If you've seen or read Les Misérables, don't worry about reading this post. The play pretty much covered all of it. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, here's a summary of the July Revolution of 1830, the les Trois Glorieuses, the Three Glorious Days.
In 1830, Charles X was king by hereditary right and had grown more and more unpopular since taking the throne in 1824. Two main issues the French had with Charles X were the Anti-Sacrilege Act, which imposed the death penalty on those speaking out against the Eucharist, violating the religious freedom promised in the constitution of La Charte, drawn in 1814, and the treatment of property after the 1789 Revolution. Either to settle issues of property ownership or to create difficulties for some, Charles X was opposed by those who felt he was merely trying to undermine La Charte.
Newspapers spoke for the people, voicing their distrust and dislike of the king, so much so that Charles X attempted to strengthen censorship laws to boost his reputation. However, the Chamber of Deputies objected so strongly that the king was forced to revoke his proposal. After that, Charles X went cray and signed the July Ordinances, which censored the press, dissolved the Chamber, and excluded the middle class from elections. They were published on July 26, 1830, and on July 27 the Revolution began. Journalists ignored the new laws and met anyway, and when the police raided, crowds of people shouted "Down with Bourbons!" Fighting and rioting lasted for three days, in which time the rioters took over Hôtel de Ville, Tuileries Palace, and Palais de Justice, among others.
On August 2, 1830, Charles X gave up his right to the throne and left for Great Britain, leaving France to Louis Philippe who ruled as a constitutional monarch, ending the reign of the Bourbons in exchange for the House of Orléans. The July Column at Place de la Bastille commemorates the Glorious Three Days.
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