97-649: Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France , which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as le 14 juillet ( French: [lə katɔʁz(ə) ʒɥijɛ] ) in French, though la fête nationale is also used in the press. French National Day is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789,
194-668: A 'gathering of the mob ,' a walking and golf cart parade, and a mock beheading of the King and Queen . Portland, Oregon , has celebrated Bastille Day with crowds up to 8,000, in public festivals at various public parks, since 2001. The event is coordinated by the Alliance Française of Portland. Seattle 's Bastille Day celebration, held at the Seattle Center , involves performances, picnics, wine and shopping. Sacramento, California , conducts annual "waiter races" in
291-529: A French textile worker, who presented his design for a festival celebrating the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille to the French city administration and the public on 9 December 1789. There were other proposals and unofficial celebrations of 14 July 1789, but the official festival sponsored by the National Assembly was called the Fête de la Fédération. The Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790
388-750: A celebration annually, hosted by the French Cultural Center for 40 years. The street festival occurs in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, near the Cultural Center's headquarters. The celebration includes francophone musical performers, dancing, and French cuisine . New York City has numerous Bastille Day celebrations each July, including Bastille Day on 60th Street hosted by the French Institute Alliance Française between Fifth and Lexington Avenues on
485-693: A competition for the "Best Baguette of the Twin Cities ." Montgomery, Ohio , has a celebration with wine, beer, local restaurants' fare, pastries, games and bands. St. Louis , Missouri , has annual festivals in the Soulard neighborhood, the former French village of Carondelet, Missouri , and in the Benton Park neighborhood. The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion in the Benton Park neighborhood, holds an annual Bastille Day festival with reenactments of
582-472: A detailed report on the defense of the Bastille, which was incorporated in the logbook of the Salis-Samade Regiment and has survived. It is (perhaps unfairly) critical of the dead Marquis de Launay, whom Flue accuses of weak and indecisive leadership. The blame for the fall of the Bastille would rather appear to lie with the inertia of the commanders of the 5,000 Royal Army troops encamped on
679-670: A family-friendly Bastille Day party at the French Legation , the home of the French representative to the Republic of Texas from 1841 to 1845. Chicago , Illinois , has hosted a variety of Bastille Day celebrations in a number of locations in the city, including Navy Pier and Oz Park . The recent incarnations have been sponsored in part by the Chicago branch of the French-American Chamber of Commerce and by
776-511: A free country, the King a very limited monarch, and the nobility as reduced to a level with the rest of the nation." On 22 July 1789 the populace lynched Controller-General of Finances Joseph Foullon de Doué and his son-in-law Louis Bénigne François Bertier de Sauvigny . Both had held official positions under the monarchy. About 900 people who claimed to have stormed the Bastille received certificates ( Brevet de vainqueur de la Bastille ) from
873-509: A huge property of the clergy, which functioned as a convent, hospital, school, and even a jail. An angry mob broke in and plundered the property, seizing 52 wagons of wheat, which were taken to the public market. The same day, multitudes of people plundered many other places including weapon arsenals. Royal troops did nothing to stop the spreading of social chaos in Paris during those days. The regiment of Gardes Françaises (French Guards) formed
970-839: A major event of the French Revolution , as well as the Fête de la Fédération that celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. Celebrations are held throughout France. One that has been reported as "the oldest and largest military parade in Europe" is held on 14 July on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in front of the President of France , along with other French officials and foreign guests. In 1789, tensions rose in France between reformist and conservative factions as
1067-509: A pardon. The rank and file of the regiment, which had been considered reliable, now leaned toward the popular cause. On 11 July 1789, Louis XVI, acting under the influence of the conservative nobles of his privy council , dismissed and banished his finance minister, Jacques Necker (who had been sympathetic to the Third Estate) and completely reconstituted the ministry. The marshals Victor-François, duc de Broglie , La Galissonnière ,
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#17327661612441164-498: A pastry cook named Dulait in the groin. Launay was then stabbed repeatedly and died. An English traveller, Doctor Edward Rigby, reported what he saw, "[We] perceived two bloody heads raised on pikes, which were said to be the heads of the Marquis de Launay, Governor of the Bastille, and of Monsieur Flesselles, Prévôt des Marchands. It was a chilling and a horrid sight! ... Shocked and disgusted at this scene, [we] retired immediately from
1261-414: A trap and the fighting became more violent and intense, while attempts by deputies to organise a cease-fire were ignored by the attackers. The firing continued, and after 3:00 pm, the attackers were reinforced by mutinous gardes françaises , along with two cannons each of which was reportedly fired about six times. Several farm wagons were filled with damp straw, which was set alight to provide cover for
1358-557: A year: Bastille Day. The single day of celebration evolved into the major Heiva i Tahiti festival in Papeete Tahiti, where traditional events such as canoe races, tattooing, and fire walks are held. The singing and dancing competitions continue with music composed with traditional instruments such as the nasal flute and ukulele. Within the UK, London has a large French contingent, and celebrates Bastille Day at various locations across
1455-449: Is a national holiday called Fête nationale française which commemorates both the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille and the Fête de la Fédération which occurred on its first anniversary in 1790. In English this holiday is commonly referred to as Bastille Day. During the reign of Louis XVI , France faced a major economic crisis , caused in part by the cost of intervening in
1552-621: Is a traditional festival dance of the French consul that draws large crowds, and many unofficial events over the city celebrate the relationship between France and the city of Liège. Vancouver , British Columbia holds a celebration featuring exhibits, food and entertainment. The Toronto Bastille Day festival is also celebrated in Toronto , Ontario . The festival is organized by the French-Canadian community in Toronto and sponsored by
1649-743: Is held annually in the Bishop Arts District of the North Oak Cliff neighborhood, southwest of downtown just across the Trinity River . Dallas' French roots are tied to the short lived socialist Utopian community La Réunion , formed in 1855 and incorporated into the City of Dallas in 1860. Miami 's celebration is organized by "French & Famous" in partnership with the French American Chamber of Commerce,
1746-500: Is live music, street performers, and traditional French games played. The United States has over 20 cities that conduct annual celebrations of Bastille Day. The different cities celebrate with many French staples such as food, music, games, and sometimes the recreation of famous French landmarks. Baltimore , Maryland , has a large Bastille Day celebration each year at Petit Louis in the Roland Park area of Baltimore. Boston has
1843-554: Is no time to lose; the dismissal of Necker is the knell of Saint Bartholomew for patriots! This very night all the Swiss and German battalions will leave the Champ de Mars to massacre us all; one resource is left; to take arms!'" The Swiss and German battalions referred to were among the foreign mercenary troops who made up a significant portion of the pre-revolutionary Royal Army and were seen as being less likely to be sympathetic to
1940-543: Is often an official public holiday . Many countries have more than one national day. Denmark and the United Kingdom are the only countries without a national day. Denmark has what is not a public holiday but an unofficial celebration called Constitution Day . National days emerged with the age of nationalism , with most appearing during the 19th and 20th centuries. National day may also be known as Independence Day , Liberation Day , or Republic Day , depending on
2037-495: Is provided throughout the festival. The French Consulate in South Africa also celebrates their national holiday with a party for the French community. Activities also include dressing up in different items of French clothing. Following colonial rule, France annexed a large portion of what is now French Polynesia . Under French rule, Tahitians were permitted to participate in sport, singing, and dancing competitions one day
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#17327661612442134-843: Is sponsored by the Institut de France . The festival is hosted along the Danube River , with streets filled with music and dancing. There are also local markets dedicated to French foods and wine, mixed with some traditional Hungarian specialties. At the end of the celebration, a fireworks show is held on the river banks. Bastille Day is celebrated with great festivity in Pondicherry , a former French colony. The Embassy of France in Ireland organizes several events around Dublin , Cork and Limerick for Bastille Day; including evenings of French music and tasting of French food. Many members of
2231-565: Is usually between 11 and 14 July. It acts as an event that marks the relinquish of the EU presidency from France to the Czech Republic. Traditional selections of French produce, including cheese, wine, meat, bread and pastries, are provided by the market. Throughout the event, live music is played in the evenings, with lanterns lighting up the square at night. The amusement park Tivoli celebrates Bastille Day. Budapest 's two-day celebration
2328-765: The Champs-Élysées , with the participation of the Allies as represented in the Versailles Peace Conference, and with the exception of the period of German occupation from 1940 to 1944 (when the ceremony took place in London under the command of General Charles de Gaulle ); and 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation. The parade passes down the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to
2425-695: The French Consulate-General in Chicago. Milwaukee 's four-day street festival begins with a "Storming of the Bastille" with a 43-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower . Minneapolis , Minnesota , has a celebration with wine, French food, pastries, a flea market, circus performers and bands. Also in the Twin Cities area, the local chapter of the Alliance Française has hosted an annual event for years at varying locations with
2522-671: The National Assembly in 1790, and a number of these still exist. Although there were arguments that the Bastille should be preserved as a monument to liberation or as a depot for the new National Guard, the Permanent Committee of Municipal Electors at the Paris Town Hall gave the construction entrepreneur Pierre-François Palloy the commission of disassembling the building. Palloy commenced work immediately, employing about 1,000 workers. The demolition of
2619-775: The National Guard at Paris; Jean-Sylvain Bailly —leader of the Third Estate and instigator of the Tennis Court Oath —became the city's mayor under a new governmental structure known as the Commune de Paris . The king announced that he would recall Necker and return from Versailles to Paris; on 17 July, in Paris, he accepted a blue-and-red cockade from Bailly and entered the Hôtel de Ville to cries of "Long live
2716-534: The Place de la Concorde , where the President of the French Republic , his government and foreign ambassadors to France stand. This is a popular event in France, broadcast on French TV, and is the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe. Smaller military parades are held in French garrison towns, including Toulon and Belfort , with local troops. Liège celebrates Bastille Day each year since
2813-543: The Polignac family, and (slightly later) Charles Alexandre de Calonne , the former finance minister. They settled at Turin , where Calonne, as agent for the count d'Artois and the prince de Condé, began plotting civil war within the kingdom and agitating for a European coalition against France. The news of the successful insurrection at Paris spread throughout France. In accord with principles of popular sovereignty and with complete disregard for claims of royal authority,
2910-537: The Swiss Salis-Samade Regiment from the regular troops on the Champ de Mars . The walls mounted 18 eight-pound guns and 12 smaller pieces. The governor was Bernard-René de Launay , son of a previous governor and actually born within the Bastille. The official list of vainqueurs de la Bastille (conquerors of the Bastille) subsequently compiled has 954 names, and the total of the crowd
3007-500: The duc de la Vauguyon , the Baron Louis de Breteuil , and the intendant Joseph Foullon de Doué , took over the posts of Puységur , Armand Marc, comte de Montmorin , La Luzerne , Saint-Priest , and Necker. News of Necker's dismissal reached Paris on the afternoon of Sunday, 12 July. The Parisians generally presumed that the dismissal marked the start of a coup by conservative elements. Liberal Parisians were further enraged by
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3104-572: The American Revolution and exacerbated by regressive taxes , as well as poor harvests in the late 1780s. Furthermore, Finance Minister Calonne , Louis XVI's replacement for Jacques Necker , thought that lavish spending would secure loans by presenting the monarchy as wealthy. That only added to Louis' financial woes. On 5 May 1789, the Estates General convened to deal with the issue but were held back by archaic protocols and
3201-588: The Bastille Insurgent victory The Storming of the Bastille ( French : Prise de la Bastille [pʁiz də la bastij] ) occurred in Paris , France , on 14 July 1789, when revolutionary insurgents attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury , fortress and political prison known as the Bastille . After four hours of fighting and 94 deaths, the insurgents were able to enter
3298-505: The Bastille and had them carved into replicas of the fortress, which he sold, along with medals allegedly made from the chains of prisoners. Pieces of stone from the structure were sent to every district in France, and some have been located. Various other pieces of the Bastille also survive, including stones used to build the Pont de la Concorde bridge over the Seine, and one of the towers, which
3395-495: The Bastille for safer storage. At this point, the Bastille was nearly empty, housing only seven prisoners: four forgers arrested under warrants issued by the Grand Châtelet court; James F.X. Whyte, an Irish born "lunatic" suspected of spying and imprisoned at the request of his family; Auguste-Claude Tavernier, who had tried to assassinate Louis XV thirty years before; and one "deviant" aristocrat suspected of murder,
3492-462: The Bastille storming in "Book The Second - the Golden Thread, " Chapter 21, “Echoing Footsteps” (“Seven prisoners released, seven gory heads on pikes, the keys of the accursed fortress of the eight strong towers, some discovered letters and other memorials of prisoners of old time, long dead of broken hearts, - such, and such - like, the loudly echoing footsteps of Saint Antione escort through
3589-440: The Bastille. The governor de Launay and several members of the garrison were killed after surrender. The Bastille then represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. The prison contained only seven inmates at the time of its storming and was already scheduled for demolition, but was seen by the revolutionaries as a symbol of the monarchy's abuse of power. Its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution . In France, 14 July
3686-843: The Camp, Proprietor of the Royal Allemand-Dragoons) unleashed a cavalry charge that dispersed the remaining protesters at Place Louis XV—now Place de la Concorde . The Royal commander, Baron de Besenval , fearing the results of a blood bath amongst the poorly-armed crowds or defections among his own men, then withdrew the cavalry towards Sèvres. Meanwhile, unrest was growing among the people of Paris who expressed their hostility against state authorities by attacking customs posts blamed for causing increased food and wine prices. The people of Paris started to plunder any place where food, guns, and supplies might be hoarded. That night, rumours spread that supplies were hoarded at Saint-Lazare,
3783-560: The Champ de Mars, who did not act when either the nearby Hôtel des Invalides or the Bastille were attacked. A brief order sent from the Baron de Besenval to the Governor read only "M. de Launay is to hold firm to the end; I have sent him sufficient forces". Returning to the Hôtel de Ville, the mob accused the prévôt dès marchands (roughly, mayor) Jacques de Flesselles of treachery, and he
3880-567: The Comte de Solages, imprisoned by his father using a lettre de cachet . A previous prisoner the Marquis de Sade had been transferred out ten days earlier, after shouting to passers-by that the prisoners were being massacred. The high cost of maintaining a garrisoned medieval fortress, for what was seen as having a limited purpose, had led to a decision being made shortly before the disturbances began to replace it with an open public space. Amid
3977-481: The Consulate General of France. The celebration includes music, performances, sport competitions, and a French Market. At the end of the festival, there is also a traditional French bal populaire. Since 2008, Prague has hosted a French market " Le marché du 14 juillet " ("Fourteenth of July Market") offering traditional French food and wine as well as music. The market takes place on Kampa Island , it
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4074-465: The French Guards made ineffectual attempts to rally their men. The rebellious citizenry had now acquired a trained military contingent. As word of that spread, the commanders of the royal forces encamped on the Champ de Mars became doubtful of the dependability of even the foreign regiments. The future "Citizen King", Louis-Philippe, duc d'Orléans , witnessed those events as a young officer and
4171-535: The French Republic (the event was commemorated in a painting by Claude Monet ). On 14 July 1879, there was another feast, with a semi-official aspect. The day's events included a reception in the Chamber of Deputies, organised and presided over by Léon Gambetta (a military reviewer at Longchamp), and a Republican Feast in the Pré Catelan . All throughout France, Le Figaro wrote, "people feasted much to honour
4268-463: The French community in Ireland take part in the festivities. Events in Dublin include live entertainment, speciality menus on French cuisine, and screenings of popular French films. The Auckland suburb of Remuera hosts an annual French-themed Bastille Day street festival. Visitors enjoy mimes, dancers, music, as well as French foods and drinks. The budding relationship between the two countries, with
4365-399: The King" and "Long live the Nation". Immediately after the violence of 14 July members of the nobility—little assured by the apparent and, as it was to prove, temporary reconciliation of king and people—started to flee the country as émigrés . Among the first to leave were the comte d'Artois (the future Charles X of France ) and his two sons, the prince de Condé , the prince de Conti ,
4462-413: The National Guard of Paris and a confidant of the king, took his oath to the constitution, followed by King Louis XVI . After the end of the official celebration, the day ended in a huge four-day popular feast, and people celebrated with fireworks, as well as fine wine and running nude through the streets in order to display their freedom. On 30 June 1878, a feast was officially arranged in Paris to honour
4559-431: The Revolution's affairs. For this stage of the Revolution, the sans-culotte were allies to the "bourgeois Revolutionaries". At Versailles, the Assembly were for a few hours ignorant of most of the Paris events. The representatives remained however concerned that the Marshal de Broglie might still unleash a pro-Royalist coup to force them to adopt the order of 23 June, and then dissolve the Assembly. Noailles apparently
4656-413: The Rights of Man and of the Citizen ( Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen ) was proclaimed. As early as 1789, the year of the storming of the Bastille, preliminary designs for a national festival were underway. These designs were intended to strengthen the country's national identity through the celebration of the events of 14 July 1789. One of the first designs was proposed by Clément Gonchon,
4753-415: The Third Estate at Versailles has a better claim to being the founding event, noting that the "bourgeois Revolutionaries" of Versailles had a major role in steering the future of the revolution, using parliamentary and political mechanisms, for the next three years. Nonetheless, the fall of the Bastille marks the first time the regular citizens of Paris , the sans-culottes , made a major intervention into
4850-425: The Third Republic's need to establish legal legitimacy. French politicians also did not want the sole foundation of their national holiday to be rooted in a day of bloodshed and class-hatred as the day of storming the Bastille was. Instead, they based the establishment of the holiday as both the celebration of the Fête de la Fédération, a festival celebrating the anniversary of the Republic of France on 14 July 1789, and
4947-445: The Union des Français de l'Etranger and many French brands. The event gathers over 1,000 attendees to celebrate "La Fête Nationale". The location and theme change every year. In 2017, the theme was "Guinguette Party" and attracted 1,200 francophiles at The River Yacht Club. New Orleans , Louisiana , has multiple celebrations, the largest in the historic French Quarter . In Austin, Texas , the Alliance Française d’Austin usually conducts
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#17327661612445044-414: The United States. In Washington D.C. , food, music, and auction events are sponsored by the Embassy of France . There is also a French Festival within the city, where families can meet period entertainment groups set during the time of the French Revolution. Restaurants host parties serving traditional French food. In Dallas , Texas , the Bastille Day celebration, "Bastille On Bishop", began in 2010 and
5141-476: The Upper East Side of Manhattan , Bastille Day on Smith Street in Brooklyn , and Bastille Day in Tribeca . There is also the annual Bastille Day Ball, taking place since 1924. Philadelphia 's Bastille Day, held at Eastern State Penitentiary , involves Marie Antoinette throwing locally manufactured Tastykakes at the Parisian militia , as well as a re-enactment of the storming of the Bastille. (This Philadelphia tradition ended in 2018.) In Newport, Rhode Island,
5238-442: The annual Bastille Day celebration is organized by the local chapter of the Alliance Française. It takes place at King Park in Newport at the monument memorializing the accomplishments of the General Comte de Rochambeau whose 6,000 to 7,000 French forces landed in Newport on 11 July 1780. Their assistance in the defeat of the English in the War of Independence is well documented and is proof of the special relationship between France and
5335-426: The authority of the assembly, which renamed itself the National Constituent Assembly on 9 July. Paris, close to insurrection and in François Mignet 's words, "intoxicated with liberty and enthusiasm", showed wide support for the Assembly. The press published the debates, and political debate spread beyond the Assembly itself into the public squares and halls of the capital. The Palais-Royal and its grounds became
5432-490: The basis of lettres de cachet (literally "signet letters"), arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed and did not indicate the reason for the imprisonment, and was believed to hold a cache of ammunition and gunpowder. As it happened, at the time of the attack, the Bastille held only seven inmates, none of great political significance. The crowd was eventually reinforced by the mutinous Régiment des Gardes Françaises ("Regiment of French Guards"), whose usual role
5529-402: The beheading of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI , traditional dancing, and artillery demonstrations. Carondelet also began hosting an annual saloon crawl to celebrate Bastille Day in 2017. The Soulard neighborhood in St. Louis , Missouri celebrates its unique French heritage with special events including a parade, which honors the peasants who rejected the monarchy . The parade includes
5626-408: The besiegers. The clouds of smoke however proved a distraction for both sides and the wagons were hauled away. A substantial force of Royal Army troops encamped on the Champ de Mars did not intervene. With the possibility of mutual carnage becoming apparent, Governor de Launay ordered the garrison to cease firing at 5:00 pm. A letter written by de Launay offering surrender but threatening to explode
5723-425: The city including Battersea Park , Camden Town and Kentish Town . Live entertainment is performed at Canary Wharf , with weeklong performances of French theatre at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. Restaurants feature cabarets and special menus across the city, and other celebrations include garden parties and sports tournaments. There is also a large event at the Bankside and Borough Market, where there
5820-399: The conservatism of the Second Estate , representing the nobility , which made up less than 2% of France's population. On 17 June 1789, the Third Estate , with its representatives drawn from the commoners, reconstituted itself as the National Assembly , a body whose purpose was the creation of a French constitution. The King initially opposed that development but was forced to acknowledge
5917-428: The control of the Bourgeois Militia of Paris (soon to become Revolutionary France's National Guard), had earlier stormed the Hôtel des Invalides without meeting significant opposition. Their intention had been to gather the weapons held there (29,000 to 32,000 muskets, but without powder or shot). The commandant at the Invalides had in the previous few days taken the precaution of transferring 250 barrels of gunpowder to
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#17327661612446014-406: The country struggled to resolve an economic crisis. In May, the Estates General legislative assembly was revived, but members of the Third Estate broke ranks, declaring themselves to be the National Assembly of the country, and on 20 June, vowed to write a constitution for the kingdom. On 11 July, Jacques Necker , the finance minister of Louis XVI , who was sympathetic to the Third Estate,
6111-486: The day recalled as the Journée des brouettes ("The Day of the Wheelbarrow"), thousands of Parisian citizens gathered together to finish the construction needed for the celebration. The day of the festival, the National Guard assembled and proceeded along the boulevard du Temple in the pouring rain, and were met by an estimated 260,000 Parisian citizens at the Champ de Mars. A mass was celebrated by Talleyrand , bishop of Autun . The popular General Lafayette , as captain of
6208-402: The end of the First World War , as Liège was decorated by the Légion d'Honneur for its unexpected resistance during the Battle of Liège . The city also hosts a fireworks show outside of Congress Hall. Specifically in Liège, celebrations of Bastille Day have been known to be bigger than the celebrations of the Belgian National holiday. Around 35,000 people gather to celebrate Bastille Day. There
6305-476: The establishment of a Maori garden in France and exchange of their analyses of cave art, resulted in the creation of an official reception at the Residence of France. There is also an event in Wellington for the French community held at the Residence of France. Franschhoek 's weekend festival has been celebrated since 1993. (Franschhoek, or 'French Corner,' is situated in the Western Cape .) As South Africa's gourmet capital, French food, wine and other entertainment
6402-405: The famous French tricolour . White was the historic colour of the Bourbon monarchy and Lafayette's decision to retain it in the new symbol of national identity illustrates his intention to achieve a constitutional monarchy rather than moving to a revolutionary republic. On the morning of 14 July 1789, the city of Paris was in a state of alarm. The partisans of the Third Estate in France, now under
6499-451: The fear that a concentration of Royal troops, brought in from frontier garrisons to Versailles , Sèvres , the Champ de Mars and Saint-Denis , would attempt to shut down the National Constituent Assembly , which was meeting in Versailles. Crowds gathered throughout Paris, including more than ten thousand at the Palais-Royal. Camille Desmoulins successfully rallied the crowd by "mounting a table, pistol in hand, exclaiming: 'Citizens, there
6596-425: The fortress at 5:30 pm. Ninety-eight attackers and one defender had died in the actual fighting or subsequently from wounds, a disparity accounted for by the protection provided to the garrison by the fortress walls. Launay was seized and dragged towards the Hôtel de Ville in a storm of abuse. Outside the Hôtel, a discussion as to his fate began. The badly beaten Launay shouted "Enough! Let me die!" and kicked
6693-543: The fortress itself, the melting down of its clock portraying chained prisoners, and the breaking up of four statues were all carried out within five months. In 1790, Lafayette gave the wrought-iron, one-pound and three-ounce key to the Bastille to U.S. President George Washington . Washington displayed it prominently at government facilities and events in New York and in Philadelphia until shortly before his retirement in 1797. The key remains on display at Washington's residence of Mount Vernon . Palloy also took bricks from
6790-417: The midtown restaurant and shopping district, with a street festival. National day A national day is a day on which celebrations mark the statehood or nationhood of a state or its people . It may be the date of independence , of becoming a republic , of becoming a federation , or a significant date for a patron saint or a ruler (such as a birthday, accession , or removal). The national day
6887-426: The morning of 13 July, the electors of Paris met and agreed to the recruitment of a "bourgeois militia" of 48,000 men from the sixty voting districts of Paris, to restore order. Their identifying cockades were of blue and red, the colours of Paris. Lafayette was elected commander of that group on 14 July and subsequently changed its name to the National Guard. He added the colour white to the cockade on 27 July, to make
6984-564: The nation and its history. Nations that are not broadly recognized sovereign states are shown in pink. Defunct states are highlighted in light grey. For nations that are dependent on, or part of, a sovereign state (such as federal states, autonomous regions , or colonies), the name of the sovereign state is shown in parentheses. Days that are not fixed to the Gregorian calendar are sorted by their occurrences. Note: Not to be confused with Independence Day (Myanmar) Storming of
7081-503: The national holiday, including 4 August (the commemoration of the end of the feudal system ), 5 May (when the Estates-General first assembled), 27 July (the fall of Robespierre ), and 21 January (the date of Louis XVI 's execution). The government decided that the date of the holiday would be 14 July, but that was still somewhat problematic. The events of 14 July 1789 were illegal under the previous government, which contradicted
7178-485: The new era over the Ancien Régime was bought by fighting, do not forget that after the day of 14 July 1789, there was the day of 14 July 1790 (...) This [latter] day cannot be blamed for having shed a drop of blood, for having divided the country. It was the consecration of the unity of France (...) If some of you might have scruples against the first 14 July, they certainly hold none against
7275-407: The people established parallel structures of municipalities for civic government and militias for civic protection. In rural areas, many went beyond this: some burned title-deeds and no small number of châteaux, as the " Great Fear " spread across the countryside during the weeks of 20 July to 5 August, with attacks on wealthy landlords impelled by the belief that the aristocracy was trying to put down
7372-490: The permanent garrison of Paris and, with many local ties, was favourably disposed towards the popular cause. The regiment had remained confined to its barracks during the initial stages of the mid-July disturbances. With Paris becoming the scene of a general riot, Charles Eugene , not trusting the regiment to obey his order, posted sixty dragoons to station themselves before its depot in the Chaussée d'Antin . The officers of
7469-422: The popular cause than ordinary French soldiers. By early July, approximately half of the 25,000 regular troops in Paris and Versailles were drawn from those foreign regiments. The French regiments included in the concentration appear to have been selected either because of the proximity of their garrisons to Paris or because their colonels were supporters of the reactionary "court party" opposed to reform. During
7566-405: The powder stocks held if the garrison were not permitted to evacuate the fortress unharmed, was handed out to the besiegers through a gap in the inner gate. His demands were not met, but Launay nonetheless capitulated, as he realised that with limited food stocks and no water supply his troops could not hold out much longer. He accordingly opened the gates, and the vainqueurs swept in to take over
7663-734: The public demonstrations that started on 12 July, the multitude displayed busts of Necker and of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and marched from the Palais Royal through the theatre district before it continued westward along the boulevards. The crowd clashed with the Royal German Cavalry Regiment ("Royal-Allemand") between the Place Vendôme and the Tuileries Palace . From atop the Champs-Élysées , Charles Eugene, Prince of Lambesc (Marshal of
7760-540: The release of the arms and gunpowder stored inside. Two representatives from the Hotel de Ville (municipal authorities from the Town Hall) were invited into the fortress and negotiations began, while another was admitted around noon with definite demands. The negotiations dragged on while the crowd grew and became impatient. Around 1:30 pm, the crowd surged into the undefended outer courtyard. A small party climbed onto
7857-513: The revolution. On 16 July 1789, two days after the Storming of the Bastille, John Frederick Sackville , British ambassador to France, reported to Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds , "Thus, my Lord, the greatest revolution that we know anything of has been effected with, comparatively speaking—if the magnitude of the event is considered—the loss of very few lives. From this moment we may consider France as
7954-454: The roof of a building next to the gate to the inner courtyard of the fortress and broke the chains on the drawbridge , crushing one vainqueur as it fell. Soldiers of the garrison called to the people to withdraw, but amid the noise and confusion these shouts were misinterpreted as encouragement to enter. Gunfire began, apparently spontaneously, turning the crowd into a mob. The crowd seems to have felt that they had been intentionally drawn into
8051-432: The second. Whatever difference which might part us, something hovers over them, it is the great images of national unity, which we all desire, for which we would all stand, willing to die if necessary. The Bastille Day military parade is the French military parade that has been held in the morning, every year in Paris, since 1880. While previously held elsewhere within or near the capital city, since 1918 it has been held on
8148-633: The site of an ongoing meeting. The crowd, on the authority of the meeting at the Palais-Royal, broke open the Prisons of the Abbaye to release some grenadiers of the French Guards , who had been reportedly imprisoned for refusing to fire on the people. The Assembly recommended the imprisoned guardsmen receive the clemency of the king, return to prison for a token one-day period, and receive
8245-669: The storming of the Bastille". In 1880, the government of the Third Republic wanted to revive the 14 July festival. The campaign for the reinstatement of the festival was sponsored by the notable politician Léon Gambetta and scholar Henri Baudrillant . On 21 May 1880, Benjamin Raspail proposed a law, signed by sixty-four members of government, to have "the Republic adopt 14 July as the day of an annual national festival". There were many disputes over which date to be remembered as
8342-465: The storming of the Bastille. The Assembly voted in favor of the proposal on 21 May, and 8 June. The law was approved on 27 and 29 June. The celebration was made official on 6 July 1880. In the debate leading up to the adoption of the holiday, Senator Henri Martin , who wrote the National Day law, addressed the chamber on 29 June 1880: Do not forget that behind this 14 July, where victory of
8439-473: The streets." The three officers of the permanent Bastille garrison were also killed by the crowd; Surviving police reports detail their wounds and clothing. Three of the invalides of the garrison were lynched plus possibly two of the Swiss regulars of the Salis-Samade Regiment who were reported missing. The remaining Swiss were protected by the French Guards and eventually released to return to their regiment. Their officer, Lieutenant Louis de Flue wrote
8536-465: The tensions of July 1789, the building remained as a symbol of royal tyranny . An analysis in 2013 of the Bastille's dimensions showed that it did not tower over the neighbourhood as depicted in some paintings, but was a comparable height to other buildings in the neighbourhood. The regular garrison consisted of 82 invalides (veteran soldiers no longer suitable for service in the field). It had however been reinforced on 7 July by 32 grenadiers of
8633-519: Was Jacques de Flesselles , the prévôt des marchands ("provost of the merchants"), the elected head of the city's guilds, who under the French monarchy had the responsibilities of a present-day mayor. Shortly after the storming of the Bastille, late in the evening of 4 August, after a very stormy session of the Assemblée constituante , feudalism was abolished. On 26 August, the Declaration of
8730-486: Was a celebration of the unity of the French nation during the French Revolution. The aim of this celebration, one year after the Storming of the Bastille , was to symbolize peace. The event took place on the Champ de Mars , which was located far outside of Paris at the time. The work needed to transform the Champ de Mars into a suitable location for the celebration was not on schedule to be completed in time. On
8827-654: Was assassinated on the way to an ostensible trial at the Palais-Royal. The King first learned of the storming only the next morning through the Duke of La Rochefoucauld . "Is it a revolt?" asked Louis XVI. The duke replied: "No sire, it's not a revolt; it's a revolution." Indeed, the storming of the Bastille is occasionally suggested to be the founding point of the Revolution in national discourse. In his book The French Revolution: From Enlightenment to Tyranny , however, historian Ian Davidson argued that Louis XVI capitulating to
8924-511: Was dismissed by the King, provoking an angry reaction among Parisians. Crowds formed, fearful of an attack by the royal army or by foreign regiments of mercenaries in the King's service and seeking to arm themselves. Early on 14 July, a crowd besieged the Hôtel des Invalides for firearms, muskets, and cannons stored in its cellars. That same day, another crowd stormed the Bastille , a fortress-prison in Paris that had historically held people jailed on
9021-456: Was first to bring reasonably accurate news of the Paris events to Versailles. M. Ganilh and Bancal-des-Issarts, dispatched to the Hôtel de Ville, confirmed his report. By the morning of 15 July, the outcome appeared clear to the king as well, and he and his military commanders backed down. The twenty-three regiments of Royal troops concentrated around Paris were dispersed to their frontier garrisons. The Marquis de la Fayette took up command of
9118-525: Was found buried in 1899 and is now at Square Henri-Galli in Paris, as well as the clock bells and pulley system, which are now in the Musée d’Art Campanaire. The building itself is outlined in brick on the location where it once stood, as is the moat in the Paris Metro stop below it, where a piece of the foundation is also on display. A Tale of Two Cities, the 1859 novel by Charles Dickens , dramatizes
9215-424: Was of the opinion that the soldiers would have obeyed orders if put to the test. He also commented in retrospect that the officers of the French Guards had neglected their responsibilities in the period before the uprising and left the regiment too much to the control of its non-commissioned officers . However, the uncertain leadership of Besenval led to a virtual abdication of royal authority in central Paris. On
9312-416: Was probably fewer than one thousand. A breakdown of occupations included in the list indicates that the majority were local artisans, together with some regular army deserters and a few distinctive categories, such as 21 wine merchants. The crowd gathered outside the fortress around mid-morning, calling for the pulling back of the seemingly threatening cannon from the embrasures of the towers and walls and
9409-463: Was to protect public buildings. They proved a fair match for the fort's defenders, and Governor de Launay , the commander of the Bastille, capitulated and opened the gates to avoid a mutual massacre. According to the official documents, about 200 attackers and just one defender died before the capitulation. However, possibly because of a misunderstanding, fighting resumed. In this second round of fighting, de Launay and seven other defenders were killed, as
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