Deron and I had been France since the beginning of the year 1789 to do some studying abroad. The first four or five months were relatively quiet, but there was always the threat of an uprising in the air. The French monarchy was losing favor with its citizens, but no one could have imagined what would eventually happen.
The first major event that caught our attention was the establishment of the National Assembly by members of the Third Estate. Shockingly, the French people were establishing their own representative government separate from the monarchy. Revolution clearly had begun as it was only a matter of time before the royals were dispatched. Sensing danger, many foreigners began to flee back to their home countries, but our curiosity got the best of us and we decided to stick around.
We weren't disappointed. On July 14, the citizens of Paris formed a mob and stormed the Bastille. It was utter chaos. By mere chance, Deron and I were walking past the prison right before it was liberated by the Parisian force. We were fortunate to make it out of this scene alive. The riot raged on around us, but we were left unharmed.
The country, still in turmoil, kept making drastic changes. In August of that same year, the Constituent Assembly (formerly the National Assembly) ratified the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Feudalism was abolished and the monarchy limited. Deron, because of his exquisite penmanship, was asked to re-copy the document into its final form for all to see. It was an exciting time for all due to the sweeping reforms. However, our year of study was up in December, and we had to return to our native England.
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Composed by Deron Riddick and Mark Nedved, Miami University of Ohio.