-
Estates General Called
The Estates General was a meeting of the three estates (clergy/nobility/commoners), that was called to help deal with social and financial crisis. The different estates met and each group had one vote when it came to making decisions, so the third estate had almost no say because the first and second estates agreed on everything (mainly making life harder on the third estate). -
National Assembly Formed
The National Assembly was formed by representatives of the Third Estate that broke away from the Estates General, because the third estate felt each person should have a voice, and no one was getting that in the Estates General. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was an agreement that the men of the National Assembly had. It was agreement to keep meeting until a constitution was created. -
Women's March on Versailles
The Women’s March on Versailles was a spontaneous riot that took place because of the high price and limited availability of bread. The women decided to remove the separation between the people and king, because they believed the reason the King wasn't doing anything was because he wasn't seeing the problem. -
The Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of the Bastille, was an event where Parisians stormed one of the prisons. The people freed the prisoners and seized multiple cases of gunpowder. -
Constitutional Monarchy Formed
The absolute monarchy was turned into a constitutional monarchy (limited monarchy) after King Louis XVI was forced to accept the constitution. -
Mob Overthrows the Constitutional Monarch / New National Convention / France a Republic
The French monarchy was abolished.
National Convention - a legislative group that replaced the Legislative Assembly and transferred France into a Republic -
King Louis XVI and Marie Antionette Beheaded
Marie Antoinette (Oct. 19) -
- Guilty of three charges and sentenced to the death penalty (beheaded)
1) High treason against the security of the French State
2) Depletion of the state treasury
3) Conspiring with foreign powers
King Louis XVI (Jan. 21) -
- Guilty of treason and sentenced to the death penalty (guillotined) -
Reign of Terror Begins
The reign of terror was a time of lots of violence (mass killings and public executions). Law of Suspects - allowed Maximilien Robespierre to arrest and execute anyone he believed was against the revolution Committee of Public Safety - to defend the nation against enemies -
Reign of Terror Ends
The support for the Committee of Public Safety decreased and so Robespierre was arrested, along with many of his supporters, and all were executed. As the reign of terror ended the prisons were emptied and the revolution in France became less radical, because the ordinary people had won more political power.