Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: The fall of the Bastille fortress prison took place in Paris
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question again relates to the French Revolution, but focuses on the specific event celebrated as the national holiday of France every year on 14 July. The day marks a dramatic moment when ordinary people directly challenged royal authority, and it has become a powerful symbol of liberty and popular sovereignty.
Given Data / Assumptions:
• The date in question is 14 July 1789.
• The setting is Paris at the beginning phase of the French Revolution.
• Several important revolutionary events occurred in 1789, but not all on the same day.
• We are asked which event is commemorated as the French national day.
Concept / Approach:
On 14 July 1789, an angry crowd in Paris stormed the Bastille, a fortress prison that symbolised royal despotism and arbitrary authority. The fall of the Bastille showed that the king could no longer rely completely on force to control the population. As a result, this day came to represent the victory of the people over tyranny and was later adopted as the national day of France, often called Bastille Day.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the key symbol linked with 14 July 1789 is the Bastille, not Napoleon or legal declarations.
Step 2: Recall that the capture of the Bastille marked the popular outbreak of the revolution in Paris.
Step 3: Recognise that France now celebrates this as its national holiday each year.
Step 4: Compare this knowledge with the answer choices.
Step 5: Select the option stating that the fall of the Bastille fortress prison took place in Paris.
Verification / Alternative check:
Descriptions of Bastille Day in encyclopaedias and history books always mention the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 as the event commemorated by the French national holiday. Dates of other events, such as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, are different. This confirms that the fall of the Bastille is the correct answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Members of the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly: This occurred in June 1789, not on 14 July.
Workers and peasants receiving full political rights: This was a gradual process and not tied to a single date, especially not 14 July 1789.
Napoleon Bonaparte crowned emperor: This happened later, in the early nineteenth century, long after the initial revolution.
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: Adopted in August 1789, so not on the specific date of 14 July.
Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes mix up different revolutionary events that took place in the same year. The simplest way to remember is to associate 14 July with the Bastille, which even appears in the English phrase Bastille Day. Keeping this connection clear ensures you can quickly answer any question about France's national holiday and its revolutionary origins.
Final Answer:
France celebrates 14 July as its national day to mark the fall of the Bastille fortress prison in Paris.
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