French Revolution

Le Procope

1689

French Restaurant in Paris, France
Unrest was sparked by poverty and inequality, while revolution was sparked by "Enlightenment" beliefs that opposed the king and the church. Le Procope, regarded as Paris's oldest cafe, was a favorite gathering spot for Enlightenment thinkers including Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau.

Yorktown Battlefield Colonial National Historical Park

1781

Several years before the French Revolution got started, the American Revolution came to a end in Yorktown in 1781. However, Louis XVI's decision to charge taxes on the common people of France, which sparked rebellion, was motivated by the debt accrued during the American war.

Place Notre Dame

1788

French city of Grenoble's public square
On June 7, 1788, royal soldiers in Grenoble opened fire on a mob yelling for reform. The episode is now referred locally as the Day of the Tiles because people threw roof tiles at the armed men.

Château de Vizille

Oct 21, 1788

France's Vizille Museum
On June 21, 1788, nobles, clergy, and commoners gathered in the ball room of Château de Vizille to talk about governmental reforms. The assembly prepared the stage for the estates general, a nationwide counterpart, the following year.

Palace of Versailles

1789

French museum in Versailles
Louis XVI called the Estates General, a gathering of commoners, clergymen, and aristocrats, in May 1789 to consider increased taxes. Voting was stacked against the commoners, who would bear the burden of the reforms.

Salle du Jeu de Paume

1789

French museum in Versailles
The Third Estate (commoners who represented 98 percent of France) gathered on the indoor royal tennis court and pledged to design a new constitution after being prevented from discussions with the nobles and clergy; this act is now known as the Tennis Court Oath.

Tuileries Garden

1789

Garden in Paris, France
In October 1789, thousands Parisian women protesting the cost of bread banded together with other demonstrators to drive Louis XVI and his family from Versailles. Here, in the Tuileries Palace, which was destroyed in 1883, the royal family established residence.

Le Palais Royal

Jul 12, 1789

French palace in Paris
During the 1780s, the Palais Royale drew radical thinkers from all social groups. A throng gathered here on July 12, 1789, and decided to take up arms when Louis XVI sacked his beloved finance minister.

Les Invalides

Jul 14, 1789

Building complex in Paris, France
On July 14, 1789, revolutionaries raided this collection of buildings, which had formerly served as a home for war veterans, and took canons and muskets.

Place de la Bastille

Jul 14, 1789

The Bastille jail, which had previously held political prisoners, had come to represent oppression. A significant store of gunpowder was also there. On July 14, 1789, rebels overran it.