IN 1789, LOUIS XVI CALLED A MEETING OF THE ESTATES GENERAL. HE ASKED EASH ESTATE TO MAKE A LIST OF COMPLAINTS, CALLED CAHIERS.

BUT THE THIRD ESTATE WAS ALWAYS OUTVOTED BY THE OTHER TWO.

IN PROTEST, THEY QUIT THE ESTATES GENERAL AND FORMED WHAT THEY CALLED THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, CLAIMING THAT THEY REPRESENTED ALL OF FRANCE.

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY INVITED THE NOBLES AND CLERGY TO JOIN, ON THE CONDITION THAT VOTES WERE COUNTED BY MEMBERS, NOT BY ESTATE.

BUT WHEN THEY TRIED TO MEET, THEY FOUND THAT LOUIS XVI HAD LOCKED THEM OUT OF THE MEETING-HALL.

SO THEY MET AT AN INDOOR TENNIS COURT AND TOOK THE TENNIS COURT OATH, SWEARING NOT TO LEAVE UNTIL THEY WROTE A CONSTITUTION FOR FRANCE.

THERE WERE RUMORS THAT LOUIS XVI WAS ABOUT TO ARREST THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND SEND THE ROYAL ARMY INTO PARIS.

ON JULY 14, 1789, THE PARISIAN PEOPLE STORMED THE BASTILLE, A PRISON FOR THE KING’S POLITICAL ENEMIES.

IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, PEASANTS BURNED AND LOOTED THE HOMES OF THE NOBLES. IN THE CAPITAL, A GROUP OF RADICALS REPLACED THE KING’S GOVERNMENT WITH THE PARIS COMMUNE.

THE MARQUIS D’LAFAYETTE, WHO HAD FOUGHT ALONGSIDE GEORGE WASHINGTON IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, LED THE NATIONAL GUARD TO KEEP THE KING’S ARMY OUT OF PARIS.

THE NATIONAL GUARD’S SYMBOL, THE TRICOLOR, COMBINED THE COLOR OF THE KING’S ARMY (WHITE), WITH THE COLORS OF PARIS (RED AND BLUE). IT ALSO USED THE SAME COLORS AS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

LATER ON, THE TRICOLOR WOULD BECOME THE NATIONAL FLAG OF FRANCE.

AS THE COUNTRY NEARED CHAOS, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PASSED THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND CITIZEN TO CALM THE FRENCH PEOPLE DOWN.

WRITTEN BY THE MARQUIS D’LAFAYETTE, IT ENDED THE PRIVILEGES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND ESTATES, AND DECLARED ALL MEN, “FREE AND EQUAL IN RIGHTS.”

THE MOTTO OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION WAS LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY – OR DEATH.

BUT IN PARIS, WHAT PEOPLE REALLY WANTED WAS BREAD.

A GROUP OF STARVING WOMEN MARCHED FROM PARIS TO VERSAILLES, DEMANDING BREAD TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES.

ACCORDING TO LEGEND (WHICH PROBABLY WASN’T TRUE), MARIE ANTOINETTE IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID,

“LET THEM EAT CAKE!”

WHICH SHOWED THAT SHE HAD NO IDEA HOW BAD THE LIVES OF ORDINARY PARISIANS REALLY WERE.

THE WOMEN OF THE VERSAILLES BREAD MARCH BROUGHT THE KING, QUEEN AND PRINCE BACK TO PARIS, AND IMPRISONED THEM IN THE TUILERIES PALACE.

IN 1791, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FINALLY PASSED A WRITTEN CONSTITUTION FOR FRANCE. THE KING WOULD FINALLY HAVE TO OBEY RULES AND LAWS, AND FRANCE WAS FINALLY A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY.

BUT WOULD IT LAST???