispersed once, the group returned in even larger numbers and became more violent, resulting in about fifty people being killed when the National Guard opened fire. After this violent event, the National Assembly had a black mark on its name, thus resulting in its parting shortly after. -
Declared War on Austria
Both sides of the conflict in France were supportive of a war. The supporters of the old regime wanted it as they thought the new government would crumble, and be replaced by the monarchy again. The revolutionaries supported the war as they believed it would unify the nation. This started a chain reaction of events where more blood is shed by the revolutionaries. -
Execution of the King
King Louis XVI was executed by means of the guillotine on this date. The execution of Louis XVI marked the beginning of the Reign of Terror in France. Louis XVI was executed at Revolution Square. The execution of Louis XVI represented the end of the monarchical rule in France. -
Siege of Toulon
There was a revolt against the revolutionary government in the port of Toulon. Supporters of the royal family were still trying to overthrow the government, so troops from around Europe attacked. One captain who was in the area at the time was able to fend off the attackers and gained favor with the government. The captain was Napoleon Bonaparte, who would later come to rule the future French Empire. -
9 Thermidor
This event is named after the date on the French Revolutionary calender it took place on. This was the date that the Revolutionaries arrested some of the last corrupted government members. These men fled and were later killed in various ways. This marked an end to the Reign of Terror and began a new, better governing body.
