Storming of the Bastille

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/storming-of-the-bastille

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Paris, France
2. What is the date of storming?July 14, 1789
3. What was the Bastille and why was it important?The Bastille was a medieval fortress in Paris that later became a prison for political dissidents. It symbolized the king’s power and unfair justice.
4. Why did people storm the Bastille on July 14, 1789?They wanted arms and gunpowder to protect themselves and to show that the king’s power could be challenged. It was a protest against unfair rules and the privileges of the rich.

Ancien Régime: The political and social system in France before the Revolution of 1789.
Revolutionary Insurgents: Individuals actively engaged in the revolutionary movement to overthrow the existing government.
Fête de la Fédération: A national celebration held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille.
Popular Sovereignty: The principle that the authority of a state and its government are created and sustained by the consent of its people.