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Marie Antoinette's Birth
Marie Antoinette was born on November 2nd, 1755 in Vienna, Austria. She was born to Maria Theresa and Francis I as Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna. Her mother was empress of Prussia and her father was a Holy Roman Emperor. (Gale) Marie Antoinette was a born a good child. She had blue eyes, bright curls, and delicate features. She also had a wonderful personality and a love for music. (Plain 15) This event was significant because her reign as queen would change the history of France forever. -
Boston Massacre
March 5th, 1770 marks a huge event of American history. A little before it though, the Townshend acts were released which added a tax on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. This angered the colonists who were already being told to obey unfair laws so soldiers were sent to Boston to keep peace. Tension kept building until March when new soldiers arrived to a taunting crowd. Because of the commotion, the soldiers misheard the captain and fired. This event eventually led to a revolution. -
Marriage to Louis-Auguste
In 1770, Marie Antoinette was married to Louis-Auguste (Louis XVI before given his title as king). They were only 14 and 15. Escorted by 57 carriages, 117 footmen, and 376 horses, Antoinette went to France to be married. She had a hard time adjusting to a new marriage and wasn't ready at such a young age. In her letters to her mother, she would complain of homesickness and say that everytime she read a letter from her, she'd cry. This event was important because it enabled Marie to be his queen. -
Death of Louis XV
Louis XV, Louis XVI's grandfather died in 1774. He died due to a disease called small pox. (Plain 13) This left Marie Antoinette as queen at just 19 years old. This event was significant in multiple ways. One, it was the moment that all the power was officially handed to Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. Two, it left the couple with a huge burden to handle. Louis XV had left them to deal with the huge war debt he'd left behind. (A&E) -
Louis XV Commits France to Providing Aid in American Revolution
In 1778, Louis made the decision to help the Americans in their Revolution. By doing so, he hoped to boost French trade in North America. Also, he wanted revenge on England for defeating France in the Seven Years War. His revenge came in 1781 when he forced the English to surrender at Yorktown. This event was significant because when the French citizens learned about the American Revolution they became interested in democracy. This was a huge boost toward France's own revolution. (Plain 25) -
Laki Volcano Erupts in Iceland
In 1783, a huge eruption of the Laki volcano occurred in Iceland. The eruption lasted eight months and haze from the eruption was seen from Iceland to Syria. In Iceland, the effect was a loss of the livestock, crop failure, and death of 25% of the humans living there. The eruption also had a climatic effect on the eastern U.S. : the average temperature in the winter was 4-5 degrees below average. It was also estimated to cause a one degree decrease in world temperature. (Volcano.oregonstate.edu) -
Storming of the Bastille
In 1789, the bread shortage in France became a big issue. People were rioting all over France. In response, Louis XVI decided to send out troops to keep peace. The troops would further anger the citizens who then decided to raid the Bastille, a medevial prison, for weapons. While there, they released seven prisoners and killed the prison's governor. This event was significant because it was the beginning of the Revolution. After this, chaos broke out all over France. There was no turning back. -
Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen was presented to the king in August of 1789. It was written by the National Assembly who were inspired by the Declaration of Independence. The French Declaration stated that all men were equal and called for political power to be shared by all, religious freedom, and the rule of law. This event was important because as Louis waited to sign the documents, the parisians did away with the Old Regime and took the Revolution into their own hands.(Plain 30) -
Taken to Paris
In Oct. 1789, thousands of women marched to Versailles demanding bread and were armed with weapons and a citizen army, The National Guard. This forced Louis and Antoinette to give sign the assembly's decrees.The next day, a mob of women came to the palace looking for the queen. Although she escaped death through a secret passage way, she and Louis were brought to Paris. This event was important because it showed how little power the two monarchs had leading up to the end of monarchy. (Plain 31) -
U.S. Bill Of Rights
In 1791, The Bill Of Rights, or the first ten amendments of the Constitution, were written by James Madison. They were created because the citizens of the newly created United States were nervous about losing their individual rights to a strict government once again. The Bill Of Rights lists rights that were guaranteed to the people and placed limits on the government's power. These set of rights are still part of the Constitution today. (History.com) -
Mozart Dies
1791 marks the year Mozart, a famous composer, died. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a very influential composer of the classical era. When he died, he was believed to be one of the best composers of all time. Some of his works include Requiem, The Magic Flute, and Piano Sonata No. 11. His work influenced many including Beethoven. He was bold and his music required a high skill level to perform. Even today, he remains a fascination. (A&E) -
Political Parties form in U.S.
In 1792, the first political parties formed: the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. The Federalist, formed by Alexander Hamilton, believed in a strong central government among other things. In contrast, the Democratic-Republicans, formed by Thomas Jefferson, believed in a government that left the people alone. The two opposing views created two parties who would effect presidencies and other leadership roles due to their beliefs. (Scholastic.com) -
Jacobins Declare War on Austria
By 1792, the most radical of the Assembly, the Jacobins, had taken control. In April, they declared war on Austria hoping to distract France from the problems at home and to spread the Revolution. Although it wasn't effortless, the Prussians were defeated in September. This event is important because after this new found confidence, the Assembly was renamed the National Convention and their first action was abolishing monarchy. To make it official, they had to get rid of the king. (Plain 34) -
Death of Louis XVI
During the war against Prussia, many false accusations were made against the king and queen. They hated the queen because she was Austrian and thought Louis was with the enemy too. After the war, Louis was put on trial and charged for "conspiring against liberty" and issued a death sentence. Louis XVI was said to have faced his execution with courage and made his son promise to never seek revenge for it. This event was important because once Louis was dead, Marie was truly powerless. (Plain 34) -
Marie Antoinette's Death
Soon after Louis XVI was sentenced to death, Marie Antoinette was put to death also. After the execution of Louis, the Committee of Public Safety was formed to guide France through the war and to keep the Revolution going. The leader, Maximilien Robespierre, planned to have a policy of "terror" which entailed many executions to rid France of enemies of the new republic. His first victim was Antoinette. This event was significant because she was the last living French monarch. (Plain 36) -
Declaration of Independence
The declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by members of the Continental Congress, is a document declaring the colonies independence from Great Britain. The document changed their name to The United States of America and outlined the causes of their separation. It was written in the summer of 1776 and ratified on July 4th. This officially allowed the colonists to gain independence in the Revolutionary War. (History.com)
