The Storming of the Bastille occurred on July 14, 1789. Even though the medieval fortress and prison, known as the Bastille, only contained seven prisoners, its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution and it subsequently became an icon of the French Republic. In France, this day is a public holiday, formally known as Federation Holiday or Bastille Day.
During the reign of Louis XVI, France faced a major financial crisis that was triggered by the cost of being involved in the American War of Independence and made worse by an unequal system of taxation. Following the storming of the Bastille on July 14, the revolution began to grow. This was the third stage with the first being the revolt of the nobility and the second being the formation of the National Assembly. The third stage also included the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
The middle class had formed the National Guard and sported the tricolor rosettes of red, white and blue which became the symbol of the revolution. Paris was close to insurrection and a crowd broke open the prisons of the Abbaye to release some grenadiers of the French guards, reportedly imprisoned for refusing to fire on the people.
