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Louis XVI convenes Estates General
The Estates General had only met 2 times before this. There was a common agreement of constitutional monarchy, individual liberties, position of parish clergy had to be improved and abolition of internal trade barriers. They didn't know if they should vote by head or by estate. The third estate wanted power and to abolish nobility. -
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Causes of the French Revolution
One cause of the French Revolution was the third estate had to pay the taxes while the first and second estates did not. They were too dependent on the third estate. Another reason was that there was a series of bad harvests and not much food and the government wasn't doing anything about it. France was also in a financial crisis and almost bankrupt because they didn't have a central bank, currency, and credit system. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath band the third estate together until the constitution. -
Storming of the Bastille
An angry mob stormed the Bastille to get gunpowder and weapons. They released the prisoners and killed guards. It was in response to there being food shortages, unemployment, and fear of military repression. This also saved the National Assembly because the king was going to use force to stop them. -
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Great Fear of 1789
The Great Fear of 1789 was a wave of violence in the countryside because peasants were attacking and burning manor houses. This was to kill nobles and destroy legal papers and things that represented the Old Regime. This caused the National Assembly to abolish feudalism and declare equal taxation. -
Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen
The Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen became the constitution blueprint for France. It was influenced by the Enlightenment and the US Declaration of Independence. They wanted freedom of expression and religion and taxes to be raised only with common consent, as well as citizens were all French people, regardless of class. It also led to women's rights. -
Women’s March on Versailles
The Women's March on Versailles was about 1000 angry women that were armed marching to Versailles. They forced the king and queen to move back to paris. It was over the cost of bread. -
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
The Civil Constitution of Clergy created a national church and it was the biggest mistake of the National Assembly. They confiscated church lands and the clergy was forced to take a loyalty oath to the new government. This cause France to divide over religion. -
Flight to Varennes
The Flight to Varennes is when Louis XVI tried to avoid approving the Constitution by leaving France. He was captured and became a prisoner of Parisian mobs with the queen. -
National Convention formed
The National Convention proclaimed France a republic. They abolished the monarchy and established republicanism based on the ideas of equality, liberty, and fraternity. -
King Louis XVI executed
King Louis XVI was executed because France was consumed by radical revolutionaries. He was executed by guillotine. The monarchy was abolished to create the French Republic. -
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Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror contradicted a lot of the ideals of the French Revolution because many people had been sent to their death for little to no reasons. It is said that the Reign of Terror was the most radical phase of the revolution. -
Marie Antoinette executed
Marie Antoinette was executed a couple months after her husband, Louis XVI, was executed for plotting treason against his country. She died by guillotine. -
Robespierre is executed
Robespierre led the Committee of Public Safety to guard the revolution and had trials to get rid of anyone against the revolution. The National Convention condemned Robespierre incase he were to go after them too. He was executed and the radicals lost power so the Terror ended. -
Napoleon Becomes Emperor
Napoleon crowned himself emperor after seizing political power. He reformed a lot of things, both good and bad. Napoleon created equality before the law and freedom of religion but women were not equal to men. He fixed France's economic problems but after Louis XVIII was restored to the throne, economic depression came back. -
Napoleon Defeated at Waterloo
Napoleon escaped the Island of Elba after he was sent there because he abdicated. He was in France for 100 days before he was defeated at Waterloo.
