The Bastille was a medieval fortress that had served as a state prison since the 17th century. It was rumoured to be full of political prisoners. It also had stores of gunpowder.
After the Third Estate demanded more power in the matters of government, they feared that the king would unleash an attack anytime. They needed gunpowder in order to retaliate and the Bastille was the place to look for it. On the morning of July 14, 1789, the revolutionaries approached the Bastille and demanded Governor Bernard-Rene de Launay to surrender the prison and hand over the gunpowder. The governor refused.
The attempts to negotiate were not really getting anywhere. The public were agitated. They broke into the main fortress. The soldiers in the Bastille opened fire.
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