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Tax Raise Meeting in Versailles
This was the beginning of the Revolution, a meeting in Versailles about raising the taxes to the nobles. King Louis was running out of money because of buying unnecessary things and not thinking well, this would commence the downfall of his rule. -
The Change Begins
This would begin the termination of a monarchy, and a representative government would replace it. Thanks to an amazing speech by Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyés, he convinced the third estate delegates to name themselves the National Assembly, and they would pass laws and reforms. This was the first act of revolution. -
Three days later...
After the Third Estate delegates declared themselves the National Assembly, they were locked out of their meeting room. So, they broke a door to an indoor tennis court and this symbolized their will to stay until they had developed a new constitution. This is called the Tennis Court Oath. Because of this, nobles and members of the clergy joined the Third Estate, so King Louis stationed his mercenary army in Versailles. -
The Glorious Summer Night of Change
On this summer night, noblemen gave speeches and because of their fear they joined other in the National Assembly. Because of this, they took away the different rights of the estates, and commoners were now equal to the clergy and nobles. The old regime was indeed old by daylight, as it was changed into rules with more rights and equality in France -
The Rights of Man
This was a document written with ideas form enlightenment thinkers and the American Independence. They wrote about the rights of liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression. The slogan "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" was then used to represent these rights by revolutionary leaders. -
Women's March in Versailles
This march was done by many angry women demanding for lower bread prices and they attacked King Louis palace, killed some guards and made Louis return to Paris and never come to Versailles again. These women were standing up for their rights. They were angry, and therefore willing to use violent methods to get what they wanted. -
Louis attempts, Louis fails and is detained
After some trouble with church and state relations, King Louis XVI, who had already been involved in conflicts, feared his fate as a monarch was not good. He attempted to flee from Paris to the Austrian Netherlands, and when he was close to the border he was stopped and sent back to Paris under close guard. Because of this, his enemies got even madder and his faith would be decided, he would go on to the guillotine. (His family was also sent back to Paris with him) -
September Massacres
This was a span of several days during early September, when citizens took matters into their own hand and because of rumors that prisoners were escaping and planning to take control of the city, they went to the prisons and murdered over 1,000 prisoners. Enormous numbers, a sad massacre. Many nobles, priests and royalist sympathizers were also murdered during the span of about 5 days. -
January 1793 Execution
During September 1792, the Jacobins, a radical political organization took control, and Jean-Paul Marat, a very prominent member of the organization sentenced King Louis XVI to death after a close voting in the General Assembly. Therefore, he was executed in the guillotine, a place where he had sent people for them to be beheaded. This happened on January, and it was the end of King Louis XVI -
Turning on Robespierre
After his reign of terror and chaos, dictator Maximilien Robespierre was turned on by members of the National Convention and they executed him. The reign of terror, which was a radical phase of the revolution finally ended on July 28, 1794. This would be the end of many crazy events in the revolution, and about a year before the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte began. (He would create an empire later on and be one of the most interesting rulers of history)
