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Declaration of National Assembly
Louis XVI summoned the Estates General to a meeting, hoping to solve the financial crisis. Each state only had one vote and the, and the third estate was often overruled by the privileged estates. Sieyès proposed that the Third Estate delegates name themselves the National Assembly; and the majority of the delegates voted for it on June 17, 1789.
This was important as it was the first deliberate act of revolution.
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Storming of Bastille
On July 14, Parisians stormed Bastille, a prison in Paris that mostly housed political prisoners. The mob seized control of the prison, and got killed the prison commander and several guards. The angry Parisians then paraded on the streets with the dead men's heads on their pikes.
This was important because the fall of Bastille is the symbolic act of revolution, and is celebrated every year on July 14.
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Declaration of the Right of Man and of the Citizen
The National Assembly adopted a statement of Revolutionary Ideas known as the "Declaration of the Right of Man and of the Citizen." This document declared that all people were equal guaranteed all citizens equal and free. However, this document only guaranteed rights for men, and not for women.
This is important because it is the first statement of ideas in the French Revolution.
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March on Versailles
In October, thousands of women marched from Paris to Versailles, rioting over the rising price of bread. They broke into the palace and demanded that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette return to Paris. After some time, Louis agreed, and he and his family and servants left the palace.
This even was important because it symbolized the change in power.
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Flight to Varennes
While the National Assembly was working on a new constitution that limited his ability as a monarch, Louis began fearing of danger for him and his family. On June 20, 1791, the family quietly left their palace and tried to escape to the Austrian Netherlands. However, they were captured near the border and returned back to Paris.
This was a major event in the French Revolution because it furthur turned the people against the king.
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Attack on the Tuileries Palace
In the summer of 1792, France was at War with Austria and Prussia. The Parisians feared that the king was a traitor. On August 10, roughly 20,000 people invaded Tuileries (a royal residency) and imprisoned the royal family.
This was important, because it showed that the people defeated the royal guards and this also contributed to the September Massacres.
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Louis XVI's Execution
The National Convention (who was now guided by the radical Jacobins) tried Louis for treason. The convention found Louis as guilty and sentenced him to death. On January 21, 1793, the king was beheaded by the guillotine (a machine used for execution).
This was an important event because it showed that the National Convention now had more power then the king, and had the right to sentence the king to death.
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Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror began on September 5, 1793. During the Reign of Terror, France was ruled by the Committee of Public Safety, led by Robespierre. The comittee found "enemies" in France and executed them, and thousands of people were sent to their deaths on the flimsiest of charges. The Reign of Terror ended in 1749.
This was a major event in the revolution as it was a major turn of events, and caused a lot of people died.
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Execution of Robespierre
The National Convention feared for their safety, and demanded that Robespierre be executed. On July 27, 1794, Robespierre went to the guillotine and was executed. This signaled the end to the Reign of Terror.
This was a major event because as people were now weary of the Terror. Because of this a new plan of government would be drafted.
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Napoleon Bonaparte
In 1799, the French people began losing confidence in the Directory. Napoleon took advantage of this, and drove out most of the Directory's members. In early September, Napoleon had begun to establish a new government plan composed of three consuls, in which Napoleon was the first consul and had the rights of a dictator.
This was important because this was the end of the Revolution.
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