Frechrevevents

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