#1: Meeting of Estates General - May, 1789
SUMMARY: Under the Old Regime, the people of France were
divided into three social classes or “Estates”. These were the 1st
Estate (clergy), the 2nd Estate (nobility) and everyone else (the 3rd
Estate) who paid all the taxes but had no official say in making laws.
By 1789, France faced bankruptcy because of overspending by King
Louis XVI and his family. The King was forced to call a meeting of
representatives of each estate called the Estates General. This had
not happened for 175 years. Each estate was to get one vote at the
meeting.
EXPLANATION: The 1st & 2nd Estates together had always
outvoted the 3rd Estate and this is what King Louis XVI expected at
the meeting of the Estates General in 1789. However, the
Enlightenment influenced middle class delegates of the 3rd Estate.
These educated middle class men were called the Bourgeoisie.
Some of them wanted to use the Estates General meeting as an
opportunity to change the absolute monarchy system.
IMAGE: This cartoon illustrates how the 3rd Estate (common
people) felt they were chained and unfairly carrying the burden of
the King and other Estates (clergy & nobility) on their back.
By Mr. Kelemen
#2: National Assembly Created w/ Tennis Court Oath
Summary: The National Assembly was a revolutionary assembly that was formed in
the months of June and July in 1789. The 3rd estate sends a delegate to represent
members of the Bourgeoisie, whose views were shaped by the enlightenment, and
wanted to make changes in the government. Each of the three states were to meet
together and each delegate had a vote. On June 17, 1789 the national assembly was
established, the first deliberate act of revolution. 3 days later, the tennis court oath
was signed. After being locked out of their chamber, they fled to a nearby indoor
tennis court. In there, they signed the “Tennis Court Oath”. "Never to separate, and
to meet wherever circumstances demand, until the constitution of the kingdom is
established and affirmed on solid foundations” 576 men signed the oath. They
followed through with their pledge to the oath until the Constitution was signed.
Explanation: These events mattered because they made the 1st and 2nd estates rid of
their unfair feudal privileges. They eventually gained traction when the king had to
recognize the group due to their large size and their growing following. They also set
up the whole revolution itself, by igniting the Storming of Bastille. Later, they
provided a Reformation-esque phrase stating “Man is born and remains free and
equal in rights” These events also set a precedent to how revolutions can be effective
in uprooting an unjust government.
Delegates take their pledge to the Tennis
Court Oath
Battle of Bastille #3
Heather Alexander and Connor Jenkins
Summary:
The Battle of Bastille occurred on July 14, 1789. This happened because their
were rumors about foreign troops coming in to attack people who lived in
France. So people started to gather weapons. Knowing the prison would have
them they raided it so they could take the weapons to defend themselves better.
It also was a symbol of the king because it was where he kept all the prisoners
that went against him. It escalated quickly to the people attacking the prison and
walking down the street with the guards’ head on the stick.
Explanation:
The reason the people attacked it was it represented the Royal authority at the
center of paris and by destroying it showed how they were going to destroy
Royal authority, mainly the king. Containing lots of guns, ammo and gun powder
it would help fuel the revolution. The prison only had several prisoners because
most of them had been shipped off. The fall of the prison was a major point
during the revolution and is still celebrated today because it was the first thing
that showed the people wanted their freedom and was the first step over the
edge.
Image:
This pictures shows all of the 3rd estate people attacking the Bastille so they
could get weapons to defend themselves against the French army that was
rumored was coming
#4: Great Fear/ Women’s March of Versailles
October, 1789
Summary: Rumors spread around France that Nobles were
hiring outlaws to terrorize peasants, sparking the Great fear.
Many peasants began to riot and destroy legal papers. In 1789,
many Parisian women stormed Versailles and demanded cheaper
food and the return of Marie Antoinette to Paris.
Explanation: During this time period, women were typically
responsible for feeding their families. The scarcities of bread
sparked them into fear, and the women rioted against the king
demanding cheaper bread. This riot shows that people are
starting to fight for the bread and the breadless starving peasants
are angry and shouting “Bread! Bread!.”
Image: The top image is depicting woman angry at the king and
queen for raising the price of bread. The bottom image is of a
prison the Royal family is being brought to in Paris.
By Eli Arrick, Jacob
Zimmerman, Maddie Lerner
#5: Declaration of Rights of Man Issued August, 1789 By Miguel S. and Will B.
Summary: The National Assembly adopted a statement called the
Declaration of the Rights of Man, stating that men(not women)
are born and remain free and equal in rights. It gave rights to
everyone such as liberty, property, security, and resistance to
oppression.
Explanation: The peasants attacking/revolting prompted the
noblemen to make speeches stating how they loved liberty,
freedom, and equal rights for all citizens, which ended the Old
Regime, they did this out of fear. Only 3 weeks later a list is
officially released describing all the rights what made all men free
and equal. Which is a huge contrast to the previous method of
forcefully making people believe that the king was Absolute.
French Artists demonstrating the importance
and empowerment the new rights gave.
#6: King Louis XVI and Family Captured
Fleeing France - June 20-21, 1791
SUMMARY: In the early summer of 1791, King Louis XVI,
Marie Antoinette and their family attempted to escape
past the borders of France. They were captured at
Varennes after being recognized at an earlier stop they
made on their way out of the country.
Explanation: He wanted to initiate a counter-revolution in
which he would have asked for help from other absolute
monarch. He did so because the people in his country were
revolting against his ruling (revolting against absolutism),
feeling mistreated by their ruler.
IMAGE: This image shows a group of soldiers invading a
building where King Louis XVI and his family were
staying. Additionally, it shows them being captured and
arrested in Varennes.
by Riley Brum and Will Goltra
#7 France At War With Austria & Prussia - Summer of 1792
Summary: The changes happening in France caused many other
European countries to fear revolutionary ideas might reach them.
Austria and Prussia asked that Louis restore his position as absolute
monarch, and the Legislative Assembly responded by declaring war. In
the summer of 1792, Prussian forces began to advance on Paris. They
threatened to destroy the city if and members of the royal family were
harmed. On August 10, 20,000 people invaded the Tuileries, the
palace of the royal family, killing the royal guards and capturing Louis
and his family. After hearing that imprisoned supporters of the king
planned to break out and take control of the city, citizens decided to
take on the law. They raided prisons and murdered more than 1,000
prisoners, along with nobles and royalist sympathizers. As a result of
pressure, the Legislative Assembly created a constitution that removed
the monarchy, and a new legislature was elected. They were called the
National Convention and they took office September 21.
Explanation: The French Revolution started within France and then later
spread to other countries like Austria and Prussia. This caused many wars
and hundreds to thousands of deaths. The Revolution became an issue for
the kings and monarchs ruling over Austria and Prussia, because it sparked
ideas to the civilians about revolting against the government. So the kings
sent armies out to stop the spread of the Revolution into their countries,
allowing them to continue to hold positions of power over society. Overall the
revolution sparked violence within France and other nearby countries.
Image: (right) The painting illustrates the battlefield where French troops
challenged Austrian Troops.
By: Josh Katz and Mitsy Cante
#8: Legislative Assembly Splits into Factions - September, 1791
SUMMARY:
For two years, the French National Assembly had difficulty completing a new
constitution. Finally in September of 1791, a new constitution was created. They also
devised a Legislative Assembly that made laws and managed declarations of war.
Since the constitution resulted in a limited constitutional monarchy, the king lost most
of his authority to the Legislative Assembly, but he still kept executive power when
enforcing the law. Unfortunately, a new government wasn't enough to rid France of
its underlying problems. Even thought most wanted change with the king not
everyone agreed with this idea.
EXPLANATION:
Issues like starvation and debt created debate. Eventually the Legislative Assembly
split into three groups- radicals, moderates, and conservatives. Radicals wanted to
rid of monarchy altogether, moderates wanted some adjustments, and conservatives
praised the idea of limited monarchy. In the revolution, people had many different
opinions on what should happen to the government. The factions were divided into
two sides–left and right. The left side was represented by the radicals and the right
side was represented by the conservatives. The moderates were in the middle.
Other groups outside the Legislative Assembly also tried to influence the
government. Emigres who fled France wanted to return to the Old Regime, while
Parisian workers and shopkeepers, called sans-culottes, wanted the revolution to
spark more change. They did not directly have power in the assembly, but they
found ways to influence the people of Paris.
IMAGES:
The top picture illustrates the 3 different factions in the Legislative Assembly
The bottom picture is a visual of the 3 groups and how they were divided and what
side the remained on.
By: Ava Cook, Emily McSwain, and Conner Lauchle
#9: King Louis XVI Guillotined - January 21, 1793
Summary: King Louis XVI was guillotined (beheaded) at La Place
de la Revolution a month after being tried and found guilty for
committing high treason against the state. He was arrested on
August 10, 1792 and sent to the temple prison with his family. He
was the first victim of the right of terror.
Explanation: When King Louis XVI was arrested it started the fall of
monarchy. Louis was arrested for 33 different charges having to do
with everything from attempting to leave France to advancing an
army on the people of Paris, he was found guilty for high treason
and crimes against the state in an almost unanimous vote. The right
of terror that started with Louis XVI’s beheading was marked by the
mass execution of enemies of the Revolution, In total 41,594 people
were executed during this period. This was a major event of the
French Revolution.
Image: This picture shows someone showing King Louis XVI’s head
to the crowd after he was beheaded.
By Nanki Sandhu, Patrick Sadil, Caroline Spence, Riley McIntyre &
Nicole Fazzari
#10: Robespierre Leads Committee of Public Safety - July, 1793
SUMMARY: In the first month of 1793, Robespierre and his
colleagues set out to build a “republic of virtue” and rewrite France’s
past. They changed the calendar, by removing sundays due to the
belief that religion was old-fashioned and dangerous. For the next
year, Robespierre governed France as a dictator in a period known
as the Reign of Terror. His regime tried in the morning and
guillotined in the afternoon. He justified the use of terror, saying it
helped the French keep their virtues.
EXPLANATION: Due to the French Revolution and political discord,
Robespierre was able to take over the government as a dictator and
instituted his terror regime that caused more political and social
discord in France. It is this regime that lead to his and 21 of his
follower’s deaths by guillotine. This shows how the Committee of
Public safety got out of hand and had the enemies of the Revolution
killed in front of the masses.
IMAGE: This is an image of the guillotining of Robespierre’s
“enemies” in a public square.
Michael Schroer, Oliver Harary
#11: Reign of Terror Ends
Summary: The Reign of Terror was a period of time between
September 5, 1793 - July 28, 1794. Robespierre became a dictator
in which everyone became unsafe from him. As a result the
National Convention went against him and sentence him death
(beheaded). As of 1795 a new government was formed, it was a two
house legislative bodies and five man executives called The
Directory. Later on Napoleon Bonaparte was asked and put in charge of
the French Army.
Explanation: The National Convention and the citizens of France were tired of
Robespierre’s ways and reign, so in fear of being executed themselves, they
arrested, tried, and executed him by guillotine. Due to the state of destruction that
the government was in and the high prices for food, the Convention made major
reforms, developing a two-branched government and the Directory. After such
insanity was caused by their fight for democracy, the French turned to the military,
and eventually Napoleon.Though they still had corruption, France had finally
achieved a temporary time of peace and equality that they had been fighting for
since the reign of Louis XVI.
Image: This drawing depicts Robespierre’s execution by guillotine, which marked
the end of the reign of terror.
By: Grace McNally and Ollie Sagastume