The Storming of Bastille took place on July 14th, 1789. The Bastille was the royal prison in Paris. Hundreds of Parisians stormed the prison, angry at the high prices, and also fearing the rumours of a royal attack on the people. The Bastille held gunpowder and weapons, which people wanted so they could arm themselves. After hours of fighting, the crowd broke into the prison with the help of soldiers, and captured the Bastille and killed its governor.

The Women's March on Versailles had taken place on October 5th, 1789, and was a moor event during the early stages of the French Revolution. Thousands of working-class women in Paris who were frustrated by the high price and lack of bread, had gathered at the city markets and then marched to the Palace of Versailles. They were joined by some men and also member of the national guard. All the marchers had demanded that the king provide bread and also recognize their suffering. When they arrived at the Palace, the women stormed the gates and killed some guards, then confronted King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antionette. They had also insisted that the royal family needed to return to Paris where they could be help more accountable, so the royal family moved to Tuileries Palace.

THE IMPORTANCE:

The Women's March on Versailles was so significant because it had forced King Louis XVI to finally acknowledge that the people were suffering, and also showed that ordinary citizens, specifically women, could change the course of politics because of their influence. Also, by forcing King Louis XVI and his family to move from Versailles to Paris, there was a sense of control over the monarchy while also weakening the power of the king. This event had represented the growing power of the people, and because of their determination to fight against their hunger and inequality this event aided the fall of absolute monarchy. It had also showed the role that women had played in the Revolution, because it broke the usual gender expectations and proved they were capable of taking direct political action by participating in these marches and protests to confront the monarchy.

The Women's March on Versailles was a powerful point in the French Revolution, it not only weakened the monarchy and the power they held, but it also showed the growing influence of women.

There was a dramatic act of defiance by representative's of the non privileged classes of the French nation (the Third Estate). The Third Estate was forced to do this after many attempts at a reform, since they would never be able to outvote the two privileged orders (the clergy and the nobility). After forming the National Assembly they found themselves locked out of their usual meeting hall at Versailles on June 20th, 1789. Thinking that the King was trying to force them to disband, they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court where they took and oath never to separate until a written constitution had been established for France.

THE IMPORTANCE:

This event was so significant because it marked the first time the people (Third Estate) had openly defied the king's authority and had also claimed the right to political power in France. The Third Estate had no longer accepted the kings absolute power or the unfair estate system, and by swearing an oath, they had taken power into their own hands while also saying that political power came from the people. This was also the first act of the French Revolution, where the citizens directly demanded a written constitution. It laid out the foundation for a constitutional government and eventually led to the abolition of monarchy. This event had shifted the Revolution from negotiation to action, where it gave momentum to later events like the storming of Bastille.

The Tennis Court Oath was the moment the Revolution became more prominent, with action being taken, demands being made, and the refusal to back down showing the power of the people.

On August 26th, 1789, the National Assembly passed the Declaration of the Rights Man and of the Citizen, a key document of the French Revolution. This declared that all men are born free and equal in rights and had specifically drawn attention to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression as fundamental rights. It had said that political power should come from the people and not the king, and that laws should show the will of the nation. However, there were still limitations to the declaration since the rights were not extended to women. This document still set the foundation for a more democratic society in France.

The National Assembly was formed of June 17th, 1798 by the Third Estate after their frustrations with the unfair voting systems between the Estates-General. Since the Third Estate was always outvoted by the First and Second Estate, they decided to break away to declare themselves new representatives for the people of France.

King Louis XVI had attempted to flee which is also known as the Flight to Varennes, which took place in June 1791. The royal family had hoped to escape from the growing unrest in Paris. They disguised themselves as commoners, and left Paris at night, however the king was recognized and his family was arrested in Varennes, a town close to the boarder. Their capture and return to Paris had shocked everyone, and destroyed much of the remaining trust that people held for the king.

After months of political instability and with rising hostility towards the monarchy, forces attacked the royal residence in Paris. The kings previous actions of trying to flee the country and also his resistance to revolutionary changes, had enraged people. On August 10th, 1792, thousands of armed revolutionaries had stormed the Tuileries Palace where the palace guards were quickly overwhelmed and the royal family was forced to flee to the National Assembly for protection. This marked the fall of the monarchy, where the monarchy was officially suspended and the king and queen were imprisoned.

On May 5th, 1798, the Estates-General, divided into the three estates, each with one collective vote, convenes at Versailles. For the first time in 175 years the traditional assembly had been called upon. The system of voting was severely outdated and had favoured the privileged estates, even though the Third Estate represent most of Frances' population. At this time, France had been in a deep finical crisis and King Louis XVI had hoped the meeting would help change the financial situation by providing solutions to the economic collapse. However, the king avoided addressing the political inequalities and how unfair the Third Estate was treated. It was evident that even though the meeting was called, the Third Estate would likely be of little value due to the voting system. The day ended with little progress, but it also sparked the start of the revolutionary tension.

The execution of King Louis XVI occurred on January 21st, 1793. After months of political unrest, the monarchy was abolished and the king was put onto trial by the newly established National Convention. The king had then been charged with treason for conspiring with foreign powers to stop the revolution and also because of his failed attempt to flee the country. The convention convicted him and sentenced him to death, where his execution took place in Revolutionary Square in Paris. Thousands of people watched as the king's reign came to and end.

THE IMPORTANCE:

The execution was a significant moment for the French Revolution because it showed the end of absolute monarchy in France. This moment reflected that the revolutionaries would not hesitate to remove anyone who they saw as a threat the new changes they wanted to make. People were no longer willing to accept the absolute rule and were determined to create a society based on equality and liberty. This had also sparked the fear throughout other European monarchies, which led to more wars, and also making the revolution even more intense, especially with the start of the Reign of Terror.

The Reign of Terror began in 1793, shortly after the execution of Louis XVI. France had begin to face threats from both within the country, but also outside the country from foreign monarchies. Leaders begin taking extreme measures to protect the revolution, and started to arrest and kill anyone who they thought was against the revolution, including nobles and clergy. Thousands of people were executed, and the government used fear and violence to maintain control.