Fete de la Federation – July 14, 2024

History of Fete de la Federation

The French Revolution began in 1789 with that year’s Estates-General. The abolition of the reigning ‘Ancien Régime’ or Old Regime began on July 14, 1789, when a crowd of protesters stormed the Bastille prison. By 1790, the monarchy had been overthrown and a National Assembly was elected. Believing the Revolution to be over, a desire to celebrate national unity spread across the French people. The festival in Paris was to be the most prominent celebration of fraternity — it was to be attended by the royal family, the deputies of the National Assembly, and the general public. The event was organized on the Champ de Mars, which was outside Paris at the time.

The festival began with a feast as early as 4:00 A.M., and it continued to proceed despite downpours throughout the day. A parade of ‘federes’ organized under 83 banners marched their way to the place the Bastille once stood, and the members of the National Assembly, along with Louis XVI, all took an oath to protect the new Nation. The festival was also attended by delegates from countries across the globe. A popular feast followed the official celebration.

Unbeknownst to all those who attended the festivities, the stability that they foresaw was not what they had in store for them. The following years in France were of political turmoil that culminated in the people becoming disillusioned with the monarchy, leading to the execution of the royal family in 1873. Even with the French Republic finally established, peace did not follow. June 1873 saw an uprising that overthrew much of the National Assembly, sparking the Reign of Terror in the nation. The following year saw 16,000 at the hands of the Jacobins. To deal with the oppressive threat of the former, a fragile French Directory was formed, which was soon overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte, marking the end of France’s revolutionary period.