The Bastille

The Bastille (Paris, France) before 1789 (Artist)

The Bastille started as a fort with two towers in the 14th century.  It was used to defend Paris against the English during the 100-year war.  An additional 6 towers were added, and it was converted to a prison in the early 15th century.  

During the early years, people were sent to the Bastille for minor offences like displeasing the king.  The Bastille filled up quickly. If you're lucky enough to get a room in the Bastille, here are your accommodations according to Quintin Craufurd, who wrote "The History of the Bastile

With a Concise Account of the Late Revolution in France" in 1790.

"The furniture of the rooms in general consisted of a small bed with green serge curtains, a table, an armed chair, a bason and ewer, a large earthen pot to hold water, a brass candlestick, a chamber -pot, a nightstool, a tin goblet, a broom, and a tinder-box and matches"  (Craufurd)

During King Louis XVI reign, prisoners were being released. He referred to himself as the people's king and was desperately trying to please his subjects.  By the time the revolution started, the Bastille was on its way to being emptied out.

The Fall of the Bastille

“The storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789” (Houël)

Issues

Life was hard in France during the 1700s.  France was out of funds.  The main cause of this was due to all of the wars France had been fighting.  Europe was also in a mini-ice age that started in the 14th century.  This caused issues with agriculture and farming.  Since agriculture was effected, hunting became difficult.  France's commoners, The Third Estate, were starving.

Rumors

Rumors helped fuel the rage France's citizens were experiencing.  There were three rumors which set the stage for the Fall of the Bastille.

1. Nobles were hording food - Hearing this rumor, France's citizens started to panic.  This panic grew into widespread fear and eventually started a period in the revolution called the Great Fear.  A week after the Fall of the Bastille, the third estate started to attack and loot noble manors. (Brooks)
2. Marie Antoinette stated "Let them eat cake" - She supposedly said this after hearing France's citizens were running out of bread.  Right after hearing this, a major bread shortage did occur, and this added to the rage the Third Estate was already feeling. 
3. King Louis XVI was building up his army to attack the Third Estate - This lit the fuse and caused everything to come tumbling down. 

These rumors spread across France's countryside at an alarming rate.  Out of fear, the Third Estate started taking up arms to defend themselves.

Even though King Louis XVI was releasing prisoners.  By the time the Fall of the Bastille happened, there were only 7 prisoners left.  So, the fall did not occur by a prison riot.  However, the armory was still located in the Bastille and On July 14, 1789, a group of over 1,000 people approached the Bastille's governor, Bernard-René de Launay, to demand he open the armory.  The governor refused and what followed resulted in the Fall of the Bastille.

The rest of the day was driven by rage and chaos.  Thomas Jefferson witnessed the Fall while visiting Paris wrote the following in a letter to John Day.

"They found a great collection of people already before the place, and they immediately planted a flag of truce, which was answered by a like flag hoisted on the parapet. The deputation prevailed on the people to fall back a little, advanced themselves to make their demand of the Governor, and in that instant a discharge from the Bastille killed 4. people of those nearest to the deputies. The deputies retired, the people rushed against the place, and almost in an instant were in possession of a fortification, defended by 100 men, of infinite strength, which in other times had stood several regular sieges and had never been taken." (Jefferson)

 

 After the Fall

Thomas Carlyle wrote.

“The Fall of the Bastille may be said to have shaken all France to the deepest foundations of its existence.  The rumor od these wonders flies everywhere: with the natural speed of Rumor; with an effect thought to be preternatural, produced by plots.” (Carlyle)

Just like that.  The rumors of the Fall spread just like the rumors that enraged the people's hearts and it sounded like a bell that rang in Norta Dame on Sunday mornings before mass.  It was the bell of freedom and the start of the revolution.

Our next stop will be Marseille France - Marseille, France

Works Cited

Artist, Unknown. La Bastille. The Bastille (Paris, France) before 1789. Paris, 2006. 12 April 2023. <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Bastille_20060809.jpg>.

Brooks, Christopher. 15.2: Events of the Early Revolution. 26 August 2022. Webpage. 14 April 2023. <https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/History/World_History/Book%3A_Western_Civilization_-_A_Concise_History_II_(Brooks)/15%3A_The_French_Revolution/15.02%3A_Events_of_the_Early_Revolution#:~:text=Rumors%20spread%20among%20the%20peasantry%20that%20nobl>.

Carlyle, Thomas. The Bastille. United Kingdom: G. Bell and Sons, 1902. Online. 15 April 2023. <https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Bastille/k5UZAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1>.

Craufurd, Quintin. The History of the Bastile With a Concise Account of the Late Revolution in France. Paris: T. Cadell, 1790. Google Books. 13 April 2023. <https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_History_of_the_Bastile/6nYpAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0&kptab=overview>.

Houël, Jean-Pierre. The storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789. The National Gallery, The Bridgeman Art Library, Paris. Watercolor. 14 April 2023. <https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/painting-of-the-storming-of-the-bastille-1789>.

Jefferson, Thomas. "From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 19 July 1789." 19 July 1789. Founders Online. 15 April 2023. <https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-15-02-0277>.