Free levelled English reading practice. Read for meaning first, then use the full Speed Reading tool to time yourself and track your progress.
By the late 1780s, France faced a severe financial crisis, while its tax system placed unequal burdens on society. Food prices were high after poor harvests, and political arguments about representation intensified. In 1789, King Louis XVI called the Estates-General. Representatives of the Third Estate soon declared themselves a National Assembly. On 14 July, crowds in Paris stormed the Bastille fortress, an event that became a powerful revolutionary symbol. The following years brought sweeping reforms, violence, war, the end of the monarchy and eventually the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
