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Famine
Several bad harvests occured due to harsh winters.The French were (and are) very dependent on bread, rising bread prices and taxes angered the 3rd estate. They could not eat and could not pay rising taxes from France's contributions in the American Revolution, and these struggles stayed ignored by the clergy(1st estate) and nobility (2nd estate). -
Calling of the Estates-General
During the French Revolution, there was 3 estates, the clergy (1% of the pop.), the nobility (2%), and everyone else (97%). This was the first time it was called since 1614, as King Louis XVI was concerned over France's financial crisis from the American Revolution. This meeting was an attempt to also change the way these three estates would be counted when voting, either by head count or the third estate would count as twice the vote. -
Collapse of Estates-General
The estates-general and their efforts (or rather their lack of to cooperate) failed. The third estate separated from these meetings and formed the National Assembly in hopes to initiate the government to finally represent them. This would mark the start to challenging the old feudal/royal order. -
Storming of Bastille
Parisian citizens stormed the Bastille, gathering gunpowder and weapons. The Bastille would then be destroyed. This symbolized freedom and the resistance to royal tyranny. -
Tennis Court Oath
The third estate was supposedly locked out of their meeting hall, and so they gathered at an indoor tennis court and vowed to not disband and continue to meet until they proposed a new constitution. They would be known as the National Assembly, and they put effort into reforming France's political system to represent them. -
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August Decrees
The National Assembly abolished the feudal system in attempts of calming down the unrest and violence in the countryside. It abolished seigneurial rights and privileges, such as tithe, from the Catholic clergy. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen
A document that established the principles, or rights, of liberty, equality, and fraternity, would become like the base idea of the French Revolution. -
Women-led March to Versailles
About 6k-10k women, and some men, marched all the way to Versailles demaning bread and for King Louis XVI to change the treatment and aid of the lower estates. This would end up driving away the Royal Family and having them flee to Paris. -
King Louis XVI Executed
Found guilty for treason, just like Marie Antoinette, he was executed by the guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris. This was an action done to abolish royalty and their reign, transitioning into the French Republic. -
Marie Antoinette Executed
Queen Marie Antoinette was accused of incest and treason. These allegations would lead to her death by the guillotine. She would be the last to have French reign. -
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Reign of Terror
With the development of the slanted and sharp-edge guillotine, people could be beheaded a lot faster, cleaner, and without having to hack at their neck multiple times. The French took advantage of this and executed about 10,000 people who they perceived as against or not cooperative of the revolution. Robiesperre was killed as well. -
Slavery Ban
As part of the reformation, the French Republic banned slavery in its French Colonies. -
Robiesperre Executed
Robiesperre rose to power and authority as he was seen as the voice of the people who were upset of the corruption amongst the lower estate coming from the higher estates. But, he would later be conspired against by the Montagnards, and then executed. This would bring the end to the Reign of Terror. -
Metric System
France introduced the metric system, which would then be adopted by most of the world by present time. A reform to standardize measurements, they liked for these measurements to be in 10s,100s, 1000s, etc. ( this included the change of the clock and how long weeks lasted, these two changes failed as the French were upset by longer work time) -
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Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon would rise to power because he lead France to Military victories, but this power (which had him reign France for a while) would collapse. He would then be exiled two times.