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Imposing Taxes
After bad harvests and costly wars, King Louis XVI is forced to convene this ancient assembly in order to raise taxes, his solution is to impose taxes to nobility. The Second State forced him to call a meeting with the Estates-General. This meeting was held at Versailles. -
First Deliberate Act
Delegates of the Third Estate agreed and voted to establish the National Assembly, in effect proclaiming the end of the absolute monarchy and the beginning of representative government. This was the first deliberate act of the revolution. Three days later the Third State found themselves in a tennis court and pledge until the had drawn up a new constitution, this pledge was known as the Tennis Court Oath. -
Fallen for Bastille
A mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed the Bastille, a Paris prison. The angry attackers hacked the prison and then paraded around the streets with the dead man's head on pikes. The fallen for Bastille became a great symbolic act of revolution to the French people. They even created a national holiday called the Bastille Day on July 14. -
National Assembly
Nobles in National Assembly renounce feudal rights; Jacobin Club formed. Noblemen made grand speeches, declaring their love of liberty and equality. They joined with other members of the National assembly in changing the feudal privileges making everyone equal no matter which state you were in. The Old Regime no longer exists. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Assembly issues Declaration of the Rights of Man. Reflecting the influences of the Declaration of Independence, which stated “men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” The document also guaranteed citizens equal justice, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. Revolutionary leaders adopted the expression “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” based on those principles. -
Great Fear Engulf France
Wild rumors spread that the nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize peasants. The Great Fear rolled through France with senseless panic. Peasants armed themselves with farmed tools, brooke into noble’s manor house and destroyed everything including old legal papers that bound the nobles to pay feudal dues. The rising price of bread made thousands of armed woman march on Versailles demanding the National Assembly to provide bread. -
Period: to
Year of 1790
The National Assembly issues a decree that divides Paris from formerly 60 districts into now 48 sections (Municipal Law). Behind this decree was the desire to reorganize the electoral districts of Paris. This, in turn, was meant to support the new municipal government of Paris, the Commune. The National Constituent Assembly enacts the Civil Constitution of the Clergy(Constitution Civile Du Clergé), in order to nationalize the Catholic church in France. -
Arrested while trying to Escape
The Royal family tries to escape from France to Austrian Netherlands. When they were closer to the border they were apprehended and returned to Paris under guard. The person who caught King Louis said that he recognized his face from his portrait on a French bank note. Louis escape increased the influence of his radical enemies in the government. -
Devisions Developed in Government
National Assembly issues the new Constitution which created a limited constitutional monarchy taking away much of the kings authority. A new legislative body was created named Legislative Assembly this body had the power to create laws and to approve or reject declarations of war. To add on Emigres nobles hoped to undo the Revolution and restore the Old Regime. On the other hand San-culottes, Parisian workers, wanted the Revolution to bring a drastic changes for the greater good to France. -
Here comes the War...
The Legislative Assembly declares war on Austria and Prussia. The war started poorly for the French, Paris mob storms the royal palace and the Prussians threatened to destroy Paris if the revolutionaries harmed any member of the royal family. The Legislative Assembly starts to fall apart and set aside the constitution. -
France as a Republic
When King Louis was dethrone the Legislative Assembly made the call for elections of the new legislature. The National Convention took control and abolished monarchy, declaring France a Republic.
