Notes on the Formation of the National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath

  • Historical Context (1789)

  • Notable figures: Merchants, bankers, lawyers, and particularly lawyers engaged in politics.

  • These individuals represented the Third Estate, which included peasants and commoners.

  • They were influenced by Enlightenment thinkers (philosophes) and were politically engaged.

  • Estates General and the Clash of Orders

  • The Estates General included representatives from the First (clergy) and Second (nobility) Estates.

  • Some from these estates sympathized with the Third Estate, influenced by Enlightenment ideas.

  • Tension escalated among the estates regarding issues such as taxation authority and voting processes.

  • The journalist Mais Dupont noted that once the debate veered to the matters of taxation consent, the core conflict became between the Third Estate and the other two.

  • Formation of the National Assembly

  • Discontented, representatives of the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly, asserting to represent the country as a whole.

  • They invited representatives from the other estates to join the assembly but insisted on voting by head (one person, one vote), leading to equality among representatives.

  • This declaration was technically illegal, lacking support in existing French law and tradition.

  • Louis XVI's Response

  • King Louis XVI might have seen potential benefits in the National Assembly since voting by head would facilitate tax obligations across estates.

  • However, absolute monarchs prefer central control over political decisions. Louis XVI disapproved of the Third Estate's claim to represent the nation.

  • This disagreement led Louis XVI to dissolve the assembly by locking their meeting place and issuing a royal notice to disband.

  • The Tennis Court Oath

  • Following the dissolution, representatives of the National Assembly found themselves locked out the next day.

  • They convened at a nearby tennis court, pledging a collective oath to continue meeting until they established a written constitution for France.

  • This oath symbolizes the commitment of the Third Estate to pursue a constitutional framework, marking a pivotal moment in the French Revolution.

  • Significance of Events

  • The formation of the National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath are critical moments in the lead-up to the French Revolution.

  • They reflect the growing demand for political reform and the shift away from absolute monarchy towards a system of representative governance.