The Bastille
On July 14, 1789, the French people captured the Bastille which was a prison in the form of a gigantic, ancient castle in Paris. Because of King Louis XVI action to attempting to raise taxes on the nobility, by force he asked the Estate General (French Legislature) for more money. Since each class was equal in the Estates-General, the First Estate and the Second Estate joined together and voted 2-1 to tax the Third Estate. The Third Estate refused to accept the vote. They left the Estates General went to a Tennis Court where they swore to change France and make it more democratic. Stories began that King Louis XVI was calling out the army to arrest the members of the Third Estate at the Tennis Court. Thousands of French attacked the Bastille and captured it. On July 14, a fearful mob in search of weapons broke into the Bastille, killing a a number of guards in the process. The mob then paraded through the streets with their heads on pikes. Before long, a flood of panic called the Great Fear made its way through France. As a result of this historic event, the fall of The Bastille which happened on July 14,1789, today it is known as Bastille Day in France. It was the day the French Revolution started because of this memorable act of the people of France who expressed their opinions towards their government about the way their everyday lives was in general. Bastille Day is remembered in France as a symbol of the end of monarchy and the beginning of a republic.
This political cartoon demonstrates the structure and role of each estate which has citizen of the Third Estate and two citizens of the higher estates. The words labeled above say, " Reveil DI Tiers Etat" mean the awakening of the Third Estate. The Bastille is also included in the background with a mob of people near it. Observe how the man on the floor is doing with his hands and below him on the ground are a few of firearms where as the man and woman standing up appear to be frightened and worried about what will happen to them and to the man on the ground who will attack anything that gets in his way when necessary. This will show the event leading to the attack and capture of The Bastille on July 14, 1789 in Paris.