History of France

Before the French Revolution that began in 1789, France was divided into different social classes called estates. First was the king, who wasn't a part of any estate and had full authority over France. Then there was the First and Second Estate, the Clergy and Nobility, who didn't have to pay taxes or do much work. And then there was the other 98% of the population (the bourgeoisie and the peasants), the Third Estate, who was poor yet still paid all the taxes and did all the work. They couldn't afford much at all, even food.

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Meeting of the Estates General

France was in a state of debt because of wars and extravagant spending from King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. In order to solve this, representatives from each estate met in a meeting called the Estates General, where they voted and discussed what to do. However, the Third Estate was always outvoted and never heard, despite being such a huge part of the population. This made them very angry.

Tennis Court Oath

The Third Estate left the Estates General and decided to create their own revolutionary assembly called the National Assembly. King Louis XVI was fed up with this and ordered the Salle de États - the hall in which the National Assembly had been meeting - to close. Upon finding this out, the National Assembly met in a nearby Tennis Court, where they took an oath to meet every day until the new constitution was created.

Storming of the Bastille

In Paris, there was a state prison called the Bastille, which held much more weapons and gunpowder than actual prisoners. On the 14th of July 1789, the Bastille was attacked by an angry and violent mob of people demanding hold of the huge ammunition stores inside. After the guards refused to comply, a huge and gruesome battle took place until the mob eventually took hold on the Bastille. The attack marked the beginning of the revolution. Afterwards, King Louis tried to flee France, but was brought back.

The March on Versailles

As prices for bread and other foods began to rise, members of the Third Estate became enraged, because they could not afford it now. On the 15th of October 1789 a mob of thousands of women (and a few men) decided to march to Versailles demanding cheaper prices for food. This was a pivotal event in intensifying the French Revolution after the storming of the Bastille.