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Estates-General Meeting
Source: The textbook
King Louis XVI had put off dealing with the government's debt and was in need of money. To fix this, he moved to impose taxes on the nobility. The Second Estate, however, forced him to call a meeting of the Estates-General to approve the tax.
This event is important because it shows direct defiance to absolute monarchy. This meeting was the people making themselves heard in the government, and it would actually lead to the creation of a new government in France. -
Period: to
The French Revolution
All information is from the textbook -
National Assembly established
Source: The textbook
Representatives of the Third Estate, who were mostly middle class workers, wanted each delegate of each estate to have a vote rather than having one vote for each Estate. The king did not agree to their request. Rather than give up, the Third Estate voted to form the National Assembly, which would pass laws and reforms.
This event is important because it is the first revolutionary act of the war. This event ended the monarchy and began a representative government. -
Attack on Bastille
Source: The textbook
Unsure of what was to come, people began gathering munitions and weaponry to defend Paris against attack. A mob stormed the prison of Bastille for gunpowder and arms, massacring the guards. Afterwards they paraded around the city with their heads on pikes.
This event is important because it is the citizens of France taking up arms against higher powers. The people of Paris joined together to overtake the soldiers guarding Bastille, marking a success for the people. -
Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Source: The textbook
The National Assembly had removed the privileges of the nobility three weeks prior. This document states that men were born free and equal and had certain rights. Some of these rights were liberty and resistance to oppression. Citizens also had freedom of speech and of religion.
This event is important because it asserts the values of the revolution and guarantees the citizens their rights. -
The Great Fear
Source: The textbook
Uncertainty and fear began to spread throughout France, moving the people to action. Peasants began raiding nobles' houses and burning them. A mob of women stormed the Palace of Versailles and forced to king and queen to return to Paris.
This event is important because it shows the revolution spreading throughout the country. It shows that the common people were more powerful than the monarchy. It is also an example of the power of women at a time when they had few rights. -
The Constitution
Source: The textbook
After two years, the National Assembly completed a constitution for France. King Louis XVI agreed to it, though it limited him greatly. The constitution created a constitutional monarchy and the Legislative Assembly, which could create laws.
This event is important because it officially limited the monarchy. It established checks on royal power and added a new branch to the government. -
National Convention
Source: The textbook
In response to threatening violence in Paris, the Constitution of 1791 was put aside, the king was deposed, and the National Assembly was dissolved. A new government was elected and called the National Convention. France was declared a republic, and men were given the right to vote.
This event is important because it is the formation of a new government. This government has no monarchy whatsoever. -
Reign of Terror
Source: The textbook
Maximilien Robespierre essentially became a dictator of France, though he was actually leader of the Committee of Public Safety. He used his power to kill "enemies" of France, though many who died were innocent. He used terror under the guise of virtue to keep power, but was guillotined the next year.
This event is important because of how many people died and what resulted because of it. The French government after this event was far more moderate. -
A New Government
Source: The textbook
For the third time in less than a decade, France created a new government. The legislature had two houses, and the executive body was made up of five men, all of them moderates. Power was placed firmly in the hands of the upper middle class, and order returned to France.
This event is important because it is the first time since the beginning of the revolution that France had lasting order. It also paves the way for Napoleon to come to power. -
Napoleon Bonaparte
Source: The textbook
The Directory had lost the people's faith and control of the government. Napoleon, however, was a national hero and was returning from Egypt with his troops. His men surrounded the legislature and drove out its members. Those who remained dissolved the Directory, allowing Napoleon to take the title of first consul and become a dictator.
This event is important because it is the end of the French Revolution. Napoleon was a largely successful leader that restored France.
