May-October 1789

Question 1

Estates-General

Answer 1

5th May 1789
1200 representatives gathered at Versailles

Question 2

Which concerns of the third estate did the Estates-General fail to settle

Answer 2

No agenda for ‘reform package’
No indication of how meetings would proceed and how voting would take place

Question 3

National Assembly

Answer 3

17th June 1789
Third estate refused to meet separately
Voted 490-90 to call themselves ‘National Assembly’

Question 4

What did the National Assembly claim

Answer 4

To represent the French nation
Have right tom decide taxation

Question 5

Why was royal session moved to tennis court

Answer 5

Meeting room was closed for alterations
Presence of royal soldiers alarmed deputies
Found nearest indoor space:
Tennis court

Question 6

Tennis Court Oath

Answer 6

20th June 1789
Members of National Assembly swore oath
‘To never disband until France had a new constitution’

Question 7

Why were tensions high in Paris on 11th July 1789

Answer 7

Nearly 30,000 troops in and round Paris
Popular necker dismissed confirmed fears that King was preventing reform
Poor harvest = bread prices highest since 1715

Question 8

Storming of Bastille

Answer 8

14th July 1789
8000 Sans-Culottes armed themselves with muskets
Descended on Bastille for gunpowder
De Launey murdered
93 killed

Question 9

Significance of Storming of Bastille

Answer 9

17th July 1789:
King persuaded to address Parisians
Reinstated Necker and acceptance of National Assembly

Question 10

The Great Fear

Answer 10

17th July 1789
Rumours of disorder in Paris spread to Countryside
Peasants refused to pay taxes
Armed and destroyed masters records of obligations

Question 11

Abolition of Feudal rights

Answer 11

4th August 1789
To appease peasants after Great fear
National Assembly voted for August Decrees

Question 12

4 August decrees

Answer 12

Abolition of feudal rights
Tithe abolished
All citizens to be taxed equally
All eligible to any office in Church, state or army

Question 13

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

Answer 13

26th August 1789
Derived from Enlightenment principles
All citizens equal
Conceding these measures went strongly against King’s belief of Divine Right

Question 14

When did the deputies vote to allow Louis a suspensive Veto

Answer 14

11th september 1789
He could delay laws for 4 years
But not veto them completely

Question 15

March to Versailles

Answer 15

• 5th October 1789
• King’s banquet were tricolore was reportedly desecrated and rising bread prices
• Created intense public outrage
• Armed crowd 6000-7000 (mostly women) marched to Versailles from Paris

Question 16

Impact of march to Versailles

Answer 16

Louis forced to agree to August Decrees
Royal family imprisoned in Tuileries Palace