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The Tennis Court Oath
-taken because the 3rd Estate was not given the representation they asked for when the Estates- General was called
-3rd Estate and some member of the other estates that sympathized with them left to the tennis courts of Versailles to meet
-formed the French National Assembly
-promised to not separate until they wrote a new constitution for France
-first time the Assembly/ 3rd Estate took the power they wanted -
Storming of the Bastille
-People feared that the armed troops that were gathering in the streets were there to break up the Assembly, so they stormed the Bastille and freed the prisoners.
-turning point in revolution
-showed that there was going to be a war -
Period: to
The "Great Fear"
Fear of a possible revolution by peasants frightens the nobles, and the fear of no food for the peasant, causes wild actions. Peasants go crazy by ransacking castles and burning documents important to feudalism system. -
Decrees of August 4th
National Assembly through Decrees of August 4th, 1789 abolished feudalism,eliminated noble and clergy privileges, and determined occupation is not by birth or status. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen
Who: The Marquis de Lafayette provided important contributions to the document
What: major document on human rights
When: less than two months after the storming of the Bastille
Where: France
Why: written as a reminder to the Social body of the rights and duties the French people have -
Women's Bread March
Who: Parisian women
What: a march to the royal palace
Where: Versailles
Why: women going to King Louis XVI about the high bread prices and scarcity of bread, armed with weapons -
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
This law ruled that the church was to be second to the French Government. It also limited the number of bishops to 83 instead of 135. These new bishops had to pledge alligiance to the state. It also abolished Monasteries. The creator of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was the National Assembly. -
Louis XVI's Escape
After the storming of the Bastille, the king's power was diminished and he was forced to live in Tuileries. Louis XVi decided that he and his family needed to leave so they disguised themselves and set off for Marie-Antoinette's homeland, Austria. Unfortunately, they were recognized and apprenhended in Varennes. His attempt to flee showed the people of France that he did not agree with the revolution and was essentially giving up on ruling France. -
Declaration of Pillnitz and War!
The Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and Frederick William II of Prussia gave this declaration stating that they would intervene is Louis XVI was threatened at all. The declaration stated that "Austria would go to war if and only if all the other major European powers also went to war with France". Leopold actually chose this so he would not be drawn to war; however, the French understood this wrong and thought he was going to declare war, thus beginning the French Revolutionary Wars. -
Constitution of 1791
In 1791, France adopted the first constitution the nation had ever had. The constitution was created by the French National Assembly. The constitution included a unicameral government so that the higher classes did not have superity in France. Separation of powers was also prevelent in the constitution. Finlly, the constitution was a huge step in the right direction to the equality of everyone in France.