Bastille Day: French Independence Day Educational Resources K12 Learning, World, History Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

You may be familiar with America’s Independence Day, but did you know the French have their own Independence Day as well?

Every year on July 14^th, France celebrates Bastille Day.

This day is significant because it changed how their government was run.

On July 14, 1789, outraged Parisians (people from Paris, France) overtook the Bastille in order to capture ammunition. This violent mutiny became one of the most important events for the French Revolutionary War because it was said to start the war.

The Bastille was a prison in France that imprisoned important people charged with various offenses. During this raid, there were only seven prisoners confined.

The Parisians successfully overtook the prison, and it was demolished the same day.

In order to understand this historical event, it helps to know the following terms.

	peasant class	laborers and farmers of small farms
	nobility	a social class that’s not quite royalty, but experiences many privileges and higher social status compared to other classes
	clergy	people who are ordained for religious duties
	monarchy	a form of government in which one person, typically a king or queen, reigns
	republic	when a country’s people hold supreme power and are able to elect their own representatives in government, unlike in a monarchy

During this era, the peasant class had been frustrated with their government which was controlled mainly by the nobility and clergy. The French Revolution successfully changed the system from being a monarchy to a republic.

Today, France continues to celebrate its victory every July.

The oldest and largest military parade is held the morning of July 14^th in Paris in front of the President of the Republic. In addition, citizens can expect to see beautiful fireworks shows near the Eiffel Tower.

The overtaking of the Bastille may have occurred hundreds of years ago, but the impact of that event still holds significance and is celebrated to this day.

Download and print Storming of the Bastille Video Notes, found in Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar. Answer the questions as you watch the following video.

After watching the short video and answering the questions, check your answers with the Storming of the Bastille Video Notes Answer Key (Downloadable Resources).

Now, move on to the Got It? section, where you will get to test your knowledge about this revolutionary event in France.