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Why Was Louis Xvi Important Before The French Revolution

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Louis the XVI Calls the Estates General- May 5,1789
Before the French Revolution, France had been in a financial crisis due to many wars. Also, luxuries for the French monarchy, such as the Palace of Versailles, contributed to France’s debt too. This debt angered people and they demanded someone to take action. King Louis XVI then called upon the Estates General. When they met, the Third Estate’s representatives (97% of the population) demanded that they get to vote on how much money would be spent and that each representative would have a separate vote. King Louis XVI kicked them out of the meeting (knowing that they would obviously win on all of the votes with their vast amount of representatives), but the third estate representatives were so …show more content…
The Bastille was used more as an armory than a prison. It only held 7 prisoners and was only had a very small garrison. The National Assembly feared that the king would use violence to end their meetings. The storming of the Bastille was important because it was ran mainly by fear.
Writing of the Declaration of the Rights of Men- August 26, 1789 The Declaration of the Rights of Men was created by the National Assembly. It said that all men are born equal and are considered equal under the law. It also laid out the reasoning of the French Revolution and said that the French strived for “liberty, equality” and “fraternity [brotherhood]”.
Establishment of the New Constitution- September 3, 1791 The National Assembly established the constitution which created a new legislative body called the Legislative Assembly. This constitution limited the king's power but still contained a monarchy. It also gave taxpaying men above the age of 25 the right to vote.
Execution of the King and Queen / Beginning of the Reign of Terror- January 21,

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