The Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of the Bastille
Half of the 1,200 delegates
were mostly lawyers, reperesenting their fellow commoners-the Third
Estate. Each delegate had one vote. Traditionally the Church and
nobles voted together, two votes against one vote for the Third
Estate.
Third Estate complained that they represented 97 percent of the
nation's population and should have more influence. They rebelled,
breaking away and creating their own convention, which they called
the "National Assembly." The National Assembly was presuming to
speak for the nation as a whole. Members of the National Assembly
wanted the creation of a parliamentary system similar to what the
British had, and they swore not to disperse until a constitution had
been written and ratified (a swearing to be known as the Tennis Court
Oath).
On July 14, to obtain gunpowder and more guns, a crowd of
around 80,000 stormed an old fort in the city, the Bastille, and
demanded surrender of the fortress. Those storming the Bastille killed
a few of the 30 or so garrison soldiers deffending it, and the attackers
suffered 98 killed and 78 wounded. The crowd released the seven who
had been prisoners in the Bastille.
The Bastille had been a symbol of authority and people in Paris
saw themselves as having taken control of the city. The king, eager to
maintain what he thought was his good standing with his subjects,
gave in and endorsed the new order in Paris.
Eighty percent of the population living in villages or hamlets of
less than 2,000 people. Peasants were unhappy about the rise in rents
in recent years (a rise due in part to an increase in population). The
rumored armies never materialized, but where life was hardest the
peasants attacked more successful peasants, and they attacked the
grand manor houses and castles of nobles, burned title deeds and
searched for hoarded grain. Peasants believed that the day of paying
taxes to nobles were over. Nobles who resisted were sometimes
killed. On August 4, the National Assembly made the abolition of
feudal privleges official.
On August 27, the National Assembly issued its declaration of the
rights of man and citizens. Rather than law, this was a statement of
principles, the purpose of which was to educate and enhance love of
liberty. Louis XVI was seen as an enlightened monarch. The
French Revolution was beginning to suffer from exaggeration, fear and
an inability to work around disagreements.
Half of the 1,200 delegates
were mostly lawyers, reperesenting their fellow commoners-the Third
Estate. Each delegate had one vote. Traditionally the Church and
nobles voted together, two votes against one vote for the Third
Estate.
Third Estate complained that they represented 97 percent of the
nation's population and should have more influence. They rebelled,
breaking away and creating their own convention, which they called
the "National Assembly." The National Assembly was presuming to
speak for the nation as a whole. Members of the National Assembly
wanted the creation of a parliamentary system similar to what the
British had, and they swore not to disperse until a constitution had
been written and ratified (a swearing to be known as the Tennis Court
Oath).
On July 14, to obtain gunpowder and more guns, a crowd of
around 80,000 stormed an old fort in the city, the Bastille, and
demanded surrender of the fortress. Those storming the Bastille killed
a few of the 30 or so garrison soldiers deffending it, and the attackers
suffered 98 killed and 78 wounded. The crowd released the seven who
had been prisoners in the Bastille.
The Bastille had been a symbol of authority and people in Paris
saw themselves as having taken control of the city. The king, eager to
maintain what he thought was his good standing with his subjects,
gave in and endorsed the new order in Paris.
Eighty percent of the population living in villages or hamlets of
less than 2,000 people. Peasants were unhappy about the rise in rents
in recent years (a rise due in part to an increase in population). The
rumored armies never materialized, but where life was hardest the
peasants attacked more successful peasants, and they attacked the
grand manor houses and castles of nobles, burned title deeds and
searched for hoarded grain. Peasants believed that the day of paying
taxes to nobles were over. Nobles who resisted were sometimes
killed. On August 4, the National Assembly made the abolition of
feudal privleges official.
On August 27, the National Assembly issued its declaration of the
rights of man and citizens. Rather than law, this was a statement of
principles, the purpose of which was to educate and enhance love of
liberty. Louis XVI was seen as an enlightened monarch. The
French Revolution was beginning to suffer from exaggeration, fear and
an inability to work around disagreements.