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Great Fear
A wave of senseless panic that spread through the French countryside after the storming of the Bastille. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Statement of fundamental political rights adopted by the French National Assembly at the beginning of the French Revolution. Claimed equal rights for men and access to public office based on talent, not status. -
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The French Revolution
A period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France and was partially carried forward by Napoleon during the later expansion of the French Empire. -
Meeting of the Estates General
It was a meeting that opened at Versailles to discuss political and economic reforms; cash problems, need of taxes, each estate had 1 vote, the third estate wanted each deputy to have a vote. -
Storming the Bastille
There had been a rumor that the king had been planning a military coup against the national Assembly. The people decided to defend their city and marched to the Bastille prison for gunpowder. The governor of the prison refused them, so they fought until the prison surrendered. -
Women's March on Versailles
An angry mob of Parisian women stormed through Versailles demanding Louis XVI to end the nationwide food shortage and that the royal family return to Paris with them. -
The Flight of Louis XVI
A failed attempt by King Louis XVI to get out of France with his family and get to Austria to start a counter revolution. -
Invasion of France by Austria
The brother of Queen Marie Antoinette invaded France to restore Marie and Louis to power. -
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September Massacres
Louis's imprisonment was followed by the September massacres. Wild stories seized the city that imprisoned counter-revolutionary aristocrats/priests were plotting with the allied invaders. As a result, angry crowds invaded the prisons of Paris and summarily slaughtered half the men and women they found. -
Beheading of Louis XVI
The Mountains voted and beheaded King Louis XVI using the guillotine in order to start a revolution in France. -
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Reign of Terror
During the French Revolution when thousands were executed for "disloyalty" peasants and persons who opposed the sans cullotes were killed. -
Napoleon's Seizure of Power
A coup d'etat, sudden overthrow of the gov't, led by the powerful military general, Napolean Bonaparte, toppled the Directory and Napolean seized power. -
Battle of Trafalgar
Britain's Admiral Nelson destroyed the combined French and Spanish navies. Nelson was killed but invasion of Britain now became impossible. -
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Congress of Vienna
Meeting of representatives of European monarchs called to reestablish the old order after the defeat of Napoleon. -
The Exile of Napoleon to Elba
He was exiled to Elba after the invasion of Russia failed. -
Napoleon Exiled to St. Helena
After falling at the hands of the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was exiled to a barren island in the South Atlantic so he could not escape, there is where he died.