The official start of the French Revolution was in 1789, when the first real actions to equality was carried out by the Third Estate making the Tennis Court Oath, which fought for a constitution. The Third Estate was treated extremely unfair up to this. They were paying all the taxes and doing all the work that supported France and the government while the First and Second Estates and the Church did practically nothing to contribute. With only one of three Estates paying taxes, the government was facing serious financial difficulties. This led to the Estates General, a meeting between all three Estates, where the First and Second Estates refused to pay. This led to the Third Estate breaking off to fight for a constitution and called themselves the National Assembly. The Third Estate had the greatest population and when the people of the Third Estate began to rebel it was practically impossible to control. Events such as the Great Fear and the Storming of the Bastille were the citizens rebelling while the National Assembly was unable to stop them. The video below is a summary of the major events from the time of the Estates General until Napoleon’s rule in 1799. We talk about causes and effects of things such as the Reign of Terror and more. I hope you enjoy the video!!

 

By: Josie, Renee, and Catherine