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7 years' war (ended in 1763)
France joined forces with the native "Indians" in the new world against the British and their colonies. At the end of this war, England had control over the once French colonies in Canada. -
American Revolution
After England had taken their Canadian Colonies, The French jumped at the opportunity to help the colonies gain independence. One of their hopes was that they would be able to take back Canada. They sent military personnel like Lafayette, to the colonies in the new world. -
France in debt
During the 1780's, France was in a serious case of debt. About 50% of all money went to help with the debt, 25% to the military, 6% to Versailles, and less than 20% was available to fund different functions of the state. -
National Assembly abolishes feudal privileges.
The National Assembly voted to get rid of feudalism in August of 1789. This would not have happened if the Oath of the Tennis court was not sworn. -
French Revolution
Unlike the American revolution, The French Revolution happened in the Country of France itself. Because of this, the king and any royal personnel were targeted and killed. Because America and England had a lot of distance between them due to the oceans, killing the king was never their goal. -
National Assembly issues Declaration of the rights of man
This was another thing the National Assembly did because of the Tennis court oath. They created a set of rules and laws pertaining to all the people of France that they had to follow. -
National Assembly confiscates church lands
France was in a time of national and financial crisis. To try to solve the problem, The National Assembly took Church lands. This really lowered the power of the Catholic Church. -
Estates General convene at Versailles
The king called together the estates general to discuss laws and taxes. One of the speakers proposed an idea that the king liked. The estates general did not approve of it and decided to take matters into their own hands. they created a National Assembly. -
Oath of the Tennis Court is sworn
The New National assembly met in one of the halls in Versailles only to find out that the doors had been locked and the doors blocked by 20 soldiers. this was an attempt by the king to stop them from meeting. the National Assembly fled to the nearby room in which tennis was played and made an oath to meet all the time and to meet wherever they could until the government had a solid plan and foundation. -
Storming of the Bastille occurs
The Third Estate had asked the king to give them more power than what they had. The king refused and the third estate was scared that the king was putting together an army to fight them. -
The Great Fear
Rumors spread between the peasants and the lower class that the shortage of grain and usable crops was a plan to starve them and lower their population done by the upperclassmen. The peasants started a riot, arming themselves with weapons of all types in protest. -
Women march on Versailles and force royal family to return to Paris
This event is also known as the October March. This march started due to the women in the city of Paris complaining about the high price of bread in the marketplace. -
Civil constitution of the Clergy establishes a national Church
The National Assembly took another step correlated to taking away some of the Catholic Church's land. They decided to create/ form a National church. All priests and clergy were forced to take a loyalty oath to the French government. They also pressured the king into agreeing to have a constitutional Monarchy. -
Royal family is arrested while attempting to flee France
In attempts to flee France to anti-revolutionists in the Austrian Netherlands, the king, Louis XVI took his family in disguise out of the castle. -
September Massacres occur and National convention declares France a republic and abolishes monarchy
Louis's imprisonment was followed by the September Massacres. This time period was part of what is considered to be the Second Revolution. People who started killing in the Massacres killed half of the men and women they found. -
Partisan mob attacks the Palace and takes Louis XVI prisoner
Another attack caused Luis and his family to try to escape to the nearby Legislative Assembly. Their efforts failed and the Assembly suspended Louis from all his functions and imprisoned him. -
Louis XVI is executed
The National Assembly convicted Louis XVI of treason and they sentenced him to death. He died on the newly invented guillotine.