Transcript
Important Events of the French Revolution
The National Assembly
The Third Estate was very upset with the results of the Estates General
The Third Estate decided to break away and form its own governing body called the National Assembly
A majority of the clergy also voted to join the Third Estate
The Tennis Court Oath When the National Assembly arrived at their
meeting place on June 20th, 1789, the doors were locked!
So they decided to move their meeting to a nearby indoor tennis court
The National Assembly swore that they would continue to meet until they produced a French constitution.
This oath was known as the Tennis Court Oath
The Storming of the Bastille
In July 1789, one fourth of the people of Paris were unemployed
Bread prices were so high that many people were left without food
Rumors spread that the king was sending troops to take over Paris.
The people needed weapons to defend themselves
The Storming of the Bastille
Hundreds of French citizens marched to the Bastille, an old fort and prison, to search for gunpowder.
The officer at the Bastille refused to give gunpowder to the crowd.
He fired at the crowd, killing 98 people.
The soldiers finally surrendered and the crowd took the Bastille.
News about the Bastille spread across France
Peasants began to spontaneously revolt against their lords.
The Storming of the Bastille symbolized the beginning of the French Revolution!
Declaration of the Rights of Man
On August 4th, 1789, the National Assembly voted to abolish the rights of the landlords
They also abolished the financial privileges of the nobles and clergy.
On August 26th, the National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Inspired by the American Declaration of Independence, the American Constitution, and the English Bill of Rights.
Liberty, Property, Security, and Resistance to Oppression
Equal rights for all men
All citizens had the right to take part in the law-making process.
Women? Many insisted the declaration also
included the rights of women as long as they did not get involved in politics.
Olympe de Gouges was a woman who wrote plays and pamphlets.
She refused to accept the political exclusion of women
She wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen
But the National Assembly ignored her demands
The March on Versailles
King refused to accept any of the decrees from the National Assembly
Unemployment and hunger increased
So 7,000 desperate women marched 12 miles from Paris to Versailles to demand bread.
March on Versailles
The women invaded the palace and killed several guards
The King promised to give them bread and go with them back to Paris
The King and his family never returned to Versailles…
Church Reforms The National Assembly seized and stole land
from the Church
A new Civil Constitution of the Clergy was put into effect.
Bishops and priests were elected by the people and paid by the state.
Many Catholics did not like this and became enemies of the revolution
New Constitution The Constitution of 1791 set up a
limited constitutional monarchy.
Legislative Assembly would make the laws
Many people still opposed the new order
Louis XVI attempted to flee France but was caught and brought back to Paris
War with Austria
Austria and Prussia were scared the revolt would spread to their countries
Tried to restore Louis XVI to power
National Assembly declared war on Austria