March on Versailles Facts & Worksheets

The March on Versailles was one of the French Revolution’s first and most significant events. Its focal point was the increasing cost and scarcity of bread, one of the primary food sources of commoners in France.

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Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• In the closing days of the summer of 1789, France’s Ancien Régime was on its final legs. The Third Estate, commonly known as the commoners, seized power from King Louis XVI with surprising rapidity, convening a National Assembly from the Estates-General of 1789 to provide France with a new constitution.
• The storming of the Bastille gave the revolutionaries even more authority, which they used to abolish feudalism and upper-class privileges with the August Decrees before recognizing man’s natural rights with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.
• Despite being unsuited to the role of an absolute king, Louis XVI was adamant about preserving the institution. To that end, he refused to assent to the August Decrees and the Rights of Man, causing a schism between himself and the Assembly.
• At the same time, Louis wanted to retain the absolute veto, giving him the last say on any policy voted by the Assembly.
• The monarchist party in the Assembly backed this, believing that France required a strong king with a centralized government.

• The anti-royalist deputies were opposed to this. Some of these, such as the still-unpopular Maximilien Robespierre, believed that the King should be subject to the will of the people and hence should not have a veto. 
• Many deputies, however, began to advocate a third alternative, the suspensive veto, which would allow the King to postpone the Assembly’s acts for a maximum of two legislative assemblies or four years.
• Jacques Necker, Louis’ senior minister, indicated that this would be acceptable to the King and even implied that the King would confirm the August Decrees. On September 11, the Assembly voted 673-325 in favor of a suspensive veto, sensing a compromise.
• The news also shook Paris, which is only 13 miles from Versailles. High bread costs fueled conspiracy rumors that the nobility was purposefully starving the populace, escalating tensions. 
• Many interpreted the King’s reaction to the decrees and the Declaration of Human Rights as threatening the Revolution.
• The Assembly’s president, Jean-Joseph Mounier, returned to the monarch, pleading with him to reconsider signing the contracts and enhancing the Paris food supply. 
• When he received this plea, Louis XVI fell silent for a few days, contemplating his new duty as citizen king. 
• The Royal Flanders Regiment was then summoned to Versailles on September 23. 
• He had chosen absolute monarchy and thereby signed the death warrant for his monarchy.

THE BEGINNING OF THE MARCH

• The march began at the markets of what was initially known as Faubourg Saint-Antoine (Paris’s eastern district). The women got a local church to ring its bells, which drew additional people to the march.
• Their ranks grew, and the mob began marching with fervor. As alarm bells or signals rang out from church towers across the city, more women from nearby markets joined in, many armed with kitchen knives and other makeshift weapons.
• The demonstrators first took over the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, demanding bread and weapons. 
• Thousands more joined, including the well-known revolutionary Stanislas-Marie Maillard, best remembered for storming the Bastille.
• Stanislas assumed an unofficial leadership position and stopped some of the march’s potentially more violent features, such as the burning down of City Hall.
• Maillard designated numerous women as group leaders as he led the mob out of the city in the pouring rain, and they made their way to the Palace in Versailles.

AIMS OF THE PROTEST

• The diagram below shows the initial aims of the protest and how it expanded from a demand of having enough bread to eat to asking the King for reassurance that bread would be bountiful at an affordable price.

• The women thought that marching would draw the King to their plight and take action to effect the required changes.
• Some were more militant, seeking retribution on the King’s soldiers and his wife, Marie Antoinette, whom they despised. 
• Others wished for the King to depart Versailles and return to Paris, where he would be free of the aristocracy’s damaging influences.
• Marie Antoinette became an infamous character of the French Revolution, notable for her widely circulated but dubious statement ‘Let them eat cake’ in response to food shortages. However, historians differ in their judgment on whether this phrase must be attributed to Marie Antoinette. 
• According to one of the Queen’s biographers, it was a potent phrase because “the staple food of the French peasantry and working class was bread, absorbing 50 percent of their income, as opposed to 5 percent on fuel; the whole topic of bread was, therefore, the result of obsessional national interest.”
• People loathed Marie Antoinette because of her reputation and rumors: a wasteful spender of public monies, a manipulator, a debaucher, and a counterrevolutionary conspirator. 
• Marie Antoinette was also a foreign-born monarch, which was not uncommon at the time.
• She did, however, come from the Austrian Habsburg house, which had traditionally been France’s adversary.
• As a result, many people suspected her of duping the King into marrying her to give Austrians military plans and treasury money.

THE SIEGE OF THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES

• When the mob came to Versailles, a second group from the surrounding area greeted it. Members of the Assembly greeted the protesters and welcomed Maillard inside, where he spoke about the need for bread.
• The demonstrators followed him inside the Assembly and asked to hear from Mirabeau, the legendary reformist delegate and early French Revolution leader.
• Mirabeau rejected the demonstrators, but Maximilien Robespierre welcomed them.
• Six women met with King Louis XVI to convey their worries. The King agreed to distribute food from the royal pantry. 
• Despite the six women’s satisfaction with the bargain, many in the audience were skeptical and believed he would break his promise.
• In the morning, some protesters spotted an unsecured gate to the palace. Once inside, they looked for the Queen’s bed chamber.

LAFAYETTE

• Lafayette, a French aristocrat, freemason, and military officer who was one of the key figures during the French Revolution, convinced the King to address the crowd.
• The mood altered when the King agreed to return to Paris with the multitude. Lafayette, the leader of the National Guard, contributed to their joy by placing a tricolor cockade which served as the official sign of the Revolution, on the King’s nearest bodyguard’s cap.
• The crowd then requested to meet Queen Marie Antoinette, whom they blamed for many of the country’s economic troubles.
• Lafayette took her to the balcony, followed by the Queen’s children. The audience chanted for the children to be removed, and the stage appeared to be set for a regicide.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EVENT

• Except for 56 pro-monarchy members, the rest of the National Constituent Assembly followed the King to new quarters in Paris within two weeks. 
• The monarchist side lost considerable representation in the Assembly due to the march, as most of these lawmakers withdrew from the legislative arena.
• Conversely, Robespierre’s support for the march improved his popularity significantly. Despite his initial popularity, Lafayette fell out of favor, and the radical leadership drove him into exile as the Revolution progressed.
• The March on Versailles became a recurring motif for Paris’s ladies in revolutionary pictures. When the ‘Mothers of the Nation’ returned, they were hailed with enormous praise, and future Parisian governments would celebrate and request their services for years to come.

March on Versailles Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the March on Versailles across 23 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the March on Versailles. The March on Versailles was one of the French Revolution’s first and most significant events. Its focal point was the increasing cost and scarcity of bread, one of the primary food sources of commoners in France.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. March on Versailles Facts
2. Multiple Choice
3. Be Concise
4. Remedy
5. Storyboard
6. March on Versailles
7. Protest Poster
8. Behind these Words
9. Protest Chant
10. Women Empowerment
11. Food Riots

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the March on Versailles?

The March on Versailles was a pivotal event during the French Revolution that took place on October 5, 1789. It was a protest led primarily by working-class women from Paris who were frustrated by food shortages and economic hardships. The protesters, armed with makeshift weapons, marched from Paris to the Palace of Versailles to confront King Louis XVI and demand food and political reforms.

What were the main reasons for the March on Versailles?

The main reasons for the March on Versailles were the extreme food shortages and high bread prices that were affecting the working-class people of Paris. The prices of bread, a staple food, had risen sharply due to economic problems and the depletion of grain reserves. The protesters also wanted to express their grievances against the monarchy and demand political reforms, including a constitutional monarchy and more equitable distribution of resources.

Who led the March on Versailles?

The March on Versailles was predominantly led by women from Paris, who were joined by some men as well. Among the prominent figures leading the march were revolutionary activists such as Pauline Léon, Théroigne de Méricourt, and Stanislas-Marie Maillard. These women played a significant role in organizing and mobilizing the protesters.

What happened during the March on Versailles?

The protesters gathered in Paris on October 5, 1789, and marched towards Versailles, which was the residence of King Louis XVI and the seat of the French monarchy. Upon reaching Versailles the following day, they surrounded the palace and demanded to see the king. The crowd eventually forced their way into the palace, leading to a tense standoff between the protesters and the royal guards. King Louis XVI eventually agreed to meet with a delegation of the protesters, and they presented their demands. The king agreed to return with the protesters to Paris and address their concerns, which marked a significant turning point in the revolution.

What were the consequences of the March on Versailles?

The March on Versailles had profound consequences on the French Revolution. It demonstrated the power of the people to challenge the authority of the monarchy and demand reforms. As a result of the march, King Louis XVI and the royal family were brought back to Paris and placed under virtual house arrest, moving them closer to the influence of the revolutionaries. Additionally, the monarchy’s control over the capital was weakened, as the National Assembly (the revolutionary governing body) moved its sessions to Paris. The march also led to further radicalization of the revolution and ultimately paved the way for more significant political changes in France.

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