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The Meeting of the Estates General
In France on May 5 of 1789, King Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General, which had representatives from all three Estates because of the financial crisis, widespread agitation, and weakening power of the King in France. This meeting was called to an end when the Third Estate formed the National Assembly, asking the other Estates to join against the wishes of the King. This signaled the outbreak of the French Revolution. The day after the meeting, they found their meeting hall locked. -
The Meeting of the Estates General Cont.
This event is important in the development of French nationalism because it was the first event that marked the beginning of the French Revolution. It gave the people of France hope that the constitution that they wanted would turn out and there would be no more Kings to rule over everyone. -
The Tennis Court Oath
On June 20, 1789, the 3rd Estate, who have started calling themselves the National Assembly, met in a nearby indoor tennis court to take the Tennis Court Oath, which was that they all vowed to not separate and to reassemble wherever circumstances required until the constitution of the Kingdom is established. This was a very important event because it was the first action towards the constitution that most of the people of France wanted. -
The Tennis Court Oath Cont.
It was the first step to the French Revolution, as the Third Estate had no right to act as the National Assembly. The oath was both a revolutionary act as it was an declaration toward the political authority that striped the people and their representatives bare of their possessions. -
The Storming of the Bastille
On July 14, 1789, a state prison in Paris, France, known as the Bastille, was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. The Bastille had become a symbol of the monarchy's dictatorial rule, and the event became one of the defining moments in the Revolution. The mob came for the huge ammunition stores held within the prison walls, but also freed the 7 prisoners currently captured in the prison. -
The Storming of the Bastille Cont.
The Storming of the Bastille symbolically marked the beginning of the French Revolution, in which the monarchy was overthrown and a republic was set up based on liberty, equality, and brotherhood. This event is important in the development of French nationalism because this event inspired other people to take up arms against the King. The Storming of the Bastille became a nationalist symbol because they helped share a sense of belonging to a nation. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and and of the Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789. The purpose of the Declaration was to protect the rights of its citizens. The Declaration is important for French nationalism because it protected the rights of all of the citizens of France from the monarchy. The ideas written in the declaration are important because they are still used in French law today. The rights can be used to change new laws or government actions. -
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King Louise XVI Accepts the Constitution Formally Cont.
Louis accepting the constitution shows the beginning of the constitutional monarchy. The National Assembly abolished many "institutions which were injurious to liberty and equality rights" in the Constitution. -
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King Louise XVI Accepts the Constitution Formally
On September 3, 1791, the National Assembly introduces the Constitution. Freedom and equal rights were the guiding principles in the constitution. On September 13, 1791 in France, King Louis XVI accepts the new constitution and signs it the next day. The introduction of the new constitution was a very important event in the French Revolution because it brought the citizens of France together feeling happy for themselves and others. -
King Louis XVI is Guillotined
On January 21, 1793 at the Place de la Revolution ("Revolution Square"), King Louise XVI is executed via guillotine. The king was convicted in a near-unanimous vote (no one voted "not-guilty," but several deputies abstained) and condemned to death by a large majority. Louise XVI was convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers. This was very important to the Revolution because the King that was keeping them from the constitution that they wanted was finally gone. -
Tricolor Cockade Made Compulsory for Men to Wear
Cockades were widely worn by revolutionaries beginning in 1789. Different types and colors of cockades were shown during different important events, like the Storming of the Bastille. The white and blue represented Paris, and the white represented the House of Bourbon. This tricolor cockade is important to the French Revolution because it became a nationalist symbol as it brings people closer to the idea of a French nation. -
Start of Reign of Terror Cont.
This event was very important to the Revolution because it killed most of the people who didn't agree with the Revolution. This allowed the people who agreed with the Revolution to continue their course of action of their constitution. -
Start of Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror's start is questionable, but most articles say that it started September 5, 1793 in France. Not everyone agreed with the revolution. Some people were horrified of the brutal acts that were taking place and the execution of the King and Queen. Fearing opposition, revolutionary leaders began the Reign of Terror, killing everyone who criticized the revolution. About 17 000 people were sentenced to death.
