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Louis XIV Dies
Louis XIV's death leaves France in debt. His building of Versailles had cost millions of dollars, so he'd taken money from the French people through taxes. After he died, France had yet to pay off its debts. -
The Estates General Meets for the First Time in Years
The Estates General was a gathering of French representatives from each Estate. They met up to decide what to do with the government, because Louis XVI wanted help to decide what to do about France's debt, and the fact that France was facing a lack of jobs for the citizens. People had to pay such heavy taxes that they couldn't afford food for themselves. -
The Formation of the National Assembly (The Tennis Court Oath)
The National Assembly was formed by Third Estate delegates who wanted to pass laws in the name of the French people. They wanted to see the end of the absolute monarchy in France. They vowed to stay in a tennis court in Versailles until they drew up a new constitution (the vow was later known as the Tennis Court Oath). -
The Storming of the Bastille
On July 14, 1789, French revolutionaries stormed a prison in Paris in search of weapons and gunpowder. They defeat the guards and conquer the prison (the Bastille), setting off the revolution and sparking hope for the people of France. -
The Great Fear
The Great Fear occurred for some time after the storming of the Bastille, in which a wave of panic spread throughout France. This was due to rumors about nobles surfacing. These rumors said that the nobles had hired outlaws to attack peasants because of their revolutionary ideas. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration of Rights of Man was a statement of revolutionary ideas, sort of like a French version of our Declaration of Independence. It said that everyone was born with free and equal rights, and guaranteed a right to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. It also gave citizens guarantees of equal justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. -
The Women's March on Versailles
The women of France took initiative when they marched up to Versailles one night in October, demanding the king and queen for bread. They also demanded that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette leave Versailles and return to Paris so they'd be able to keep an eye on their people. They agree, and in doing so opened a window for rebels to overtake France. -
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempt to escape
The royal family attempted to escape Versailles, but they were stopped because someone recognized Louis XVI's face on their currency. They were captured and imprisoned in Paris, under a sort of house arrest (they couldn't leave). -
The September Massacres
The September Massacres were a series of murders caused by French people, who raided prisons and killed over 1000 newly-apprehended supporters of the monarchy. Most of them were nobles or priests, or royalist sympathizers. -
Louis XVI's Execution
During the Reign of Terror, Louis XIV was executed by guillotine by wish of the National Convention. His wife, Marie Antoinette, was executed much later. -
Robespierre Takes Over
Robespierre, a revolutionary, took over France in a period of time known as the Reign of Terror. He established the Committee of Public Safety, which was supposed to "protect the Revolution from its enemies." All it really did was send anyone who disagreed with Robespierre to the guillotine. During his reign, Robespierre closed down churches and removed Sundays from the calendar. He also sent 40,000 people to the guillotine, most of whom were peasants. -
Robespierre's Execution
The National Convention turned on Robespierre after just a few too many people had died, and demanded his arrest and execution. He was guillotined, just like the thousands of people he'd called his enemies. -
The Creation of the Directory
After Robespierre's death, the monarchy didn't return. Instead, the Directory, an all new form of government, was established. This form of government had a two-house legislature, and five representatives in the executive branch.
