The French Revolution
By: Whitney Tobey
The Start of the French Revolution
France, at the time, had an absolute monarchy ruled by King Louis XVI. King Louis XVI spent way too much money on luxury items and left the rest of the country in great debt. In order to solve this financial problem, King Louis XVI called for a meeting with the Estates-General, and with the help of an advisor he proposed that all people would have to pay taxes, not just the commoners of the Third Estate. However, in the Estates-General there could only be one vote per estate, and since the First and Second Estates were of the nobility and didn't want to have to start paying taxes they were going to vote against it and thus shut out the Third Estate from having any influence. So, after straying from the meeting's original purpose and arguing about how the votes should be counted, the Third Estate finally left and formed a National Assembly. Later, they signed a Tennis Court Oath in which they vowed to continue working and meeting together until a reformed constitution had been made.
King Louis XVI
He was the absolute monarch over France. He was executed during the French Revolution.
The Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille help weaponry and was also a prison. Revolutionaries stormed it to obtain weapons and gunpowder.
Maximillien Robespierre
As one of the heads of the
French Revolution, he sent many to die under the guillotine.
The Reign of Terror
After King Louis XVI was executed and a new constitution was established, the Reign of Terror began. The Committee of Public Safety ruled France and Maximillien Robespierre gained control over it. Worried about economic troubles and foreign invaders, Robespierre implemented the Reign of Terror, which main purpose was to get rid of anyone who opposed the Revolution. Thousands were sent to the guillotine to be executed. However, after about ten months when the economy was better and the threat of foreign invasion ended, Robespierre had no excuse for continuing the terror. So, he was arrested and then put under the guillotine. This aroused new power struggles, but Napolean Bonaparte, general of the French army, took full control over France. He ended the chaos that took place after the revolution and set new fair laws that are still used today.
French Revolution - Storming of the Bastille and the October Days