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Formal opening of the Estates General
The opening of the Estates General was very important in the history of France, it took place in Versailles and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. They were meetings called by the king made up of three estates (the clergy, the nobility and the third estate) where they discussed issues of national interest, especially when they were in crisis. The bourgeoisie proposed not to vote by estate but by head, they achieved their objective and the king perceived this as a threat. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath took place six weeks after the Estates General began and was a symbolic act due to the king's conflicts with the other estates. Those from the Third Estate and some from the other estates met on a tennis court and there they swore not to separate until they had written a constitution for France, because they were marginalized in the Estates General and they wanted justice. The king was forced to accept a National Constituent Assembly and this would end the old regime. -
Storming of the Bastile
On July 14, 1789, the people of France took the Bastille fortress, marking the beginning of one of the most important revolutions in history. Not only for its political nature, but also for its legacy for the rights of liberty, security and property. It became a symbol of the fall of absolutist power and the power of the people against oppression. Since then, July 14 has been celebrated in France as Bastille Day, a national holiday that remembers this fight for freedom and justice. -
The August Decress
The August Decrees were nineteen decrees issued between 4 and 11 August 1789 by the National Constituent Assembly during the French Revolution. In what is known as the “Great fear” the peasants revolted, wanting to free themselves from the taxes that had them in a horrible situation, and the national assembly that night declared a series of decrees to eliminate the feudal system and also the privileges of the nobility and the clergy. And so ended the feudal system in France and the old regime. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The French National Constituent Assembly approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which became a fundamental legacy of the French Revolution. This document served to spread the first Constitution of France throughout the political community, and its historical significance is very great, since it became a pillar for the development of modern democracies. Its influence spread to other countries and served as inspiration for independence movements in Europe and America.