What happened
Crowds in Paris, acting amid political tension, fear of repression, and the search for arms and powder, attacked and captured the Bastille. The prison-fortress had limited military value, but immense symbolic value as a royal stronghold.
Why it matters
The fall of the Bastille became an iconic act of revolutionary popular sovereignty. It demonstrated that urban crowds could decisively shape the political trajectory of the Revolution.
Notes
This event should sit at the intersection of revolutionary politics, crowd action, urban history, and state legitimacy.