What was the Women's March on Versailles?

The Women's March on Versailles was when a crowd of over 7,000 Parisians, led by market women, marched to the royal city of Versailles demanding bread and political reforms from the king on 5 October 1789.

What caused the Women's March on Versailles?

The march was caused by high bread prices, the refusal of the king to agree to important revolutionary reforms, and a royal banquet held at Versailles, where soldiers trampled the tricolor cockade, a symbol of the revolution.

What is the significance of the Women's March on Versailles?

The March on Versailles stripped away the remaining independence of King Louis XVI, ending France's absolute monarchy and ushering in a short-lived period of constitutional monarchy.

Women's March on Versailles Timeline

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Definition

The Women's March on Versailles, also known as the October March or the October Days, was a defining moment in the early months of the French Revolution (1789-1799). On 5 October 1789, crowds of Parisian market women marched on Versailles, demanding reforms. They besieged the palace and forced King Louis XVI of France (r. 1774-1792) to return with them to Paris.

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