In This Day - Emily Salamanca

      On 5 October, 1789, the women of France stormed Bastille prison in order to free their indebted husbands. This is viewed by historians now as the first public announcement of the French revolution. The French today celebrate this as their 'Independence Day' to put it in American terms.
      For me, I really do enjoy studying French history. This date means a lot to me, personally, because I love how interconnected it is with American history, as well as the history of Europe. The French were inspired by the American Revolution, which we seem to study and celebrate at least twice each year. Likewise, the French Revolution inspired the Haitian Revolution, which liberated the slave population at the time.
      This event is also very important to the French people. Not only was it their first critical period in their revolution, but it also represents the French mentality. This was all for bread, in a sense. The peasants were poor and hungry and they had been like this for years and year. Yet, at this point, everything broke loose. The hungry women had to be at their wits' end to storm the Bastille prison. Some were looking for their poor husbands, others were supporting their friends, or their country.
      It's also a great example of lady power in history. It is so rare to find amazing events where women took the lead and were celebrated by generations to come. Although women in France got little more by the revolution than another dictator and maybe some decreases in the price of food, their impact on history is so great.
      Literally, this is one of my favorite events in history. So glad that it was during this period.