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Meeting of the Estates General
The Nobles pressed the king to call a meeting of all estates. It was the first meeting in 175 years. Representitives wrote their grievences on notebooks to prepare themselves for the meeting. -
Creation of the National Assembly
Representitives of the Third Estate refused to follow the old voting system and and declrared themselves a legislature. Following this, King Louis locked them out of their usual meeting house so they met in an indoor tennis court. There they made the "Tennis Court Oath" to write a constitution for the people of France. -
Storming of the Bastille
King Louis sent troops to Paris and Versailles in case he had to preserve the monarchy by force. Seeing this, the people wanted to arm themselves so they marched to the hated prison of the Bastille. After a large standoff the mob killed the prison's commander and paraded his head around town. This event was symbol of hope for the people and the symbolic start of the revolution. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Laid out the rules for revolution; "Liberty, Equality, Franternity." Consisted of 17 articles which included freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and stated that all men were born equal. The document did not extend to women though. -
Creation of the National Convenion
The Legislative Assembly made the National Convention after the Storming of the Tuileries and vowed to make a constitution. In it, all men 21 years could vote and elected officials held office for 1 year. This changed the legislation into a revolutionary government and a democracy with a free voting system. -
Execution of the King
On January 20, the National Convention brought King Louis to trial for crimes against the people. He was condemmed to death, with his execution the next day. A group of 1,200 horsemen escorted King Louis on a 2 hour long carriage ride to the place of his execution. After his beheading, a young guard seized the severed head and paraded it through the streets. -
Reign of Terror Begins
Lasted 1793 to July 28, 1794. Started and backed by The Mountain, the Reign of Terror's purpose was to stop a counter-revolution. The Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, held mass executions by guilotine across France of "enemies of the state" or anyone who spoke out or was found to have any opposition to the revolution. Robespierre even executed Georges Danton when he publicly spoke out against the Terror. -
Reign of Terror ends
Resistance of the revolution seemed to be crushed, but the executions and terror continued. Eventually members of the committee rose up against Robespierre. He was tried and executed by the National Convention and the Reign of Terror had ended after claiming the lives of an estimated 18,500-40,000 people. -
Coup d'etat
Troops under the control Napoleon and supporters of Napoleon surrounded the the legislative building of the French Directory and forced members turn to over the entire government to Napoleon. The French Directory was dissolved and replaced with Napoleon's French Consulate with him as the new dicator.
