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Printed by T. K. & P. G. Collins.

CHRONOLOGY

OF THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION.

1789.

May 5. Opening of the States-general at Versailles--The tiers-état, 661 deputies; nobles, 285; clergy, 308; total, 1254.

6. Division between the different orders respecting the mode of verifying their powers. 10. The electors of Paris declare themselves in permanent session.

23. Notwithstanding the remonstrances of the tiers-état, the different orders meet separately. The clergy and nobility communicate to the tiers-état the renunciation of their privileges, and submit to pay their proportion of the public burdens.

June 17. The deputies of the tiers-état, already joined by some of the clergy, declare their assembly to be the only legal one, and constitute themselves as The National Assembly. The Assembly declares all the taxes illegally imposed, but it authorizes the levy of them provisionally, only till the day of its first separation, from whatever cause that separation may proceed.

20. The Oath of the Tennis Court.

23. Royal Session of the States-general.

27. The union of the several Orders in the National Assembly.

30. The Parisians set at liberty the French guards imprisoned in the Abbaye.

July 2-9. A great number of troops collected around Paris.

11. Change of the ministry-Dismissal of Necker.

12. Riots in Paris. The Prince de Lambesc, at the head of the German dragoons, charges the populace in the Tuileries. Camille-Desmoulins, in the garden of the Palais-Royal, recommends an appeal to arms. The green cockade is assumed. Conflict between the French Guards and a detachment of the Royal German regiment.

13. First organization of the militia of Paris. The barriers attacked and burnt.

14. Storming of the Bastille. Massacre of the governor De Launay and Flesselles, prévot des marchands. The red and blue cockade (the city colours) substituted for the green cockade.

15. The King and his brothers repair to the National Assembly. The troops collected round Paris dismissed. Approval of the institutions of the national guard. The electors nominate Bailly, mayor of Paris, and Lafayette, general-in-chief of the national guard. 16. Recall of Necker-Count d'Artois and the Prince de Condé emigrate. 17. The King proceeds to the Hôtel de Ville of Paris. Bailly thus addresses him: "Sire, I bring you the keys of the city of Paris; they are the same which were presented to Henry IV. He had reconquered his people; the people have reconquered their King." The assembled multitude applauded this address: the King assumed the red and blue cockade. His presence quiets the tumult.

22. Fresh disturbances on account of the dearness of corn. Massacre of Foulon and of Berthier de Sauvigny.

26. The tricoloured cockade adopted. On presenting it to the electors, Lafayette predicts that it will make the tour of the world.

Aug.

1. The cannon of Chantilly, and of the Ile-Adam, taken possession of and brought to Paris.

4. The National Assembly decrees that the constitution shall be preceded by the declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen. Spontaneous abolition of the feudal system. and of all privileges in France.

18. Democratic insurrection at Liege.

iii

Aug. 23. Decree proclaiming liberty of opinions, religious as well as political.

31. Suppression and dissolution of the French guards.

Sept. 9. The National Assembly declares itself to be permanently assembled.

10. It adopts as a principle that the legislative body shall consist of only one chamber Oct. 1. Declaration of the Rights of Man in society.

2. Entertainment given by the Life-guards, at Versailles.

5, 6. The populace at Versailles. The King and all his family are brought to Paris.

14. The Duke of Orleans quits Paris for a time and goes to England.

19. The first sitting of the National Assembly at the archbishop's palace.

21. Decree conferring upon the tribunal of the Châtelet the cognizance of the crime of high treason against the nation. Martial law introduced.

Nov. 2. Ecclesiastical property declared national property. The Abbé Maury, being threatened with death à la lanterne, escapes, by saying to those who have come to attack him, Well, and shall you see any the clearer for that, do you think?"

6, Institution of the society of "The Friends of the Constitution," which subsequently became “The Society of the Jacobins." The National Assembly transfers its place of meeting to the Riding-house of the Tuileries.

Dec. 19. Creation of territorial assignats.

24. Decree declaring Frenchmen who are not Catholics admissible to all offices, both civil and military.

1790.

Jan. 15. Division of France into eighty-three departments.

21. Equality of punishments enacted, whatever the rank of the culprits.

26. The Assembly forbids its members to accept any office under government.

Feb. 13. Abolition of monastic vows. Suppression of the religious orders.

19. Execution of the Marquis de Favras, declared guilty of high treason.

20. Lafayette proclaims in the National Assembly, that, when oppression renders a revolution necessary, INSURRECTION IS THE MOST SACRED OF DUTIES.

March 16. Abolition of "Lettres de Cachet."

17. Appropriation of ecclesiastical property to the repayment of the assignats.

28. Suppression of the salt-tax.

April 1. Publication of the "Red Book." The secret expenses of the court had annually been at the lowest, in 1787, 82,000,000 livres; at the highest, in 1783, 145,000,000 livres. 29. Free trade in corn.

30. Institution of the jury.

May 10. Massacre of the patriots at Montauban.

12. Institution, by Lafayette and Bailly, of the Society of 1789, (afterwards the club of the Feuillans,) to counterbalance the influence of the Jacobin club.

22. The Assembly decrees that the right of declaring war and making peace belongs to the nation.

June 3. Insurrection of the blacks at Martinique.

9, 10. The civil list fixed at 25,000,000 livres.

19. Abolition of nobility.

July 10. Decree restoring to the heirs of Dissenters expelled by the edict of Nantes their confiscated property not yet sold.

14. First National Federation.

Aug. 6. Abolition of the droits d'aubaine (seizing the property of Aliens).

16. Justices of the peace instituted.

31. Revolt of the Swiss soldiers at Chateau-Vieux.

Sept. 4. Dismissal and Retreat of Necker.

6. Suppression of the parliaments.

10. Funding of the public debt.

29. Creation of 800,000,000 of forced assignats.

Oct. 9. Insurrection of the mulattoes in St. Domingo.

Nov. 4. Insurrection in the Isle of France.

27. Civil constitution of the clergy. Institution of the Tribunal of Cassation. Dec. 30. Institution of the patents for inventions.

1791.

Jan. 28. The French army is increased to the war establishment.
Feb. 12. Abolition of the monopoly for the cultivation of tobacco

Feb. 19. Monsieur (afterwards Louis XVIII.) gratifies the populace who surround his palace, by assuring them that he will never emigrate.

ers.

28. The leaders of the populace proceed to Vincennes and attempt to massacre the prisonThe day of the Daggers. The nobles with concealed arms assemble at the Tuileries. The King, in order to prevent a conflict between them and the national guards, commands them to lay down their arms. They obey; and are afterwards insulted and ill-used.

April 2, 4. Death and funeral of Mirabeau.

23. Louis apprizes the foreign courts that he has taken the oath to observe the future constitution.

May 4. Annexation of Avignon and of the Comtat Venaissin to France.

15. Admission of the free people of colour to an equality of political rights with the whites. June 2. Louis XVI., being intimidated, gives his consent to many decrees from which he had previously withheld it.

5. The decree passed, wresting from the King the privilege of pardoning criminals.

10. Louis XVI. secretly protests against the sanctions which he has given to decrees, and also against those which he may hereafter give.

19. Robespierre is elected public accuser for the tribunal of the Seine.

21-25. Flight to and return from Varennes. The emigration of Monsieur.

26. The Life-guards disbanded.

July 6. Appeal of the Emperor Leopold to the sovereigns of Europe to unite for the deliverance of Louis XVI.

7. Louis XVI. disavows the armaments equipping by the emigrants.

11. Petition for the King's dethronement. The remains of Voltaire transferred to the Pantheon.

17. The unfurling of the red flag.

21. Institution for the deaf and dumb established.

25. Treaty of Berlin against France between Prussia and Austria.

30. Suppression of decorations and orders of knighthood.

Aug. 17. Decree enjoining emigrants to return to France.

27. Treaty of Pilnitz intended to consolidate the coalition.

Sept. 3-13. Completion and presentation of the constitution to the King,

14. Louis XVI. accepts the constitution and swears to maintain it.

29. Decree relative to the national guard.

20. Last sitting of the Constituent Assembly. This Assembly during the three years of its existence, enacted 1309 laws and decrees relative to legislation or to the general administration of the state.

Oct. 1. First sitting of the Legislative Assembly.

5. Commencement of the famine. The farmers refuse to take assignats in payment for corn. Decree taking from the King the titles of Sire and Your Majesty.

14. The King issues à proclamation to the emigrants exhorting them to rally round the constitution.

16. He writes to his brothers to induce them to return to France. All the men of talent in Europe are invited by the Assembly to communicate their opinions on the civil code. The minister of war announces that 1900 officers have left their regiments and emigrated.

28. Decree requiring Monsieur to return to France within two months, upon the penalty of being deprived of his right to the regency.

30. Massacres at Avignon. The slaughtered prisoners are thrown into an ice-pit.

Nov. 12. The King refuses to sanction the decree against the emigrants.

17. Petion is elected mayor of Paris.

22. Port-au-Prince (St. Domingo) burnt.

26. Chabot enters the King's presence with his hat on.

29. The Assembly requires the King to call upon the princes of the empire not to allow the assembling of emigrants in their territories.

Dec. 2. Manuel elected procureur-syndic of the commune.

14. The King announces to the Assembly that he will declare war, if the foreign courts disregard his declarations in favour of the Revolution.

19. The King puts his veto to the decrees relative to priests who refuse to take the civic oath.

20. Notification, in the name of the King, to the Elector of Treves to disperse the emigrants collected in his states.

31. The Assembly suppresses the ceremony usual on New Year's Day.

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