French Revolution

  • Estates General

    Estates General
    On May 5th, 1789 King Louis XVI convened the Estates-General. It was the representative gathering of all 3 estates, the clergy, the nobility, and the majority. It always ended up with the clergy and the nobility outvoting the third estate, this happened because each estate was only given 1 vote.
  • Tennis Court Oath

    Tennis Court Oath
    After being removed from the Estates General the Third Estate searched for a new place to meet. They found one but the King locked them out of it. So the Third Estate searched for another large area in Versailles, they found a tennis court and vowed to never leave until there was a political change.
  • Storming of the Bastille

    Storming of the Bastille
    There was an enormous prison located in Paris and it was attacked by an angry mob. The mob was looking to take the ammunition and firearms from the prison guards. The mob then charged on the prison and ended up killing the prison governor. This marked the start of the French Revolution.
  • Declaration of the Rights of Man

    Declaration of the Rights of Man
    It was set by France's National Constituent Assembly. It is a human civil rights document similar to that of the Declaration of Independence in some aspects. It had articles like the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and all citizens are equal before the law, etc.
  • March on Versailles

    March on Versailles
    An angry mob of around 7,000 working women armed with muskets, pikes, and pitchforks marched from Paris to Versailles. They were chanting, with a drum, "Bread! Bread!". The French ground was fine but the population was still starving because the King and Queen had been feasting this whole time. They were looking for Marie Antoinette who barely escaped but her 2 guards were decapitated and had their heads on pikes. The King and Queen however were prisoners of the 3rd state until there execution.
  • Civil Constitution of the Clergy

    Civil Constitution of the Clergy
    It was an attempt to reorganize the Roman Catholic Church in France on a national basis. It also turned many Catholics against the Revolution. It also began selling the churches land.
  • Royal Family attempts to flee

    Royal Family attempts to flee
    The Royal family had a plan to escape and it was stopped and they were captured. They were then put on trial, and were held for a long while. They had dressed in disguise with the children all dressed like girls, Marie in all black, and Louis dressed as a valet.
  • Execution of the King

    Execution of the King
    The rebels had found out about Louis' anti-revolution plans with Austria. The King was put on trial for treason and was found guilty with the consequence, death by guillotine. His wife Marie was then also charged with treason and death by guillotine.
  • Reign of Terror

    Reign of Terror
    This lasted from September 1793 until July 1794. Thousands are sentenced to death and it is all caused by political conflict between the Jacobin and the Girondins. The leader of the Jacobin, Maximilian rose to power and leads France.
  • Execution of Maximillien Robespierre

    Execution of Maximillien Robespierre
    Robespierre and 21 of his followers were executed by guillotine. Robespierre had encouraged the reign of terror and caused the death for 17,000 enemies. He also lead the Jacobin who encouraged the acts of the Revolution.