French Revolution Storming Of The Bastille Coloring Pages

The Storming of the Bastille occurred on July 14, 1789, in Paris, France. Surprisingly, only seven prisoners were actually freed from the fortress that day, but the event became the symbol of the French Revolution and is still celebrated as Bastille Day.

Parisians stormed the Bastille primarily to seize the 30,000 pounds of gunpowder stored inside, not to free prisoners. They needed weapons and ammunition to defend themselves against King Louis XVI's troops who were surrounding the city.

After capturing the fortress, the revolutionaries completely demolished the Bastille stone by stone. An entrepreneur named Pierre-François Palloy organized the destruction and sold pieces as souvenirs, even carving miniature Bastilles from the original stones.

Approximately 1,000 Parisians, including craftsmen, shopkeepers, and laborers, participated in the attack. About 100 attackers were killed or wounded, while the fortress's defenders lost only one man before surrendering the medieval stronghold.

The Bastille was built in the 1370s as a medieval fortress to defend Paris's eastern entrance. Over time, it became a state prison where the king could imprison people without trial using letters called 'lettres de cachet.'

July 14th became France's national holiday, Bastille Day, because the storming represented the people's victory over royal tyranny. The date symbolizes the birth of modern France and the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity that defined the revolution.