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Bastille Day is much like Independence Day in the United States – It is the celebration of a new form of government. Bastille Day symbolizes the overthrow of the old monarchy and the beginning of the French republic. The Bastille The Bastille was built in 1382 and was originally used to defend the east side of Paris from attack. The Bastille had walls more than 80 feet high and was surrounded by a moat. Hundreds of years later, the French monarchy converted The Bastille into a prison to lock up people who didn’t agree with their decisions. People were jailed by arbitrary decision of the King. The Bastille was, in particular, known for holding political prisoners whose writings had displeased the royal government. The prisoners inside the Bastille were given no trial – they were placed there under the king’s orders and only he could decide when and if they would be freed. The Basti hydrogen peroxide teeth whitening lle became a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of King Louis XVI’s Ancient Regime. For the peasant class, the Bastille stood as a symbol of the hypocrisy and corruption of the aristocratic government – controlled mostly by nobility and clergy. The monarchy wasn’t just undemocratic. The king and the aristocracy also owned the land and extracted not only the rent, but imposed taxes and restrictions on the people. The French people of all classes were frustrated with many of the problems of their government, including wanting the king to share his absolute powers, the right to own land and vote, tithes and feudal rights, religious staff wanting more money. The Beginning of the Revolution Due to these many reasons, the French people stormed and seized The Bastille on July 14th, 1789. Violent peasants pillaged and burned chateaux, and destroyed records of feudal dues.