October 5 1789

On October, 5 1789, the March on Versailles was one of the earliest and most signifigant events of the French Revolution. This event began among near rioting market women due to the high price and scarcity of bread. Encouraged by revolutionaries they grew into a mob of thousands and ransacked the city for weapons and marched to Versailles and besiged the palace. The next day they compelled the king and his entire court to return with them to Paris. This event is signifigant because it marked the turning point when the monarchy no longer had an independent autority and symbolized the new power granted to the common people as a defining moment of the revolution.